Feeding What You Want
You may have heard the story about the grandson who tells his grandfather that he has two wolves fighting inside of him; one is good and one is bad. He asks his grandfather what he should do to stop the fighting; and the grandfather says, ‘feed the one you want.”
And I had that experience this morning. It started with one negative thought…something about global warming I think. Then my mind went on to the economy, and people losing jobs; and on and on. Jeff of course, could tell something was up and asked me, “What’s wrong?”
And I said, “I feel depressed.” And so he, in the good old English way of mending things, went to make a cup of tea, and talk to me about how great my life really is. But I also wanted to meet this depression head on; and so I focused on this depression…this mood that had overtaken me for a moment. And I tried to see it as a shape, with an outline, and a color and a weight. And you know what? It was just like a dark, grey fog in the shape of me. And it was covering my own body like a heavy blanket…holding me down so that I felt literally pinned down, unable to move.
And as I saw it as an actual manifested depression, it began to disappear–because as you know, two things cannot exist in the same space. When I saw the physical manifestation of my depression as a shape, it literally couldn’t stay in the same space. Anyhow, not to get too woo-woo or wierd. I realized that I had been feeding it. Feeding the depression with my thoughts, with my attention.
Jeff talks about it in workshops–he calls it the Animal Brain. And so I switched my thoughts. I didn’t want to be depressed. I had no reason to be. I dragged myself to the gym, had some healthy steel cut oatmeal, and created a different day for myself.
Whatever is going on for you right now, be aware of what you are feeding. It doesn’t mean we have to be all PollyAnna about things in our lives. If you hate your job, you don’t have to pretend to like it…you just need to direct your thoughts and your focus on getting a different job, one that you like. Feed what you want. Be aware that if you are depressed, you may be feeding it with depressing thoughts.
Think of all the good deeds that you have done in your life. Think about all the good you have done. The right choices you have made. Feed the positive side of you and keep on feeding it. Rock N Roll Jeff & Val
Add comment January 26th, 2009