Tale of the Two Wolves
I’m currently in the throws of training for a big race. A couple weeks ago, I was in the peak of training, and my running was shit. Or shall I say: I felt like shit? I was sick of running four times a week, the paces felt too fast, and my body and mind were being tortured by some invisible force.
I finally realized that that invisible force had a name: mindset. So after barely eeking out 12 miles one morning, I texted a friend to confide, “My mindset sucks right now.”
I read this sweet, wise Cherokee fable a year ago, and it floats back to me at times like this, when my mindset is terribly off. It’s a simple yet important reminder that your mindset affects everything, from your running potential to your business potential.
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.’
