Feeding positive emotions is a choice. Feeding negative emotions is a choice. Additionally, the emotions you are choosing to feed will change your life and recovery, for the plus or for the minus. Which emotions are you feeding?
Choosing your emotions
The adrenaline-driven mind has taken control, and your “fighting Parkinson’s” includes calming that mind and opening your dopamine-flowing heart. Moreover, this leads to a choice of emotions:
- Feed the adrenaline with a meal of anger, fear and self-judgment, or
- Feed the dopamine with a meal of love, joy, acceptance, and gratitude.
You get to choose. Who are you feeding?
Also, this reminded me of a short story that drives home this point. Here it is.
Old Cherokee Story
One evening an old Cherokee Indian 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. Moreover, it is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. Additionally, it is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, gratitude, and faith.’
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’
The old Cherokee simply relied, ‘The one you feed.’
Which wolf are you feeding?
The “fight” against Parkinson’s
The “fight” against Parkinson’s by doing the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery® has three components: the body (physical) part to heal the internal organs, the mind part to calm the adrenaline-driven mind, the soul part to open your dopamine-flowing heart.
Feeding the Evil Wolf is what helps bring Parkinson’s symptoms to the surface. Also, continuing to feed the Evil Wolf exacerbates the symptoms and sends the disease in the negatively spiraling direction. Additionally, all of you would agree that when you are feeling the emotions exhibited by the Evil Wolf in the story above, the symptoms appear worse.
Feeding the Good Wolf is what slows, halts, and reverses Parkinson’s all the way to your full recovery, your cure. Moreover, when you calm the mind, you are starving the Evil Wolf. He does not like this because he likes being in control. As a result, he “bites” you in the form of a bigger tremor, more stiffness, more slowness, and some worse balance.
However, when you calm the mind, you realize that his “bite” has no teeth. In meditation and sleep, symptoms slow down or disappear. Additionally, this proves that when the mind is calm, the Evil Wolf’s “bite” has no teeth and cannot hurt you. You are not getting worse.
Opening the heart
When you open your heart to yourself and others, you are feeding the Good Wolf. Additionally, this is starving the Evil Wolf and he is not happy. This time, he “bites” you with self-judgment, self-criticism, “you are not worthy or deserving,” “you do not deserve forgiveness,” and “you must be perfect in all things.”
However, when you open your heart fully and find joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, gratitude, and faith, you realize that his “bite” has no teeth. In meditation and sleep, symptoms slow down or disappear. Additionally, this proves that when your heart is open to yourself and others, the Evil Wolf’s “bite” has no teeth and cannot hurt you. You are not getting worse.
The challenge is maintaining this same calmness of mind and openness of heart in your everyday life. However, it becomes a new way of living life and recovery. It is living your life and your recovery from your heart!
Making healthy choices
You do not “fight” Parkinson’s by beating it down with a stick. However, you do “fight” Parkinson’s by healing the organs, calming the mind, and opening your heart. Also, this is choosing to feed the Good Wolf as a way of life. Finally, the Evil Wolf simple drops off, like dropping to the floor some dirty, toxic clothes and stepping into your dopamine bath.
Which wolf are you feeding?
It is a choice.
Choose joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, gratitude and faith. Moreover, choose to feed the Good Wolf, and watch your full recovery roll out in front of your eyes.
Finally, in the comments, let us know which wolf you are feeding.
You are worth it!!!
All my best,
Howard
Dear Howard,
What a good explanation, thanks!
We give a try to feed the Good Wolf to have the chance to win!!
I am feeding the good wolf! Roll on recovery.
I am feeding the Good Wolf of gratitude and acceptance and finding joy in the now.
If I am truly honest with myself
I feed the good wolf,
But sometimes the bad wolf gets the scraps.
Thank you Howard
For Your story
I do the best I can to feed the good wolf, but, as they say, old habits definitely die hard.
Making the choice to live with love, gratitude, and acceptance, without feeling insincere in the difficult times is where the challenge lives for me. Feeling worthy of forgiveness for those feelings can make for an interesting afternoon.
