A wise member of the Cherokee tribe (one of the indigenous tribes in the United States) once told his grandson a parable.
“Inside me there is a terrible fight between two wolves,” the grandfather said. “One is evil: full of anger and envy, self-pity and sorrow, greed and lies. The other is good: full of kindness and compassion, humility and truth, love and joy. That fight is going on inside each of us.”
“Which wolf will win?” the grandson asked.
“The one you feed,” the grandfather wisely answered.
Learning to make good choices—to feed the right wolf—is one of the main reasons we’re here on earth! But God hasn’t left us to deal with these wolves alone. He’s given us:
- Intelligence to think about which wolf is better for our lives.
- The Holy Ghost to guide and strengthen us.
- Our Savior, who makes repentance possible when we mess up and feed the wrong wolf.
With these gifts, you can become the best version of yourself, one feeding at a time!
Feed the Good
Notes
Photo credit Getty Images.
Adapted from Dallin H. Oaks, “Choices,” in the September 2021 For the Strength of Youth magazine.