The Wolf You Feed
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Finally, it’s all so very simple. It doesn’t matter who is to blame. It doesn’t matter whether the world around is filled with evil or negativity or not. It doesn’t matter if everyone around is sweet and good and loving. All that matters is what is within us.
I got this wonderful forward from a friend and it got me thinking really hard about what I need to do every day. What this little story shows us perhaps is that what we are is up to us. Not our upbringing, not our friends, not even our family, not our co-workers, not the land we live in, not the race we belong to. We cannot shift the blame for our wrongs onto others. We have to take responsibility for what we do because what we are depends on the decisions we take. So maybe we need to ask ourselves every morning when we wake up: Which wolf am I going to feed today? If we consciously starve the negative wolf, the positive wolf grows stronger and stronger within us till one day, it just becomes a way of life with us.
Good vs. Evil. Positive vs. Negative. Ethical vs. Non-ethical. Right vs. Wrong. It doesn’t really matter what term we use. We know in your heart which wolf we have to feed. We might feed the wrong wolf because we’re angry, because we want revenge, because we feel slighted, because we’re jealous….or sometimes, just because. It doesn’t matter what the cause is – it’s the effect on us that matters. The problem is, the wolf lives within us and all we are doing is feeding what shouldn’t be fed within us.
All we need to do every morning is wake up and decide for the day to feed the right wolf and repeat the resolution when the morrow comes. Sufficient unto the day is the right decision thereof. That’s all it takes, really. One step or day at a time – feeding the right wolf so all’s right with the world within. Imagine – if everyone did just that, all would be right with the world every which way too!
For my friend Pat in Australia – keep those wonderful forwards coming :)
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Also shared it in Facebook as not all my FB friends will have access to this hub, even if you may have shared it and we are FB friends. :)
Yes, I remember reading this as a forward and it is so true. Nicely put Shalini. :)
Shalini - To quote you, "what we are is up to us."
I couldn't agree more. Those who blame everything and everyone around them for their problems are missing this important truth.
Its really up to them to make or break their life.
Thank you for this reminder hub. An important life lesson!!
As you know I am part Cherokee and have known this old adage for some time now. Here is another for you; You can't tell how good a man or a watermelon is 'til they get thumped.
The Indian people had and have so much wisdom because they pass it on from one generation to the other. Yet, people did not and will not listen to them. They could teach us so much. This is a wonderful lesson and hub. Thank you so much.
Great hub. Great lesson. Timely reminder.
'Sufficient unto the day' is such a sensible plan! :)
Beautiful story and beautifully elaborated by you. Yes indeed, it is up to us what we become. God help us to feed the good wolf within us all and the world could be such a wonderful place.
What a fabulous story and and a marvelous hub. I agree with these wise words and I thank you.
Thank you for great Hub.
Wow! We so need these lessons! And Regularly. I love the great lesson you included right at the beginning. And I tell you, yesterday when I started out feeding the right wolf - the other showed up!
Honestly, living in overcrowded NYC sometimes tons of the bad wolves show up - there is so much to confront, but it does me no good to feed them.
Love the ancient people - they realized it was important to teach the young people ways to cope - our young turn to illegal drugs today. Well, so do older folks - theirs are just legal. We need more lessons for living.
Rated up - and bookmarked because there are many I can share this with! And it's a great pep talk for me!
Thank you, thank you all for reading! Isn't it wonderful that stories like these can still touch a chord in all our hearts?
I have heard the story you started with before and it is a testatament to your spirit, your inner worth and to your talent that in your hands it becomes so much more. Well done.
De Greek - you flatter me - thank you :)
Beautiful, Shalini. I do thrive in stories because they are filled with ancient wisdom and beautiful life lessons! I loved it! I`d like you to stop by a hub called Forgiveness: A free pass to happiness and tell me what you think! It is my most recent one!
Thank you!
Thumbs up!
Warmest regards and infinite eternal blessings,
Al
Thank You for this, I had heard this before, but a very long time and just what I needed to hear at this time! A great write bringing this saying into our daily lives. i really appreciate VioletSun sharing this so I could enjoy it today. I will be sharing too, what a wonderful message!
I have never heard of this story before...thanks so much Shalini for sharing it with us and your thoughts on it! Good hub!
Hi Shalini, never heard this cute little tale before but love the wisdom in its message! Thanks for sharing.
Al, emohealer. Ann and Cassidella - thanks so much for reading.
I actually woke up this morning and asked myself which wolf I was going to feed! Oh, what a simple, wise story can do!
Wonderful story and so wise, Shalini! Definitelly something to be mindful of and enlightening for me. I can see that the one we choose to feed on the inside will also reflect whom we are feeding in our outside world too. Thank you for sharing. :)
invictus - how wise - yes, once we feed the right one inside, we automatically feed the right ones outside too!
Great words of wisdom here. Stop feeding them.
Nice, Shalini! And this after I wrote a comment on a negative hub, lol. Poignant!!! I need to disconnect from that negative energy and move on. Thanks for the encouragement. Some things will not change externally, perhaps. But they will stop causing me to churn internally if I don't give them any energy. Hugs.
