From Wikipedia: The story of the Two Wolves is a popular legend of unknown origin,
sometimes attributed to the Cherokee or Lenape people. It is a grandfather's story using a
metaphor of two wolves fighting within him to explain his inner conflicts to his grandson.
Probably you have heard or read this story several times. Your mentor or coach told you
about that already. I will tell you the story one more time, but I will ask a different question at
the end of the story. Here is the story;
An old man 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
man simply replied, "The one you feed."
My question is: Do we really have to feed one of the wolves?
Let's face it, people, we are not Cherokee or Lenape people; we are not living in nature with
peace. We live in a big, chaotic jungle made from buildings and ambition. To be happy in
your work environment, you may need both of your wolves.
During my 20 years of experience, I sometimes need my angry wolf as much as my peaceful
one. I needed my ego to show my outputs better, and sometimes even remarkable painful
moments helped me stop and think about my career. Probably one of these moments led me
change my career path as a mentor & coach.
Question of the week: Are you able to determine when you should feed which of the
wolves?
The practice of the week: Grab a blank piece of paper and a pen and split the form into two
equal parts with a vertical line. Next week whenever you work with your first wolf (greedy
one), give him/her a point on the right side; whenever you work with the second one, give
him/her a point on the left side.
At the end of the week, you will understand which one was more powerful and why? If you
feel balanced and happy at the end of the week, it means you have the power, and you know
when you need to feed which of the wolves. If you don't feel comfortable, please visit your
results and think about them. What have you been done differently? Which one of the wolves
needs more attention?
Have a lovely week.
