I am not sure who to credit the tale to, but sources from the net quote it as a Red Indian folklore. (But I will credit the powerpoint slides to my son, Akmal, who helped me piece together visuals to go along with the narration)
The Wolves Within
An old Grandfather, whose grandson came to him with anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice, said, "Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. The easiest way is to hit back and inflict some kind of pain to the other person.
But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. You can use your fist. You can use insulting words. But after awhile, you will ask yourself if this is really necessary. I have struggled with these feelings many times."
The old man continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me;
One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way."
This is the wolf that guards my feelings of compassion, honour, care and integrity.
"But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. He thinks he is always right.
It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit. Each time when I feel I have been wronged by others; the two wolves rise within. When they fight, I feel torn apart."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eye and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The Grandfather solemnly said, "The one I feed."
_______________________________________________________________________________
It took a while for the message to sink in, for the ending seems short and abrupt. But if I may say so, there was a general hush in the hall. It felt quite good to be able to read aloud, and having the kids 'soothed' by the story they are listening to, and trying to absorb the ideas being put forward.
But back to the story. Who wins?
It is always you who do have the power to make something out of your own life.
Life is always a matter of choice. Whatever the circumstances may be, you can choose the level at which you live. You can choose what to think about the various events that play out in front of your eyes. You can choose how to respond to the challenges and opportunities that come along your way.
We all have wolves within...
But lets choose the right one to feed.
The Wolves Within
An old Grandfather, whose grandson came to him with anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice, said, "Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. The easiest way is to hit back and inflict some kind of pain to the other person.
But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. You can use your fist. You can use insulting words. But after awhile, you will ask yourself if this is really necessary. I have struggled with these feelings many times."
The old man continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me;
One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way."
This is the wolf that guards my feelings of compassion, honour, care and integrity.
"But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. He thinks he is always right.
It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit. Each time when I feel I have been wronged by others; the two wolves rise within. When they fight, I feel torn apart."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eye and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The Grandfather solemnly said, "The one I feed."
_______________________________________________________________________________
It took a while for the message to sink in, for the ending seems short and abrupt. But if I may say so, there was a general hush in the hall. It felt quite good to be able to read aloud, and having the kids 'soothed' by the story they are listening to, and trying to absorb the ideas being put forward.
But back to the story. Who wins?
It is always you who do have the power to make something out of your own life.
Life is always a matter of choice. Whatever the circumstances may be, you can choose the level at which you live. You can choose what to think about the various events that play out in front of your eyes. You can choose how to respond to the challenges and opportunities that come along your way.
We all have wolves within...
But lets choose the right one to feed.
