I have driven across the U.S. plains many times in the last year and have seen many great herds of cows, and elk, and some buffalo and antelope too. Seeing how the buffalo handle the storms compared to the cows is a great lesson for how I address my problems or tasks. I don’t know about you, but I often put off doing things that need to be done, like writing this, that I planned to do yesterday. Or I avoid someone that I need to have a courageous conversation with, hoping that it will somehow handle itself. These problems or tasks are to us like the storms are to the large grazing plains mammals. However, in the above example I have behaved like a cow. If there is a driving rain or snow storm, they will turn away from the storm and sometimes even walk away from the storm, which exposes their relatively unprotected back side and even worse, has them in the storm longer since they are walking with it. A buffalo on the other hand, turns into the storm and walking toward it, into it. This puts his massive and thick-coated head and shoulders into the wind, where it has the most protection. And by walking into the storm, it gets it over with faster. If we behave as a buffalo, we face our problems. We do it now, before it gets worse, and it gets it over with faster. If we avoid our problems, as the cow does, they get bigger. If we put off getting medical treatment the issues get much more serious. If we avoid talking to the person, the fear in our head gets much bigger and we damage the relationship much more.
What is an issue you have been turning away from that is getting bigger? Be a buffalo this weekend and turn toward it, address it, and see how much better you feel when you get to the other side of the storm.
Have a great weekend,
Art
PS: This was giving to me by a Sunday School teacher at church in MI 20 years ago after I told this story.
