There is a story about Two Wolves. It is said to be between an old Cherokee Chief teaching his grandson about life.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to his grandson.
A fight between two wolves. One is evil, full of anger, sorrow, regret, greed, self-pity, and false pride. The other is good, full of joy, peace, love, humility, kindness, and faith.
“The same fight is going on inside of you, grandson, and every other person on this earth.”
The grandson pondered this momentarily and then asked: “Grandfather, which wolf will win?”
The old man smiled and simply said, “The one you feed the most.”
The two wolves represent a sense of mindfulness, full of love, joy, peace, humility, kindness, and faith. (the good wolf) and Ego (as some would call it) otherwise known as the wolf full of evil, anger, sorrow, regret, greed, self-pity, and false pride.
However, I also believe that most of us do not feed one of the wolves or the other, but often feed both, just not at the same time.
However, I also believe the old chief that the wolf who will win the struggle inside of me is the one I feed the most. I believe this because during my maturational process, I was socially prescribed the rules I’m supposed to live by. Some of these rules are very self-contradictory. I also believe that you were taught some self-contradictory rules, too.
After more than forty years in the mental health field and eighty years of living my own life, I have come to know that sometimes, to smooth out the contradictory rules I was prescribed to live by, I have to take the “bull by the horns” and prescribe my own rules for my own life.
That sometimes is a very difficult thing to do.
I would guess it is for you, too. Especially if we have been prescribed some behaviors that are forbidden to us by our caretakers and society. Such as alcohol, drugs, overeating, pornography, etc.
These prescriptions may well have filled us with some relief from our guilt and shame fostered by the contradictions in what we were taught. Still, ultimately, these behaviors result in permanent guilt and shame and decrease our ability to live by the good wolf’s advice.
Want to learn how to live by the good wolf’s rules? Attend my classes on the golden/black threads of intimacy. Call me, Dan, at 541-325-2118 or stop by my office: 154 SW 5th Street, Madras, OR 97741.
May the good wolf win!
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