According to Cherokee legend, we embody two wolves. One feels only bad emotions, while the other is good. The legend says that the one that will prevail is the one we feed. Once we feel some of the emotions down either path, it triggers the other emotions and creates a snowball effect that makes that side stronger. By starving the side we do not want to own us and feeding the other, we have the power to decide who we are.
Key Takeaways:
- This struggle is ours. Every day, we have the opportunity to embrace a darker path or to act in a more helpful and hopeful way.
- The same struggle is sometimes evident in entire nations, which can be deeply divided along a number of overlapping fault lines: political, socioeconomic, racial, gender.
- This story holds a mirror up to ourselves, individually and collectively. And we should take a long look in it. If we’re honest about the struggle and understand it more, we can begin feeding one wolf over the other.
“The first step in managing your emotions is simply being more aware of them. Ask yourself what triggers them. Look at your life experience for clues to how you react.”