One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. “The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied: “The one that you feed.” This Native American parable is a great reminder that we get to choose the voice to which we will listen, the one that will diminish (The Dissenter) or empower (The Assenter) us.
The Dissenter: This is the voice of self-preservation. Unlike the parable above, we do not view it as evil. It is more a voice of complacency, comfort and fear. It is important to listen to this voice, as it wants to keep you safe yet typically manifests in ways that do not serve your growth.
The Assenter: This is the voice of your highest self. It is the sound of your best friend and champion. It pushes you because it regards you as highly intelligent, competent and capable. It reminds you of the many hurdles and fears you have overcome in life, and believes you can do anything to which you set your mind.
In our “Look Who’s Talking” exercise, we become acutely aware of this inner dialogue and the predominance of each voice.
