30 Mar Feed the Good wolf!
Motivation Thursdays with Mrs. Samuels
The “bad” wolf is filled with feelings of anger, resentment, pride, greed, and self-pity, whereas the “good” wolf is filled with kindness, empathy, humility, and compassion. When the grandson asks which wolf “wins,” the grandfather replies, “the one that you feed.”
When life is in a constant state of busyness and stress, we tend to lose balance. When we are off balance, we begin to make decisions, unintentionally, that feed the “bad” wolf. We allow negative thinking, pride, anger, and anxiety to dictate our realities. We get stuck in the cycle of focusing on what (or who) we cannot control.
As the “bad” wolf is fed, he continues to grow and shows up in our lives, likely wreaking havoc on our relationships, our ability to perform well in our careers, and the compassion we have for ourselves and others.
When things get hard, which wolf do you feed?
Do you take a step back and rebalance? Or do you give in to the cycle and allow the “bad” wolf to feast?
Rebalancing simply means returning to what was the last thing that worked well for you. What was the last thing you could control? Was it your attitude? Making self-care a priority? Distancing yourself from unhealthy habits or people? Asking for help?
Which wolf have you been feeding? Do you need to make a change?
Amanda Samuels, LMFT
Other Motivation Thursdays Articles by Mrs. Samuels
• 5 Habits That High Achievers Should Break
• “I’d agree with you but then we’d both be wrong.”
• “Sit with your anger long enough until it tells you its real name.”
• “Stay in your lane… if you want to come into mine, please signal your intentions.”
• “This is from Billy, not Amanda (Full Disclosure).”
• Survival Mode is part of what we go through in this life at times
• Not winning, especially if this is how the news is broken to you about your couch!
• Motivational Change vs. Behavioral Change
• “Your emotions are valid, your reaction to your emotions might not be.”