Tale of Two Wolves
It’s been said a time or two that this Native American tale is a myth, nevertheless, I happen to love it and actually structured my life’s work around it so here it is….
An elder in the tribe shares with their grandchild what it means to live a balanced life, and paints the picture of a great internal battle within - one between the black wolf and the white wolf. The black wolf represents all that is ‘bad’ - anger, grief, jealousy, fear. And the white wolf represents all this is ‘good’ - joy, belonging, courage, humility. The grandchild in deep concern asks, “which wolf will win?” The elder replies, “the one you feed”
Audiences often let out collective sighs of relief at this point in the story and do not finish it. But the best part is coming, hang on…
Similarly, the grandchild retorts with a smile as of he’d confidently solved the riddle, “just feed the white wolf!”
The elder smiles in return.. (the kind I picture from grandmother willow in Pocahontas) “Unfortunately if we only feed the white wolf, the black wolf will grow in its rage and jealousy and hunt the white wolf around every rock. The white wolf cannot rest in anticipation of attack.”
The grandchild confused, considers the option of only feeding the black wolf. The elder confirms his doubt in noting that by doing so, the white wolf will eventually grow too weak to stand, and thus we’re consumed by great darkness.
The elder goes on to encourage a third option: feed them both. You see with each wolf fed, their needs tended to and cared for, they discover little need to battle each other. They rest peacefully beside each other, at balance, embodying wholeness.
It’s in this story and in many others across various cultures that we are invited to consider that we do not possess “good and bad emotions”, but rather have been gifted the opportunity to be in healthy relationships with the full spectrum of emotions.
Once wisely stated, “pain + resistance = suffering”
Tip: Make room for what you resist - you may just stumble upon the very thing we’re all searching for….. peace.
