This past week has been a tense one here in the US. Regardless of for whom one voted, there was tension and anxiety for all of us. There was also much anger directed towards the opposite party. At times such as these, we should all remember that at any given time, we can choose whether to feed our love and joy or feed our anger and hate. I remember reading this wise Cherokee parable several years ago and it really stayed with me:
An old Cherokee 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 Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Life is made up of fleeting moments. Moments of joy and moments of fear. And everything in between. How you choose to show up for those moments is entirely up to you. YOU decide your response to others’ negativity. YOU decide whether to react in anger and outrage or take a few deep breaths and respond in a mindful, calm manner. These interactions can also be applied to parenting situations when you choose how to react to your child’s meltdown or anger. In the end, the question is simple: which wolf will you choose to feed?
If you are interested in learning some quick techniques for mindful parenting, remember to subscribe to my newsletter and you’ll get this FREE guide: “Finding Calmness in Chaos: 5 Quick Techniques for Mindful Parenting of Neurodiverse Children” (subscribe at the bottom of the home page). Also, you are very welcome to join our private Facebook group: Mindfulness for Neurodiverse Families by clicking on the picture below. Thanks and have a beautiful week! 🧡
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