While I was recently binge watching "Faking It," (seriously, watch it -- it's amazing) one of the characters was giving some advice to another via a Native American proverb. It went, "Everyone has two wolves inside them. One is good, the other is evil. The one that survives is the one you choose to feed." I was so taken aback by how powerful and true this was.
It was nice to take a moment to learn something about a culture that is so underrepresented today. Naturally, I jumped on my computer to look up more, and I'm going to share some of my favorites with you. Whether they're something you choose to live by from here on out, or just use them as something you're going to caption an Instagram picture with between Taylor Swift quotes, really let them sink in, and don't forget that other cultures have so much to offer.
1. "Don't be afraid to cry. It will free your mind of sorrowful thoughts." - Hopi
People tend to bottle things up. One day, you'll reach your breaking point, and it will be too late. So this is right; don't be afraid to cry. Surround yourself with people that will comfort you, and know they won't care if they see mascara running down your face because you're crying so hard. And when you're done, take that huge breath of relief that we all get after we finally let it out, because you know the worst is over.
2. "If we wonder often, the gift of knowledge will come." - Arapaho
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions, trying new things, and acting on our curiosity is the only way that we'll ever learn anything. You're not wrong about something you don't know, but you have every opportunity to learn about it -- the problem comes only in choosing not to.
3. "You already possess everything necessary to become great." - Crow
You were given the most precious gift ever -- life. It's what you choose to do with that gift that determines how great it will actually be. Strive to be your own definition of great. Whether that's staying at home to be with family or working hard, your life won't be great until you're genuinely happy.
4. "You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep." - Navajo
To me, this means that you can't force someone to do something that they don't want to do. If someone is pretending to be asleep, no splash of water nor slap in their face is going to wake them, because they don't want that. We can't change other people. We can only work to better ourselves, and hope that one day, they'll finally open their eyes.
And to lighten this deep mood:
5. "Many have fallen with the bottle in their hand." - Lakota
I'm talking to you, college students.
