In high school I was among the privileged to experience the hard work and dedication that it takes to be on a varsity sports team.
Today I can look back at my time spent on the cross country and track team and can whole heartedly say that being on those teams changed my life for the better.
In hindsight, I know now that there are many things I will never be able to experience again. Like the exhilaration I felt those countless times crossing the finish line, the companionship that being on a team brings, or the exploding joy I felt when the announcer informed that my teams hard work throughout the season had finally paid off and that we had won state.
While all those feelings will remain in my memory, there is one thing in particular that will stand out among the rest.
I was blessed with phenomenal coaches throughout my high school years, and with remarkable coaching came incredible advice. A particular story I was told one day, before what was going to be an incredibly hard workout, still resonates in my mind today.
I remember sitting down on the track after warming up, all bundled up in my sweatpants and hoodie, dreading the intense practice that lay ahead of me. The last thing I wanted to do at the time was listen to one of my coaches speeches. Little did I know it was one I would carry with me for the rest of my life.
My coach spoke of an Indian parable called "The Tale of Two Wolves".
The story started out with a little Indian boy telling the Chief of the tribe that he had a fight going on inside him between two wolves.
He stated that the fight,was between good and evil. The good things being things such as love, joy, generosity, humility, compassion, and faith. The bad things being anger, envy, superiority, and self-doubt.
The little Indian boy wanted to ask the Chief of the tribe one simple question about the fight going on within him between the wolves. He asked "which wolf will win?"
The Chief simply responded, "the one you feed".
Each and every one of us has to fight the same battle every day and willingly choose which wolf we are going to feed, the good or the bad one.
My coach further explained that if we train ourselves to think positively and keep our eyes on the prize, making sure to feed only the good wolf, there's no way we wont win in the race of life.
The choice is yours.
