The Wolf You Feed - Which Wolf Will You Feed?

You probably already know about the symbolism of yin and yang - the two opposing sides of life that balance each other. The story of the two wolves resonates with us because it is about the duality that lives inside us all. 

Even if you know the story of the Wolf You Feed it is important to re-read it as it delivers new wisdom each time.  The first time we read this story we realized the importance of not feeding the dark wolf but we neglected to feed the light wolf.  As you read this story, read it slowly, carefully out loud so that the words have time to sink in. 

An old grandfather was teaching his grandson about life:

“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil–he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf will win?”

The grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.” 

But if you feed them right, they both win and so do you.  

You see both have good qualities. The black wolf has many qualities that we need, tenacity, courage, strong willed, and great strategic thinking. These are things the white wolf lacks. 

Now is a good time to reflect on how we can maintain the balance between the light wolf and the dark wolf so that both wolves will serve us.