life has a funny way of serving up curve balls. just when you think you’ve reached a point of stasis, calm or at least a routine that offers some semblance of perceived control, something usually comes along to shake things up.
it’s easy to get sucked into the vortex…taken over by a tidal wave of seemingly uncontrollable circumstances. during times like this, we often feel like we’re being dragged perilously through the muck, kicking and screaming against our will, toward whatever fate lies waiting for us on the other side.
but amidst the chaos, we often forget that while we can’t always control the situations in which we find ourselves, we can control how we react to them. we overlook the fact that we actually do have a choice in the matter.
wallowing in self-pity is certainly one route. drinking yourself silly another. speaking from personal experience, any of these options is equally appealing when you don’t believe you can change the course. but like most things in life, looking deeper usually reveals that there is more than one side to the story, a positive to balance the negative, an upside to the downside.
sometimes it’s simply a matter of perspective, focus or belief—that can turn despair into hope, tragedy into opportunity.
i came across the following parable on tumblr and it sums up this truth so beautifully. how we respond to life is a choice. in yours, which “wolf” will win?
An elderly Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life…
He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me, it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil—he is fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, competition, superiority and ego.
The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
This same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person, too.”
They thought about it for a minute, and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win, Grandfather?”
The Elder simply replied, “The one you feed.”