Two Wolves Story
One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside of people. He said:
“MY SON, THE BATTLE IS
BETWEEN TWO ‘WOLVES’ INSIDE US ALL.
ONE IS EVIL. IT IS ANGER,
ENVY, JEALOUSY, SORROW,
REGRET, GREED, ARROGANCE,
SELF-PITY, GUILT, RESENTMENT,
INFERIORITY, LIES, FALSE PRIDE,
SUPERIORITY, AND EGO.”
“THE OTHER IS GOOD.
IT 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 HUMAN AS WELL”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
“WHICH WOLF WINS?…”
The old Cherokee simply replied:
“THE ONE THAT YOU FEED”
I remember the first time I read the two wolves story.
I stumbled upon it during my early years of personal development.
The story came to me at a perfect time.
I was in my early twenties and had a lot of temptation to do both good and bad.
There were days were I wanted to be a good person, contribute to others, and learn new things.
Other days I wanted to party, be lazy, spend money on unnecessary things, and only think about myself.
After reading this story, it all made sense to me!
I had two wolves inside that were both hungry and fighting every day!
I thought about the two wolves story daily and would ask myself:
“Which wolf am I feeding today?”
This story is a great foundation for your own personal development and success.
It helps you realize which of the wolves you’re feeding anytime you do anything.
I hope you get as much value as I did from the two wolves story.
Remember to always feed the right wolf so your life can be one of peace, joy, and success.
Here’s a video I included for you of the story.
Only you have control over which of the two wolves will get fed.
Only you decide which will LIVE and which will DIE.
Only you will control the direction in which your life goes.
-Alex
P.S. – Thinking of starting your own blog/website? Check out my book Mr. Website Builder.
Alex (Administrator) says
Very good comment, Tara. I agree that Native American Stories are a fantastic resource of wisdom. No wolf ever dies, but you must do your best to make the bad wolf as weak as possible by starving him.
-Alex
The Rational Rebel says
I love this story. I first came across it doing my Master’s research a few years ago.
The interesting thing about this story is that neither wolf actually ever dies – for better and for worse. Meaning, if you’ve been feeding the Evil Wolf, you can still change things around and start feeding the Good Wolf that will become stronger and eventually overcome the Evil one.
But if at some point in you life you start feeding the Evil Wolf, it will take over.
Both wolves are always there, each waiting to be fed. That’s why you’re always confronted with a choice which one to feed.
Native American Stories are such a fantastic resource of wisdom and value, but people are rarely tempted to research them, assuming those are merely folk tales.
Tara
http://therationalrebel.com
Andrew Miles says
Also a favourite story of mine. I have spent far too much time in my past feeding the evil wolf. Telling myself I was useless, a failure. Once I started feeling the good wolf everything started turning around.
Alex (Administrator) says
Andrew, I think it’s very easy and tempting to feed the bad wolf. I’m sure everyone can relate and admit we’ve had our moments where we fed the bad wolf. The important thing is that we begin starving the bad wolf and feeding the good wolf. Thanks for being honest and open about your past and how everything began turning around the moment you started feeding the good wolf.
-Alex
Jacob S. says
This could not be more true. Thanks for sharing this by the way. I like how you mentioned how you were using it daily to discover which one was being fed, essentially. I think it is a good way to gauge what you’re doing and the overall outcome. Definitley a spiritual story as well.
Alex (Administrator) says
Thanks, Jacob. Yes, it’s definitely a spiritual story as well like you mentioned. Glad you enjoyed the article!
-Alex