As Les recently engaged us with the wisdom choosing which wolf to feed, today's characteristic of a more abundant 'Life' is 'Nutrition'. (The seven signs being: movement, nutrition, reproduction, excretion, growth, respiration, and sensitivity.)

Nutrition.

Nutrition features richly in the Moodscope blogs – with most of us, I'm sure, signing up to the fact that what you eat affects your mood. We've even shared great recipes – something I hope we'll continue to do. However, today I'm using 'Nutrition' metaphorically to represent that which we feed on to give us energy.

Many of us have worked in organisations where we were fed the 'Junk Food' of broken promises, lies and covert communication. We've also all experienced the joy of honest, 'authentic' communication – that allows us to be who we are, and to say just how we are. Surely this is one of the greatest gifts of a Moodscope buddy – to take us just as we are, sometimes just to listen, and sometimes to feed us with wise words that bring life.

My imagination was captured by Les' tale of the two warring wolves in the mind of the wise Indian – one seeking darkness, and one seeking light. The victory went to the mind-wolf that the Indian fed more. So what is good nutrition for the wolf of light?

Part of good nutrition comes down to the way you chew! Chew your food well and you'll give your digestive system the best start you can offer it. I chew all the time – in the sense that I ruminate – think the same sort of thoughts over and over and over until they are digested. Of course, I feed the wolf of darkness often. So, today, I need to chew over and over on thoughts that move me forwards into the embrace of the wolf of light.

These are thoughts of what is good in my life. Thoughts of what is true and authentic and honest. Thoughts that point me to what is noble in those I know – what they do that I admire. And I conclude here with an example of great food to give others to nourish their life to the full: a genuine, specific, heart-felt and heart-warming compliment.

Perhaps to best feed ourselves on the energy-rich nectar of encouragement, we should practice first offering it to others?

Lex

A Moodscope member.