There was once a wise old Trible elder who had a grandson who was around 3 years old, and the grandson adored his grandfather. There was a time where he stayed with his grandfather for a few weeks. During this time the boy watched his every move, and he noticed very quickly that his grandfather had a pattern to his day.

Every morning around sunrise the grandfather would go into his living room and sit in silence, and he would take a necklace off and put it in front of him and sit quietly for a while. When he was done, he would put the necklace back on and go about his day, and then around sunset he would go through the very same ritual.

After a few days the boy finally asked, "Grandpa what are you doing? And what is that necklace that you keep taking off and putting on?" So, the grandfather held out the necklace for the boy to see and it was an engraving of two wolf heads. His grandfather said, “This is a symbol to remind me that inside of me like all of us, there are two wolves that are fighting a great battle. One is kind and gentle and cares more about the tribe than himself. The other is kind of mean and selfish and really focused mostly on himself.”

The boy’s eyes went wide, and he asked, “Grandfather which one will win?” and the grandfather responded, “It’s the one I feed the most. So, every morning and every night at sunset I take some time to feed the good wolf.”

Each of us are unique and the battle between good and bad are not the same for everyone.

For me, my bad wolf is often irritable, impatient, anxious, or insecure. Now, in an ideal world my good wolf would emulate Proverbs 31’s attributes of a wife which include: mighty, fierce and full of Joy. A woman who is clothed with strength and dignity and someone who can laugh at the days to come and speak with wisdom and faithful instruction. What an aspiration right?

But like the grandfather stated in this story the outcome of this great battle relies on which wolf you feed the most.

It's important that we care for ourselves every day the way that God cares for us. Practicing self-care will help you to bring your most authentic joyful self into the world and when you nourish your soul it can truly begin to flourish.

So, ask yourself today... which wolf are you feeding?