The Wolf in us

On a warm summer night a few years ago, an Ojibwe elder in the backwoods of Wisconsin shared a tale to illustrate an important choice we all have to make as we walk through this world. 

The Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee 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.”

“The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

       Which wolf we feed is our choice. We may not always be aware of which wolf we are feeding. But if things are not going well in our lives. Mentally, as in emotions being all over the place. And or physically, as in body aches and pains. The evil wolf may the one that is being fed.

Sifu Hayes

Your Journey

The only thing that is
 ultimately real about
      your journey
is the step that you are
taking at this moment.
That is all there ever is.

( Eckhart Tolle)

Fruits of the Spirit

loving service, 

unselfish devotion, 

courageous loyalty, 

sincere fairness, 

enlightened honesty, 

undying hope, 

confiding trust, 

merciful ministry, 

unfailing goodness, 

forgiving tolerance, 

and enduring peace."

Rise

We rise by lifting others.

Fear

There was talk of fear at the last I Ho Chaun meeting.
There are two things you can do with
              F E A R

Face Everything And Run.
              OR
Face Everything And Rise.

A Deer

“A deer knows it’s a deer. It has no inner conflict about its past, its purpose, its needs, or its destiny. It lives in the moment and is 100% resourceful at all times, minute by minute, its senses completely keen, its focus pure and unburdened.”

9 Wisdom Questions

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are." - Bernice Johnson Reagon

Medicine Questions:

1) Is there any tension or pain in my body right now? If I could give it a name, what would I call this sensation?

2) What is the one thing my body needs right now that I haven’t been giving it?

3) What is preventing me from being peaceful / happy / content right this moment? (If it's something material, what feeling or relief would that material thing bring me?)

4) What is my greatest strength? Have my recent actions demonstrated this strength?

5) What was the last white lie I told? Who did I tell it to? Why did I tell it ? What would have happened if I had told the truth?

(If the term “white lie” doesn’t resonate with you, think instead about a time you over or under exaggerated something to someone.)

6a) What is the one thing that I haven't forgiven myself for?

6b) Is there a person in my life who I haven’t fully forgiven? How did they wrong me? What is stopping me from forgiving them right now?

7) Years from now, when I am breathing my final breaths, what advice would I give the "now me"?

8) Who am I?  (Who is seeing through these eyes, who is hearing through these ears? What defines me at the center of my consciousness?)

9) What have I learned today?

(Successes and failures are inevitable in this game of life, but learning from both is what helps us evolve. )

Remember, attempting to answer these questions is like trekking the Andes Mountains. The mission is not to summit them all, it is to learn to love the climb. Every handhold, every hidden alpine meadow, every crag and cliff, the fear you feel when you look down, the exhilaration you know is waiting for you at the top.

Step by step, we deepen our understanding, acceptance and love of self.

(Copied from a source)

Spiritual life

"Spiritual life is a lot like gardening. We till and cultivate the garden of our heart, planting seeds of presence, openness and the ability to respect whatever arises. We water each one so the things which are beautiful in us can blossom." - Jack Kornfield