I received the below story in an email a while back. It provided me with just the idea for this blog. To start, here’s the story, apparently a Native American legend:
A Cherokee Legend
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."
Okay, what do you think? It’s sweet, isn’t it? Mildly thought provoking and gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling.
It made sense, this legend in my inbox, and of course, it’s how we all aspire to live, especially in the moment of reading it. The deeper question is just how do we keep the focus,…. in a day when things have become so impersonal and so overscheduled? Who has the time? How, do we remember which ‘wolf to feed’ in the midst of all of this, once we’ve moved to the next email, walked out our door, walked into the busyness of life and the curveballs and insanity that often comes along with it?
Thus, my idea, my new experiment of sorts. Who knows what will come of it? Will I change the world with my laptop positivity each day? Doubtfully. Will I have something to serve as a reminder for myself and maybe a couple of others? Hopefully.
Here’s the plan: I will attempt to write daily, for 365 days (harder than it sounds), a minimum of one positive observation or a grateful appreciation of life, whether in writing or photos. Each day, for one year, I will take if nothing more than a moment to stop and breathe. To slow down and focus. To remind myself which ‘wolf to feed’ through this, my Peace of Mind.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Want to join? Help yourself! Do it privately, add a comment, start a blog and link it here… or just read along or not. Whichever feels best. I’m just doing for myself here, hoping I can make it through Feb 1, wondering if this will really change perceptions, serve as a reminder, or drive myself crazy. We’ll see. ~ K
