Each day we have a battle going on inside our heads.

You have one voice tempting you to stay in bed while another voice is telling you to get up and go to the gym.

Or you have one voice pulling you deeper into anxiety by making you imagine every worst-case scenario that could happen. While another is trying to tell you to think optimistically and let the little things go.
 
Sound familiar?
 
In other words, one voice represents fear and negativity while the other represents faith and optimism.

But frankly for us, the positive voice is often nothing more than a mere whisper. And as for fear? It’s always screaming at you.
 
But just because you can barely hear that voice doesn’t mean you can’t hear it at all. It just means you need to listen more.
 
At the end of the day, it’s your choice who you listen to. Or in some cases, who you feed.
 
Let me elaborate.
 
There’s an old Native American story that goes something like this:
 
One evening, the grandson of an elder Cherokee ran up to him filled with anger because another boy had picked on him in front of the tribe.
 
And instead of comforting him, he decided to give him a lesson on conquering your emotions.
 
He said, “My son, there is a constant battle between two wolves inside of us. One is Fear. It carries anxiety, concern, uncertainty, hesitancy, indecision, and inaction.”
 
He paused, and said “The other is Faith. It brings calm, conviction, confidence, enthusiasm, decisiveness, excitement, and action.”
 
The grandson thought about it for a moment and meekly asked his grandfather, “Well which wolf wins?”
 
And the elder Cherokee replied, “The one you feed”
 
This ancient tale commonly called The Tale of Two Wolves has been a part of Native American tradition for generations and perfectly encapsulates the idea of the two conflicting voices inside our heads.
 
But the moral of the story isn’t about the wolves themselves. It’s about how it’s up to us to decide which wolf—or voice—we’ll succumb to.
 
It’s up to you to follow the voice that’s telling you to stay in bed.
 
It’s up to you to follow the voice that’s telling you to not chase after your dreams.
 
Because as ancient Stoic philosophy suggests, we all know what’s the right thing to do.
 
But that doesn’t mean we always do it.
 
And it’s typically because the negative voice is comfortable. It’s familiar. It’s what you’re used to.
 
So next time you’re at a crossroads, listen for that tiny voice inside your head that’s trying to tell you to do the opposite of what you want to do.

And if it’s something that uncomfortable, new, or even scary, take that as a good sign.

Because some of the most beautiful and worthwhile things come from a period of frightening change.
 
As Seth Godin says, “If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.”
 
So remember, it’s up to you to decide which voice you’ll listen to. Which wolf you’ll feed. And where you’ll ultimately end up.
 
You have it within you. All you need to do is listen. Or better yet, feed the right wolf.
 
Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m still in the middle of reading the third installment of Colonel Roosevelt’s biography by Edmund Morris. A 1,500+ page memoir on one of the most interesting and exciting Presidents to ever live.
 
Quote Of The Week - “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” — Albert Einstein