Great story and hub. I've heard the story before and it is so true.
What a beautiful hub! I love the way you added your insights to this simple nugget of wisdom.
Thumbs up Shalini!
FGual - yes, indeed - if only we could just stop feeding them!
Story - hugs to you too. It sounds so easy but it's so tough to do when there's so much happening outside that upsets us. Nice new pic :)
Pamela - thanks for stopping by.
Jill - thanks - always appreciate you dropping by.
what a lovely story! and so true
Shalini, I enjoyed reading this, and your writing ability and your spirit shine through. However, I think we have to feed both wolves. Neither one is good or bad. They are both necessary and we have to keep them in balance. (My blog today is on this issue.) We have anger, because it helps us survive. We have love because that also helps us survive. The quandary we all face is: what is the right balance for us?
Shalini, great rendition of this story. Is it not amazing that some things do remain 'constants'
Thumbs up :-)
CASE1WoRKER - thanks so much!
Aya - it always amazes me how you add a new dimension and a different point of view to everything - thank you. Maybe righteous anger is necessary and maybe it falls more in the realm of positive and active rather than negative and passive - but of late, from a personal point of view, I've found anger always leaves a residual tiredness - even if it is necessary :)
ag - thank you - appreciate you coming by and reading!
As Peter Finch in his great role said 'don't get angry get even'.
I think Shalani is correct in saying that anger uses up energy causing tiredness and in itself accomplishes very little.
That energy could be better utilized negating the cause of the original anger.
I agree ag - i used to see red when faced with dishonesty and lies but I've learned that it hurts no one but myself - one needs to do what one has to do without all that negative energy that can be draining! Thanks for coming by again :)
This is an excellent hub. Refreshing.
Shalini, I have never heard the wolf story so was glad to have read your hub. It is so easy to feed the wrong wolf, to fall into that negativity, especially in times when we feel up against so much negativity. Thanks for the reminder to keep on the sunny side of the street, feed the good wolf, etc. Peace!
Your introspections are always spot on. Truly, if we want to change the world around us, we should start with ourselves - by feeding the good wolf of course! :D
Thank you freelancewriterva.
Dolores - thanks for coming by - now that song Sunny side of the street is going to be playing in my head for a long
time :)
Cris - thank you! Yes, we need to start with ourselves - though right now, my priority is feeding Fiery on FV on time :D
My wolf ate my leg. What does this mean?
Love this. The connection between our inner selves and the outside world is beyond our ability to fully comprehend. Thank you, Shalini
I love this story. So much wisdom and truth.
Beautiful, evergreen Hub. Thank you.
Very thoughtful and empowering.
I have seen and read this many times thru the years, and it still grabs me!! Being part Cherokee & Apache, I know of other lil story's like this that make one stop and 'think' before acting....So glad you shared this here!! It was wonderful reading it again!! muah!!
Jess - haha! Thanks for coming by and enlivening the place as always!
samboiam - yes indeed - appreciate your coming by.
Tatjana - thanks so much!
katyzzz - I'm touched!
kathy little wolf (what a wonderful name!) - we'd love to read about them here on HP!
Hi Shal, this is indeed a great article. Such ideas are needed more today than they were yesterday.
I have not heard of that wolf story before. Anyway, I guess all wolves need to be gotten rid of, cause all wolves are bad.
There's one on to my left and one on to my right. I feed 'em both generously! ... When their bellies are full, they both go to sleep. Let sleeping wolves lie ... and I keep walking ... the middle path! :)
Hi there quicksand - great to see you come by! And I should have known you'd have a totally new take on the subject, haha! Jess got his leg eaten and now you put them to sleep and walk away :D
Great hub. Hope to see more soon. I love awesome shorts like this one.
Thank you for reading kaja_mel.
You are absolutely correct, the only thing that matters is within us. Thanks for a thoughtful interpretation of a classic tale.
Namaste.
Thank you Deborah - Namaste to you too.
The time will come when man and wolf will walk paw in hand ... :)
I thought it was the lamb and the lion - but whatever you say quicksand! :)
'The one you feed'....... Brilliant.
Thank you for a very calming ,enjoyable hub.
Thank you Dim - for coming by to read!
Thank you for posting this. I really enjoyed reading it - so much that I shared it on Facebook, too :-)
I have read this wonderful story before and have thought on it. Sometimes I think I choose to feed the other wolf because he seems so lost and alone. Perhaps what I am trying to say is that I try to keep a balance rather than starve the poor thing.
I think I understand him. I sure hope this makes sense, Shalini. I loved this hub and your writing style. DeGreek 'sent' me!
SilverGenes - thank you, I really appreciate the kind gesture!
Lorlie - I must admit, the temptation to feed the wicked one rises strong in me at times too :D
Thank you, Shalini, for a much-needed reminder of this simple truth.
Thank you Sterling Sage - appreciate you reading!
The wolf story is a new one to us, but not the idea behind it.
Yesterday morning we had a half day of all our normal work. First we sat on the sofa in my house and shared all our complaints for 30 minutes. After that we agreed not to mention those matters again. We went out and had breakfast and then up to the cliffs for a walk. It cleared our minds and we were ready to face reality again.
love it...great....Irish
2patricias - what a wonderful way to clear the air of negativity! Thank you for reading and commenting!
theirishobserver - I'm so glad you do - thanks!
