There’s a Cherokee story about two wolves, and it serves as an excellent metaphor for life. There is a good wolf and the bad wolf and the moral of the story is that the one you choose to feed will always be the strongest.
Jacqueline Raw, Owner and Founder of Ycagel explains that when you apply this story to the realm of mindset, it’s not as black and white as the wolf you choose to feed. “A lot of what we think about is on autopilot and as a result, the narrative we play in our minds is just below the surface of focused awareness which means that we don’t even know we’re feeding the bad wolf.”
She adds that it’s no surprise that so many people are battling to create a winning momentum, “We put in all the effort and reap none of the rewards because we unknowingly sabotage ourselves with a narrative that creates a monster-sized wolf that keeps us firmly rooted where we are.”
This, however, according to Jacqui, is reversible. “Once you become aware of the fact that you’re the one sabotaging yourself, you can do something about it.” She offers three tips on how to ‘feed’ the good wolf and ‘muzzle’ the bad one:
1. Become aware of the narrative:
Spend time examining your internal narrative (thoughts) and realign those negative thoughts to comply with the vision for your life so that you become highly tuned to any negative self-talk. When you get here, it’s much easier to lose the negativity and keep combating self-defeating talk with empowering language that grows you!
2. 10 minutes a day – every day:
To ‘grow’ the good wolf (which in this case is a winning mindset) you’re going to need to supplement its diet. The only way to supplement a winning mindset is to invest in it through purposeful personal development. There are so many powerful, free resources – from YouTube videos, podcasts, eBooks and free online masterclasses – the list is endless. Commit to spending 10 minutes a day supplementing your mindset with thinking from powerful leaders from whichever walk of life you relate to.
3. Encourage someone else:
The most powerful thing you can do to build a winning mindset is to encourage others to do the same. The more time you spend investing in growing other people, the more capacity will be created within you. It’s the best-kept secret amongst the elite. Find someone, encourage them, grow them, give of yourself and see the impact that it has in your life and in your career.
“The reason the story of the two wolves is so powerful is because it’s true and applies to most challenges in life; good vs evil, positive vs negative, success vs failure. The common denominator in the outcome of each application in the story is what you choose to focus on and invest in. The ball will always be in your court. So, how will 2021 be different for you?” Jacqui concludes.
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