The Two Shoe Salesman story is a well-known parable that illustrates the power of perspective and attitude.
The story goes that two shoe salesmen were sent by a shoe company to a foreign country to assess the market for their product.
The first salesman arrived and immediately sent a message back to the company saying, “There is no potential here – nobody wears shoes.”
The second salesman arrived and sent a message back saying, “This is a fantastic opportunity – nobody wears shoes!”
The story demonstrates how two people can look at the same situation and interpret it completely differently based on their mindset and attitude.
The second salesman had a positive outlook and saw the potential in the situation, while the first salesman had a negative outlook and saw only the obstacles.
This story is often used to illustrate the power of a growth mindset and the importance of maintaining a positive attitude in order to succeed in any situation.
The Wolves Within (The Battle Between Two Wolves Inside People)
“The hardest battle you will ever have to fight is between who you are now and who you want to be.” — Anonymous
I was reading my Grimm Fairy Tales the other day, and it opened with a great little story.
It’s a story about the battle between two wolves inside people.
I had heard it before, but it’s been a long time, and it’s a useful insight that you can apply to your habits, your thoughts, or anything really that you want to change.
It goes like this …
A grandfather sat his grandson down to tell him a story.
“Grandson, there is a battle going on inside me. It is a battle between two wolves.”
“These two wolves are battling for control of my very soul. One wolf is evil and filled with darkness and despair. The other is good and pure and filled with hope.”
“It is a battle that has gone on a good span of my life,” he continued.
Then the grandfather looked down at the boy and said:
“That same battle is going on inside you. And, as the battle between those two wolves rages inside me, do does it rage inside you.”
The boy looks up at his grandfather and asks:
“But grandfather, if this is true, which wolf will win?”
