The fight within

An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life one day.

He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

“The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

“This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee replied… “The one you feed.”

The biggest world financial crisis in our lifetime is happening right before our eyes. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said in an interview a couple of months ago in the huggingtonpost.com that the situation is by far the worst he had seen in his career. “There’s no question that this is in the process of outstripping anything I’ve seen and it still is not resolved and still has a way to go…”

The CNMI is also in the grips of a financial collapse. The clarion call to avoid an economic meltdown has been sounded so many times by numerous people, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Some would say it is too late to do anything, and now it is time to brace ourselves for the reality of the situation.

There are many plausible explanations for the local and worldwide crisis, but the core fault lies in the many people who allowed the wolf that represents greed to go on an avaricious feeding frenzy. Capitalism, in its ugliest form, allowed self-serving individuals and companies to take advantage of some easy money.

One can’t blame capitalism, per se, because all of the economic systems have their pros and cons. In theory, capitalism, socialism, and communism all have wonderful aims, but in practice they have all fallen short of the mark because of the greed that festers in those entrusted with power and money. That “wolf” begets arrogance, false pride, and envy, but it reaps anger, resentment, sorrow, and fear.

Each of us is feeding one of the “wolves” inside of us. As a business owner, you might have started your businesses because you wanted greater freedom, to enjoy a better quality of life, or make a greater contribution to society. Your “dream” of a better life fed the wolf that stands for joy, hope, and generosity.

Over the past few years, circumstances might have changed and your hope for a better life might have transformed into fear, anger, and regret as the economy slides into the abyss. Using fear as a motivation, though, can sometimes backfire and transform into fear of failure. Once that wolf gains control, it can be a ruthless master.

The fear of failure can literally stunt your emotional growth and cause you to accept mediocrity in nearly every important area of life. If you have lived with this wolf for very long, it may have moved into your subconscious, and you may not even be aware of its presence, yet it exerts a moment-by-moment influence on every aspect of your life and your decision-making process.

Your options may seem limited and your business may feel more like a chain that ties you down, rather than wings that allow you to soar to your true potential. America and the CNMI are composed of small and medium sized entrepreneurs who make the islands and the country what it is today. It is those business owners and not the government nor politicians that will lead us toward more prosperous times.

How do you, as an entrepreneur, continue to feed the wolf inside that was your original motivation for taking a risk? The key is to know where you are going and believe that you can get there. You started and kept working at your business because you may have been fed by the hope of a better life. It is that hope that will continue to inspire you and those around you to persevere. Feeding that “wolf” inside will eventually dispel the debilitating fear that paralyzes its victims.

Our situation will improve—it must improve—when we feed the wolf inside us so it can control and conquer our minds and hearts with greater hope, kindness, compassion, and faith.