Is there even such a word?  Not sure, but I do know that choicefulness is real and we always have the option to practice it.  Think about all the choices we make, from the simple ones like what to wear, what to cook for dinner, which route to take to work etc., to the complex ones like which job to pursue or other major life choices.  Do you ever think about other choices we have that are a little less obvious?  Like choosing the emotions we want to feel and how long we want to feel them for.  We can choose to be very present in our lives, or even choose to nurture ourselves.

There is a wonderful old story that has a simple but profound message.  One evening an old grandfather told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.  He said “my son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.  One is Evil.  It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.”  He went on “the other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson thought about this story for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”  The old grandfather simply replied: “The one you chose to feed.” 

Which of your wolves do you choose to feed?

By Beth Montgomery