The Two Wolves Within You

```xml Come to rest, wherever you are right now. Close your eyes if you wish, and take a deep breath. Let the air flow out slowly and feel how your body becomes a little heavier. One more breath – breathe in, create space. Breathe out, let go. I want to tell you about wolves today. And about a choice you make every day – often without knowing it. In the forests of North America, wolves live in packs. They hunt together, raise their young together, and they fight for survival together. What science has discovered about wolves is remarkable. A wolf that eats regularly becomes strong, alert, alive. A wolf that goes hungry becomes weak, withdraws, loses its place in the pack. It is a simple truth of nature: what is nourished grows. What is not nourished withers. There is an old story that tells of two wolves. Not of wolves in the forest, but of wolves within us. An old man once said to his grandson: In each of us live two wolves. One wolf is dark. He is fear, resentment, envy, self-pity. He feeds on what goes wrong, on worries about tomorrow, on anger about yesterday. The other wolf is light. He is courage, compassion, gratitude, hope. He feeds on what succeeds, on small joys, on connection with others. The grandson asked: Which wolf wins? The old man was silent for a moment. Then he said: The one you feed. Picture that. Every day you decide which wolf you feed. Every thought you give your attention to is like a piece of meat you throw to one of the two wolves. Are you dwelling on an offense? The dark wolf eats. Do you notice something beautiful on your way to work? The light wolf grows stronger. Let us pause for a moment. Breathe in deeply and ask yourself: Which wolf have I fed today? Breathe out – without judgment, only with curiosity. Perhaps it was the dark wolf. That is human. He is loud, he pushes himself forward, he wants to be seen. But you have the choice of where you give your attention from now on. Breathe in and imagine the light wolf – calm, strong, patient. Breathe out and offer him a thought that nourishes him. Perhaps it is gratitude for something small. Perhaps compassion for yourself. Perhaps simply this moment in which you take time for yourself. What would change if from today on you consciously decide which wolf you feed? Nature shows it to us so clearly. What is nourished grows. What is not nourished withers. The wolf you feed becomes stronger. And you hold the food in your hand every day. The wolf you feed becomes stronger. Take this thought with you into your day. Breathe in deeply one more time and slowly open your eyes. The two wolves are still there – they will always be there. But now you know who decides. Thank you for these shared minutes. Thank you for using Calm Sessions. ```