There are plenty of things to irritate us in our fast-paced world. And, sometimes, those irritations bleed over from one area of life to another, affecting both our productivity and our relationships.

One example might be getting cut off in traffic on the way into work which could annoy you so much that you snap at the first person you see when you walk in the door rather than greeting them with a warm “hello!” And, leaving them feeling hurt and upset, with you no closer to a resolution to your traffic incident… often, with you totally oblivious to the poor soul you just offended (much like the other driver was likely oblivious to you when they cut you off in traffic). In these multitude of moments throughout a given day, you have a choice.

Based on the theme, “where attention goes, results flow,” changing one’s mind quickly can make all the difference when you’re committed to being productive and collaborative while creating the life of your dreams. Here is one of my favorite short stories, thought to be folklore from indigenous peoples.

One evening a Cherokee Elder told his troubled grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people.

He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.”

One is evil…

It is anger, envy, jealousy, arrogance, sorrow, regret, greed, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, mistruths, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good…

It is love, joy, peace, generosity, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, truth, compassion and faith.”

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

The Elder simply replied, “The one you feed.”