A Native elder walks slowly down the path. The leaves of the trees and the soft breeze protect him from the heat of the noonday sun. In his worn, calloused hand is the soft flesh of his young grandson. The two walk in silence.

After a time the grandfather interrupts the silence. “Grandson,” he begins, “there are two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is angry and vindictive and wishes to hurt others. The other wolf is peaceful, joyful, and loving.”

Hearing the words of his grandfather the grandson is filled with fear. With a tremor in his voice he asks, “Grandfather, which wolf will win the battle of your heart?”

The wise elder replies, “The battle of my heart will be won by the wolf that wins the battle of every man’s heart. It is the wolf I feed.” 

Outlined below are six ways we feed the negative wolf.

I invite you to consider these roadblocks to peace, joy, and happiness 
and notice whether they affect your sense of fulfillment also.

1. Imagining the worst. 
2. Thinking I’ve made a mistake.
3. Thinking like a victim. 
4. Living in the past or the future. 
5. Resisting reality. 
6. Delaying happiness.

Do you see yourself in any of these 
examples?

Do you recognize some of the ways that 
you are feeding your negative wolf?

Which ways of thinking and acting do 
you commonly engage in?

What do you notice is the impact of 
thinking and behaving in these ways?

What direction do they point you in?

Which wolf do you feed?

Sponsored by Ted Kuntz

From his book,

Peace Begins With Me

(Source: anhglobal.org)