We Become What We Feed Our Minds

My Ultimate Tip to Turn the World Into a Source of Happiness Rather Than Misery

👋 Hi, I’m Irene!

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Read Time: 2.52 minutes

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I don’t read or watch the news—It’s never been a habit of mine. 

People often found it strange when I shared this. At one point, I even felt embarrassed about it because I wasn’t always caught up on global matters. 

But lately? I’ve come to realize that I was doing the right thing for my spiritual health all along. 

Now, I see this habit—of not watching the news—as cultivated ignorance. I’ve adopted the mindset that if something is important, I will find out about it one way or another. 

You might be wondering, Why don’t you read or watch the news? 

It's because most of it is built on negativity. 

I choose not to expose my mind to it because our minds are easily influenced by what we consume.

The Story of Two Wolves

I want to share a story with you that I read in Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty 3 years ago—It’s stuck with me all this time: 

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” 

He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” 

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

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

Our Default State to Be In

Before we talk about how to feed the good wolf, let’s talk about why we need to feed the wolf who "is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith." 

It’s because we’re not wired to have happiness easily (I’ve written about this many times—I hope to hammer it in you.) 

Society also makes it harder for us to be happy. The negativity in the news. The highlight reels on social media. And ads pointing out every flaw we have. 

This is why we need to intentionally expose our minds to joyful, positive, and inspiring things. 

Otherwise, we’ll ruminate on sadness and negativity—our default state to be in and the one encouraged by society—and we’ll subconsciously feed the evil wolf. 

If you want your mind to translate the outside world into happiness instead of misery, feed the good wolf. 

Here’s my biggest tip on how to do that:

How to Feed the Good Wolf Daily

Happiness isn’t something you read about once and then become happy. 

No. It’s a skill you have to work on every day. 

This is why I decided to change "The Happiness Diary" from a weekly newsletter to a daily one, so that every day, you get a daily dose of curated insights and tips on how to create a happier life. 

Other than "The Happiness Diary," how else can you feed your mind joyful, positive, and uplifting things? 

My biggest tip is to be aware of and intentional about everything you expose your mind to—books, podcasts, videos, music, social media, and people. 

After engaging with something or someone, ask yourself: Why am I doing this? How do I feel afterward? Is it making me a better person or adding value to my life? 

If it brings negativity, consider exposing yourself to it less. 

You want to get into the habit of evaluating everything that enters your mind.

Final Thoughts

We become what we feed our minds. 

So, nourish it with joy, positivity, upliftment, education, and inspiration—through what you read, watch, listen to, who you talk to, and what you focus on. 

This is how you turn the external world into a source of happiness rather than misery.

Before You Go

Thank you so much for reading today’s entry! 

I’d love for you to respond to this email to let me know:

• Your biggest takeaway

• Your biggest challenge

• Your biggest struggle right now

I’d really appreciate it if you could reply because it helps me understand what you’re interested in learning more about and to make sure what I write is helpful and valuable for you. I read every single reply. 😊

With all my love,

Irene

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