An old Cherokee Chief put a hand on his son’s shoulder and led him away from the campfire. It was frigid night, and though he hated to walk away, the boy had the utmost respect for his father, and so he went without a sound. Once away from the glare of the fire, they looked up at the sky, and were silent in awe of the brilliance of the heavens.

“Inside of you, there are two wolves fighting,” the Chief said. “The first wolf is the embodiment of all that is spiteful and hateful in you—all that is lazy and arrogant and ignorant and immature and greedy and selfish. In it’s jaws it holds all your fears of tomorrow and all the failures yet to come.

“The other wolf is the embodiment of all that is good and pure in you—all that is kind and forgiving and loving and gentle and wise. In its jaws it holds all the promise of tomorrow, and of all your potential that is yet to be. These two wolves are always at one another’s throats, in a desperate struggle to get the upper hand.”

After a moment, the boy said, “But Papa, who wins?”

And the old chief looked down at his son and said, “Whichever one you feed.”