Two Wolves

[ehowton]

A young girl came to her father, filled with despair over a decision she was required to make teetering on the chasm which separates the rational and irrational.

The father said to his daughter, "Its not a chasm, though it may feel as such. It is but an exercise. I too, at times, have struggled with decisions between the mind and heart; that of logic, and of emotion. It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one wolf is love and gives my life purpose. He lives in harmony with all around him and helps build up those around him. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way, though often won't make the right decision because of the other wolf. The other wolf is logic; cold at times and can be hidden from us through our brain chemistry making us believe things which are not true - he can destroy everything the heart strives to build - but without heart the very different constructs logic builds exist in a vacuum, without purpose. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, because both of the wolves try to dominate my spirit."

The girl looked intently into her father's eyes and asked, "Which wolf will win, Father? The one you feed?"

"Dear God child, no," the father said. "Both are required to navigate life if you wish to be happy, and also successful. If you see everything around you as only having a dichotomous solution, you will gain neither happiness, nor success, because you'll be applying the wrong solution to the wrong problem. Use your mind to temper your heart yes, but only let your heart temper your mind when love is involved, for it alone is the most important yet elusive thing we can ever hope to accomplish."