The 2 Wovles

• Max Newcomb, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2019

An old Cherokee was teaching his grandson about life. After several lessons, he said to the boy,

“Time for the most important lesson of all. It’s about a battle going on inside you between two wolves.”

“Wolves?” The boy said.

“Yes, one wolf is good. He’s loving, peaceful, and kind.

The other wolf is evil. He’s angry, envious, greedy, and deceitful.”

The boy thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “But which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

I love that story on so many levels because it’s not just about wolves.

It’s about the choices we all make every day.

In every moment, you can choose to feed the good wolf or the bad wolf inside you. And the one that survives is the one you feed.

In other words, you can let your mind sink into negative thoughts, spend your days in unhealthy patterns, and wallow in self-doubt.

Or you can choose positivity, optimism, and growth.

In my life, the “bad wolf” has tried to rear its ugly head many times.

For example, when I dropped out of college, I was $50,000 in debt and my business was struggling, I wanted to blame my parents, my teachers, my friends for not teaching me how to run a company earlier in life.

I got angry because I wasn’t good on video, at copywriting, or selling -- all the skills I needed to build a business.

I got jealous of other people who seemed to effortlessly find success.

But I didn’t give in to those thoughts. I chose to feed the good wolf and starve the bad one.

And I'm so thankful I did.

Today, my business has grown bigger than I ever could have imagined. We have millions of followers. I’ve been featured in ABC News, TechCrunch, Business Insider, and I’ve even been on TV.

For a guy, who used to struggle to look people in the eye when he talked, I can’t think of a bigger transformation.

There’s no way I would have achieved even a fraction of this success if I’d let the bad wolf win.

The same goes for you and your dreams.

You can choose which wolf you feed.