Are you feeding the right wolf?

“There are two wolves inside us, and they are always fighting. The one you feed is the one that wins.” – Native American Proverb.

I recently had the opportunity to meet the man who played an instrumental part in the Springboks’ 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign. Dr Henning Gericke is a clinical and sports psychologist and he was responsible for the squad’s mental well-being, motivation and inspiration; a job I think all South Africans can agree was well done, as it ended with the Boks lifting the Webb Ellis Cup that year.

The time I spent with Dr Henning was brief, but he managed to create a spark in the slumbering embers of my motivation and passion that I believed was beyond re-ignition. He mentioned quite a few metaphors we can all use in our lives to challenge us in becoming the champions we are, and quite a few of them made me think, but, one of them stuck with me: Are you feeding the right wolf?

I am sure we all know the story about the two wolves living in us; one representing light and the other darkness. The story goes on to say that, these two wolves are in a daily battle with each other, and the one who will win in the end is the one we feed.

The reason this stuck with me, is simple. As a South African, and a journalist to boot, we have a lot of negative things we face daily; load-shedding issues, pothole complaints, high fuel prices, a failing economy, and high crime rates; all of which rob us of our motivation and happiness. It is only natural that we will feel overwhelmed and tired, as this is the only wolf we are feeding.

I know that it is sometimes difficult to find the positive in a world where there are so many negative things going on (I am also guilty of this!), but if we do not start feeding the other wolf in us, our lives will be filled with darkness and fear. I do not have a quick fix or a brilliant answer to change this mindset, but I do have some suggestions.

I have decided to look for something positive each day (corny, I know!), but it has started making a difference in my daily life. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying you have to be a sunny, positive, and happy person the whole time; start with the small things, and the bigger things will follow. I am challenging you to do the same.

It is also true that you cannot only feed one wolf, as it will upset the balance. I am leaving you with an extract from the original story about the two wolves, “You see, the light wolf needs the dark wolf at his side. To feed only one would starve the other and they will become uncontrollable. To feed and care for both means they will serve you well and do nothing that is not a part of something greater, something good, something of life.”