A Wolf Trainer

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If you could be any animal, what would you choose? I love this question. It's my favorite ice breaker. I think it really reveals personality.

My answer?  A wolf.

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Why?  I have always loved that, while most animals live polygamously and in large herds, wolves live in monogamously,  in nuclear families headed by mated pairs (oddly enough, they only really live polygamously when they're forced to live in captivity -- great job screwing up the family unit, humans). They're also pretty much top dogs - predators who are really only threatened by humans and tigers.  And when they are attacked, if it's a dispute over their home, you can pretty much bet your hiney the wolf is gonna win.  Those ladies are ferocious. Okay, all that information logically supports why I love wolves.  But... also... I loved the movie Balto. And Balto was half wolf. So that kinda did it for me.

Okay, wait.  One more reason.  Last year, I was visiting my mom's classroom.  She's a kindergarten teacher.  There was a poster up on which a student answered various questions to be showcased for his birthday week.  Name.  Age.  Hobbies.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  A wolf trainer.

A wolf trainer!  That is awesome!

    (Via Pinterest)

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Speaking of awesome, here's an awesome story:

An old Cherokee grandfather told the children about a battle going on inside him... He said, "There is a battle going on inside me. It is a battle that is fought within each of us. It is a battle between two wolves. One is evil: He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good: He 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 grandfather simply replied, "The one you feed."(Source)

I found this quote on Pinterest quite a while ago and was pretty much immediately enamored.  It spoke to me.  If we all get off our high horses for a second, we can all admit that nobody is free from this.  Positive thoughts? Check.  Negative thoughts?  Check. 

When I focus on my negative thoughts, the bad wolf wins. When I feed my thoughts and attention to the good wolf... well, God makes things happen and goodness prevails in my life.  The beautiful thing is, we get to choose.  Yes, both wolves exist.  But we can choose which to feed -- and in doing so choose which one will win.

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So, how do we feed the good wolf?  Well, let me tell you what I believe my good wolf wants... She (yes, obviously, it's a woman) wants positivity, love, and understanding... she wants me to listen when she tells me to bake cookies for the people who helped me cash a check at Suntrust... she wants me to learn how to design a website when I feel pushed to start a blog... she wants me to enjoy life and share it with others!

How can you feed the good wolf today?