One of my favorite quotes is this:

Ever since I first read it, I loved it. I’ve studied each of the words on either side. It always made perfect sense to me.  Whatever you want in your life, you gotta feed those vibes.  Why am I telling you this? Ha.  Funny you should ask.  Recently, I got an abrupt reminder of my love for this story in a rather humorous way. 

While sorting through some stuff in the attic, I found an old journal of mine from high school. One of the entries was about this very story.  I had made a list of “7 Ways to Feed to Good Wolf”.  I’m pretty sure the list originated from a Seventeen Magazine of some sort, but my shorthand cracked me up and I had to share with you guys. 

1. FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY 

Yep, this one…whew…it’s a doozy. Forgive doesn’t mean forget. It means that you realize that you may never get the closure you hope for, but you are willing to release any negative emotions you hold for a person or situation that is in the past and no longer changeable.  You forgive the situation.  You also remember what happened to get in that situation and try to be ahead of it in the future.  This one is about personal growth. It requires nothing in return from those we forgive.  It is a choice.  Moving forward, I will not reflect on certain things in regret or shame.  I will move forward more aware and confident that I will not allow my boundaries to be overstepped again in the future.  

2. CHECK YOURSELF 

I believe what I was telling my teenage self was to regulate my emotions. Now, I like this one a lot. I’m an empathetic person. If you cry, I boo hoo too. But every now and again, we have to make sure our emotions properly match our situation. This isn’t always a solo mission. This is therapy, group meet ups, FaceTimes with family/friends, or maybe just daily yoga/fitness and meditation. But you gotta make time to let what came into your mind & body that day OUT! And I don’t mean food. I mean feelings. No one has it easy at this moment. But a daily check in of your mental health is dire. If something seems off, give it the care it deserves. Don’t hide it or delay it out of ego. Pride is gonna stunt your growth and limit your accomplishments faster than humility anyday. That I know. 

3. TALK ABOUT IT 

This one made me laugh. As a teen, I talked constantly. But I never talked about my issues. I didn’t want to be seen as weak or broken. So, for me to have written this, I must have truly been holding back on some important details. And since the good wolf likes honesty, I still can appreciate this reminder today. I am a Behavior Therapist. I talk all day everyday about feelings and self care. I am still not egocentric enough to think I don’t need a good dose of perspective WEEKLY from MY therapist. It’s not a weakness. It’s a mental fitness exercise that I can’t live without. #noshame #talkitout 

4. GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

This one is my favorite. I am the QUEEN of telling others how fabulous they are. What?! I’m not blowing smoke. I genuinely find the people in my life amazing and I love reminding them. It’s the highlight of MY day, to look at all the life around me and see it’s most vibrant parts then celebrate them! I live for those moments. And best part, it doesn’t cost me a penny. I feel all those good wolf traits: joy/kindness/love; swelling when I do this. So, this one I must have learned quickly and never looked back. I still do this every chance I get. 

5. LOVE YOURSELF JUST AS YOU ARE NOW

When I read this, I cried so hard. I’ve battled with low self-esteem on and off in my life. Some find that silly or they can’t see why, but we all have our reasons why we don’t see what is often so clear to those around us. It’s a part of the journey: getting comfortable in the body we are given. Not the one we think we should have. So, this made me smile big. It felt good to think of my own progress in this vein and how important it is to circle back to this statement ever so often. 

6. DON’T TAKE INVITE TO GOSSIP

You guys, this lesson is so important. People are so quick to have an opinion about your opinion. Or prove to you why every angle you take is wrong. It’s crazy. I thought we all knew that life can’t be black and white. It’s the grey and how it’s shaded that make a complex yet breathtaking picture of a good life. “Life” literally happens in the grey. If you can’t shade properly, please don’t color on my picture with my crayons. It wasn’t cool in 10th grade.  Still not cool at 36. Let’s just not do it anymore. Let’s stop accepting the invitation to talk bad about others and add spiteful layers to stuff that isn’t ours. This is the #1 food for that angry, bitter, ugly bad wolf. I’m just saying….let’s don’t. Nothing good will come of it. 

7. THE SUN WILL COME OUT TOMORROW, ANNIE SAID SO.

Yep, I was definitely a drama nerd.Also, definitely not a comedian. But hey, I had a point.  Believe it or not, there is something good that can come from the ugliest of situations. I truly believe that. Silver lining is everywhere if we just look for it.  If it’s not the change you hoped for, let’s hope you have many more sunrises to sip coffee and plot out another goal. 

Ok so I HOPE this inspires you to feed the good wolf too. This blast from the past was a comical surprise in a time of much relevance. It reminded me how much I love feeding the good. I find it quite simple actually to be kind and share your truths in an empathetic and loving way. 

Anywho….May your hard days pass fast. May your good days pass slowly. Most of all, may you wake up each day ready to put some good into the world.  Happy Thursday. Be safe.  Be kind. 

Best,
The Phoenix


JB McCann has worked in “The Biz” for almost a decade, yet she’s somehow managed to keep her feet firmly on the ground. Her altruistic spirit aims to evoke your Inner Phoenix and encourage readers to take the difficult leaps in life, so you can continue to grow.

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