Curiosity killed the catechism / Understanding and wisdom became the rhythm that I played to / And became a slave to master self / A rich man is one with knowledge, happiness and his health ~Common, G.O.D. (Gaining One’s Definition – for your listening pleasure at the bottom of the post)
The story has already made its rounds via email, but if you haven’t heard it you’re in for a treat. Short and concise, this Cherokee Parable defines the difference between being an optimist or a pessimist – aka – defines those who expect the best or those who worry about the worst. Any personal development blog or book will tell you that a majority of the successful are excessive optimists.
A Cherokee Parable
A Cherokee Chief’s grandson once came to him in anger, proclaiming loudly the injustice another child has committed against him in taking credit for his discovery of a water well nearby.With a smile the chief began, indirectly preparing his grandson to lead the tribe with a wise Cherokee parable:
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves,” he paused momentarily – meditating upon the predicament the Chief faces on a daily basis.
“One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too”The grandson of the wise Chief thought about it for a minute and then instinctively asked his grandfather “Which wolf will win?”
Delighted that his grandson had the wisdom to inquire, the Cherokee Chief smiled and countered with a whisper, “The one you feed.”
How powerful this parable is. The life you live is intended – whether consciously or not. How you think, how you react and what you feel is entirely based upon what you choose to dwell upon.
Feed the evil wolf – and daily you have pangs of anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
Feed the good wolf – and experience joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
Without the pre-conceptualization of your intended life– there’s no drive – there’s no motivation to experience the best of what life has to offer.
Digging the well
As my pops put it eloquently tonight, there’s a well you have to dig – and at the bottom of the well is the treasure you seek. Thing is, there’s no shortcut to get there. Hard work, perseverance and a positive attitude will be what gets you there these days. Refusing to settle for mediocrity, demanding the best from yours elf on a daily basis. Doing things we don’t enjoy but we know will get us to where we want – and there’s no other way around it.
Mainstream philosophies of the power of positive thinking have never been more popular. Think Tony Robins, Robin Sharma, Steve Pavlina. Everyone needs a pick me up. Everyone needs encouragement. Everyone needs the right mindset to persevere through any predicament.
Everyone would rather experience the best that life has to offer. The trick is, the best that life has to offer is an appreciation of the difficulties we endure.
Hustle harder, reap the rewards. Have a plan, have a mission, have the tenacity to demand the best of yourself on a daily basis. Never be complacent. Always push harder than anyone else around you – and have the peace of mind knowing that by giving your all to life – that life will reward you.
~ Hard work is the key to success, so work diligently on any project you undertake. If you truly want to be successful, be prepared to give up your leisure time and work past 5 PM and on weekends. Also, have faith in yourself. If you come up with a new idea that you believe in, don’t allow other people to discourage you from pursuing it. ~Charles Lazarus