Finding this tale is just the shot in the arm I needed to counteract the negative thoughts that have been coming to the surface of my mind lately. It doesn't take much to drag them up from where they lurk...perhaps it's a rude driver on the road or a thoughtless cashier in a store, or even a friend who says the wrong thing at the wrong time. These are little incidents in the scheme of things, but they trigger the evil wolf instantly. I'm quite tired of feeding him by allowing my blood pressure to rise, by putting a scowl on my face, by lashing out at someone who doesn't deserve it, and most of all, tired of letting this wolf take me down an energy-sucking, time-intensive path of negative thinking.
I don't know that my totem would be the wolf; it might be the cat. For sure, I'm starting a selective feeding program today. Thank you, Shalini, for a most inspiring Hub.
Oh Sally's Trove - I know exactly what you mean! This forward came to me at the right time to remind me to stop feeding the wrong emotions. Thanks as always for reading!
I love this old legend. I used it once in an article I sold to a publisher!
It's such a simple but profound story, isn't it? Thanks for coming by, habee!
Hi, Shalina, what a wonderful saying that your friend sent you, and your insight into the way that we think or should think is so very true. This was great. rated up. And I will be visiting more, I got you lost somewhere! lol thanks nelll
Thanks so much for coming by Nell Rose - great to see you again!
a hub worth reading.
Thanks creativeMind!
I love this one. Your stories always inspire me! I have to share this one. Thanks for sharing this too.
And thank you so much for coming by Tammy - always appreciated!
I have two wolves inside and a couple of Mongooses! Mongeese? Thank you Dear!
LOLOL! Do they make good bedfellows? At least you'll never harbour any snakes :D
YES! You are so right that it's too right. I love this. All that really matters is how you react to life around you. You can't control other people or situations that happen to you, all you can do is make decisions about how you're going to think, feel, and react. It really is as simple as choosing which wolf will be fed? ;)
Wonderful hub! Thank you for you! :)
Thanks Pam - so simple and yet so difficult - guess that's what makes us human!
that simple story has made things so much simpler.Some of the things that feed the evil wolf sometimes seems like food or the good wolf.Certainly helps to seperate those things so as to recognize them.
How true, fallendave! Thanks for stopping by to read!
We hav to make a short 5min film with this as the overall theme. Any ideas please?
Hi helpme - write to me - I'd love to do it!
Shalini, I see I commented on this 15 months ago! I do love Native American wisdom, and you did a great job fleshing it out.
This jealousy I try to manage by hubbing about my pups and my little sister can become a lesson; that is my intention anyway. It seems submerging it in the wolf cave transforms it into a Gollum! Holding it to the light, allowing it to absorb positive energy, creates an opportunity to dissipate it or evaporate what was a penetrating icicle.
I have been getting lots of disagreeable responses, when I write anything political- even my latest poem. And instead of arguing, I try to see it as generating characters for a book. Once, I took a psychology class that recommended we take our negative past and turn it into a cartoon, rife with characters. We fast forward it and run it in reverse. We turn it into a comedy and we rework it as a tragedy. In this way, we step outside our issue and see it from new perspectives.
I apologize for thinking outloud to you, haha. But this is my current experience and I am hoping helps manage my den of wolves in the moment.
I also hope you are writing- if not on hubpages, somewhere! I for one, miss your pleasing pink profundity. Is that a word? Profundity? It sounds like a combination of profound and fecund... very appropriate in describing your work.
As always, I love it when you visit my hubs :) Thank you! That psychology class sounds most intriguing - what a great way to turn the usual perspectives on their head!
And 'pink profundity'??? :D Wow! Yes, I am writing - a lot - which is why I haven't been here too much - but I will, soon!
Shalini, are you working on your book??? I hope so. I have ordered the book you suggested on Bombay and also hope you receive credit for all three amazon books I selected via that order :).
My daughter says, Why don't you write a book and make money that way! Ah the innocence of youth... HUGS!
Hi Story - sorry, I've been missing the HP notifications :( I do hope you like the book.
You should take your daughter's advice - that's going to be a wonderful book when you decide to write it!
Yes, it's such a simple, incredible story, isn't it? Thanks for reading this hub, dui!
Beautiful. The right attitude is powerful. Thank you for passing this along and sharing your thoughts on it. Our habits -- how we use our minds, our words, our actions -- create who we are.
Thank you.
You're so right, HikeGuy - we need to feed the right attitude. Thanks for reading!
thank you. This is timely and just what I need a shift in attitude - and thanks hike guy you're right also :) great affirmations to reaffirm our pathway to a prosperous and happy life/lifestyle :)
Thanks for reading, Npamz!
VioletSun Level 5 Commenter 2 years ago
Shalini: I had heard of this wolf story before, but the way you presented it and explained is very healing and empowering! Tomorrow when I wake up, I will do as you suggested and ask myself which wolf I will feed. I love the image! Have bookmarked this hub. Also just emailed to my sister and nephew.
Thumbs up!