Thank God it’s gotten easier the more I practice.
Thanks Howard
I am feeding the good wolf!
Howard,
I am forever grateful for the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery and your never ending support.
Thank you!
I can relate to the challenge of letting old habits starve…
The Good Wolf is Here, with me, and I’m Feeding it More and more every day…
I’m grappling with accepting the pace at which the Shift is taking place, from feeding the bad wolf to feeding the Good Wolf…
I thank you deeply, Howard, for your support!
Most days now I am feeding the good wolf. It is when I fall asleep in my life, I notice how easily the bad wolf can be lurking so quietly ready to take the lead. That is happening less and less every day. I am in the throws of my heart opening, and I have never experienced something so beautiful.
Thank you Howard for this great reminder to us all. It reminds me that I am exactly where I should be.
And so it is.
Parkinson’s is a rollercoaster of ups and downs.
I am feeding the good wolf!
Thank you for your support, Howard.
I am grateful for the Parkinson’s Recipe for Recovery! And
grateful for your help and support! We are all worth it!
As others have said, each day may be different. Most days, I feed the good wolf and as I stay aware, progress is made. Some days can be stressful and the bad wolf gets fed. I am so grateful for Howard and the Recipe. We can do this together! We are worth it!
I choose to feed the Good Wolf. I choose joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, gratitude and faith…every day for life.
I’m doing my best and my best is good enough. More than ever, I’m feeding the good wolf and starving the bad. I’m into my third year and it ain’t getting easier.
Great Perspective
Feeding good wolf is my first and last choice.
I’m positive in my thoughts and confident for recovery.
Thanks for your write up to us.
Please send more positive thoughts with love
and gratitude
I am feeding the Good Wolf of gratitude and acceptance and finding joy in the now.
Mostly I feed the good wolf but sometimes the
bad wolf sneaks in and gets a bite still…..
Thank you Howard for reminding us….
It’s a choice to feed the good wolf!
I am recovery, I am worth it!!!!
I agree with Timothy!
If I am truly honest with myself
I feed the good wolf,
But sometimes the bad wolf gets the scraps
Truly a work in progress
Let’s do our best to feed the good wolf even on the toughest days!
I am choosing joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, gratitude and faith. I choose to feed the Good Wolf, and watch my full recovery roll out in front of my eyes. I wish this for everyone here, intrepid souls : ) Thank you Howard and family and to all in this recovery family!
Heart opening sounds good. I also meditate on it. But what does it really mean? [Howard’s answer: Opening the heart is feeling acceptance of yourself and others without judgment of yourself and others]. I often feel like I can’t feel it enough.
When you’re supposed to feel peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, goodness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, gratitude, and faith – then I am feeding the good wolf. But I struggle with serenity and joy. Does that mean I am feeding the bad wolf instead? [Howard’s answer: By not feeling serenity and joy, you are not feeding the bad wolf. Simply, you are not feeling all of the possible feelings of feeding the good wolf. However, look at what you are feeling, all of which feed the good wolf: peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, goodness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, gratitude, and faith].
Does that mean that my intensified symptoms are not a sign of healing? [Howard’s answer: I know you, and your intensified symptoms are a sign of the wonderful healing that you are experiencing].
I’m practicing recognizing the bigger picture. Thank you to everyone – I am not alone, and I feel understood.
I endeavour to feed the good wolf! I like the reminder that a calm mind goes hand in hand with reduced symptoms. I don’t shake when I’m sleeping. When I wake up I am completely still. Then my mind wakes up and the tremors start again. When I can maintain a calm mind in everyday life I will recover. Being agitated and self-critical feed the bad wolf which pushes recovery further away.
I try to feed only the good wolf, but sometimes the bad one comes to say, “here I am.” It’s a process to know what is good for you and to live it. But it is easier now on the way to recovery.
Thank you Howard for the support!
What a great 👍 explanation, feeding good wolf is the only way to move forward and win