Choosing Empowerment And Positivity - Feeding The GOOD Wolf
Choosing empowerment and positivity, or negativity and
unhappiness, is a decision that you're making every day, whether
you realize it or not.
Native American culture tells the story of a man who explains
his own constant struggle between positive, empowering, creative
impulses and negative and self-destructive ones by telling his
son that he has two wolves fighting in his heart -- a good wolf
and a bad one. The boy asks him which of the two will win the
battle. The father replies, "Whichever one I feed."
It's very true. The feelings that we nurture and return to, time
after time, are the ones which come to dominate our thoughts and
actions, while the ones we turn away from fade away.
The exciting thing is, we have a choice. Although the two wolves
both exist, we can choose which one of them we want to feed.
That means, we choose which one will win.
You probably know people who feel sorry for themselves, who
belittle others, who seem to get some kind of pleasure out of
feeling miserable, who portray themselves as victims and reject
the affections of anyone who doesn't offer constant sympathy.
Often it seems to everybody but themselves that they actually
have a whole lot going for them, but they're apt to be defensive
if anyone should ever dare to point that out!
That's a classic example of what happens when you feed the bad
wolf. You don't satisfy an appetite for any kind of feeling when
you feed it - you only make it stronger. If you indulge negative
feelings about yourself or other people, you strengthen them
until they're very hard indeed to break away from.
The other side of the coin's what happens when you feed the
good wolf. If you know people who always seem to get a
real kick out of life, who laugh a lot, have lots of friends and
interests, and light up the room with energy and sparkle, who
succeed in everything they turn their hand to and who always
seem to have a lot of fun, you don't need ask which wolf
they're feeding.
So, how do you feed the good wolf, then?
You give it what it most enjoys.
It has the most enormous appetite for feeling good, for having a
positive self-image and strong self-esteem, for kindness,
understanding, positive attitudes and healthy laughter. It feeds
on self-respect, and tolerance for other people. It thrives on
learning skills for the achievement of a purpose, and it loves
the satisfaction of attaining worthwhile goals. It laps up
happiness.
Above all, it relishes enjoying life and sharing joy with
others.
When was the last time you wanted to laugh aloud, or sing, or
dance, or turn a somersault, just from the sheer delight of
being alive? That state of mind's the one that feeds the good
wolf best of all.
If your good wolf's been going hungry, here's how you can
provide it with an instant banquet.
Sit back and relax, and clear your mind of everything. Just let
your thoughts all drift away, and feel yourself becoming warm
and comfortable. Let your mouth relax into a smile.
Now, think of something that makes you feel exhilarated. It
doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's something that makes
you light up as though somebody had pressed a switch. This isn't
the moment for something comforting and soothing - this is about
the sort of joy that makes you want to shout out from the
rooftops that life's wonderful.
If that's not the way you feel right now, then think of of
anything that's ever made you feel delight and wonder. If you
can't immediately remember anything that's made you feel that
way, imagine what it would feel like to be totally
spontaneous and carefree.
Now, focus on that feeling, and experience it as strongly as you
can. Revel in it... relish every detail. Your subconscious mind
can't tell the difference between what's really happening and
what you only feel is happening, so concentrate on that
great feeling till it becomes completely real for you.
Do this for at least 10-15 minutes, and make yourself a promise
that you'll do it regularly. That way you'll give yourself a
surge of energy that will benefit yourself, your work and all
you come in contact with.
Remember that you will get what you focus on, whether
it's positive or negative. What's more, you won't just get it,
you'll BECOME it... an upbeat, enthusiastic, sparkling and happy
person, or a miserable and self-destructive loser.
The choice is yours. Your mind will give you everything you ask
of it -- and it will give you it in quantities you haven't
dreamed of yet.
Make sure you feed the good wolf... because the wolf that
wins the battle is the one you feed.