Currently reading “Taking the Leap” by Pema Chodron. She talks about the struggle in us all as being two wolves.
Our negative thoughts can create anxiety, anger, resentment, jealousy—an array of emotions. Negative thinking is normal. However, if this way of thinking becomes incessant, it can lead to depression and self- destructive behavior like addictions, derailing us from what we want most in life. At minimum, negative thinking saps our energy, erodes our self- confidence and can put us in a bad mood. So let’s stop feeding the bad wolf so often…
The Two Wolves is a Cherokee Indian legend and illustrates the most important battle of our lives – the one between our good and bad thoughts.
Here is how the story goes:
An old Cherokee is 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, benevolence, 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 old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Our thoughts can be our own worst enemy or our most power friend! But only if we let them, it is our choice to which wolf we feed daily!
Think about how you may be “feeding” your negative thoughts by allowing them to rule your mind. The next time you have a negative thought, catch it and ask yourself,
“What is this thought doing for me?”
“How is this thought beneficial to me?”
“Is this thought zapping my energy?”
You will find that the answer is that all the negative thoughts are doing is disempowering you.
But, you can immediately feel more empowered and positive by focusing on something good in your life and practicing gratitude daily. I keep a little note book of three things I am grateful for.
Also, take a leap by committing to yourself:
- to let go of old grudges,
- to not avoid people, situations and emotions that make you feel uneasy,
- to not cling to your fears,
- stop playing the reel over and over in our minds,
- to become openminded and not closed,
- to open your hearts and to take action.
We can create greater peace, confidence and a more positive outlook by learning how to manage our thoughts. And i am not saying of every second of the day but to become more aware of what you are thinking throughout the day. After all, this battle can be won because we have the power of choice!
It is the small daily changes and choices we make that truly change our lives for the better.
Which wolf are you feeding today? Remember, you always have a choice… I am feeding the good wolf today…
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Gandhi
The Mary Kay Opportunity which I was blessed to start in August of 2016 has given me the opportunity to grow, to stretch, to dream, to set goals, to get uncomfortable, to meet new friends, to teach, to learn, to have failures, to have successes, to be more than I thought I could be, to feed the good wolf daily and to help others to feed their good wolf!!! #morethanmakeup #loveyourself #selfbelief
Love Vanessa ❤
http://www.marykay.ca/vanessadeslaurier
being Vanessa 