We all know the story of the 2 wolves, right? One wolf on your left shoulder is the good wolf, helping you to accomplish your goals, and the other wolf on your right, leading you to destruction. The question is, which one wins in the end?
The one that you feed.
Although it makes a ton of sense, enough for a third-grader to understand, most of us still act like toddlers when it comes to applying such a powerful principle in our lives.
When everything is going well, we boast about our success, how amazing life is, and with a little EXTRA swagger in our step, we walk around like we have life by the balls.
Yet, when the shit hits the fan, that swagger turns into weak knees, hiding from those you’re afraid will judge you, and all sorts of “bad” habits start showing up.
Wanna learn how to NEVER have that happen again?
Let’s dive right in…
See, the further I climb up the “mountain” of life, the clearer I see. Things that used to boggle my mind now have simple, clear, and direct answers for how to really win. Complicated things, even my emotions, which used to stop me in my tracks, also have solutions that I can deploy at a moment’s notice to help me accomplish my goals.
I want you to have the same level of clarity for yourself because I remember how BAD I wanted to win and how very hard it seemed to get any real traction toward some pretty impossible goals in life. I bet you want to win, too, and if you’re still repeating experiences that tell you you’re not progressing, it’s because you’re feeding the wrong damn wolf, PERIOD.
The first thing you have to do to really start winning at life is simply call the shot.
You have to know with clarity where you want to be, what you want to accomplish, and the feeling you’re living in when you do so. This doesn’t mean you wait around until that time comes because imperfect action beats perfect non-action every time. Along the way, though, you’ll start to get clearer and clearer on EXACTLY what that end goal looks like…so keep it on the front of your mind.
The second thing you must do to start winning in life is to make a damn choice.
You’re going to have to draw a line in the concrete and decide on some basic rules that you will live by NO MATTER WHAT. These will become your personal core values, so make sure they really mean something to you.
The third thing that you must do to win and keep the streak going is to continue applying your core values to every situation you find yourself in.
The “easy” or feel-good situations will be a breeze. Use the momentum you create with these easy wins to lean into the conditions that try to knock you out of your seat. When you’re slapped in the face by a challenging situation, CHOOSE to be still, find your center, and calm your ass down. Take the time to access these circumstances with your rational, core values-based thinking, instead of your reactionary, emotional mind. Once you get some clarity, you can then respond to these situations instead of reacting. The outcome is almost always guaranteed to be better for your long term success.
Finally, if you want to win…and win big, you must keep going, #dothework no matter what.
You must know that life will never be “easy street.” That’s a lie told to weak people who want to believe that growth and success mean you’ll never struggle again. Quite the opposite is true. Life will get harder for many reasons, and you will simply get better.
See, the only way to know what Master you serve is when you’re in the middle of your shit. It’s the only time that you can genuinely witness who you are, what you’re made of, and what choices you make in the heat of battle.
If you take time to solidify your habits and responses during peacetime, you won’t bleed as much during the wars of your life.
If you only let off the pedal when it’s easy, I promise you’ll be passed by others who are continually sharpening their swords and are always ready for battle.
So…What Master are you going to serve?
You don’t have to tell me. It’ll be apparent by the words that leave your lips and the actions you take (or not) every single day.
Remember, how you do anything is how you do everything.
Here’s to feeding that wolf on your left shoulder.
See ya’ in the trenches!
