Like a Buffalo

A strategy for discomfort, resilience, and getting unstuck

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By Jenny Smith Mattfeldt | Published May 09, 2025

When a storm rolls in across the plains, most animals turn and run.

Cattle, for example, will instinctively try to outrun it. They move away from the thunder, the wind, the discomfort—hoping to outpace what’s coming.

But buffalo do the opposite.

When they see a storm approaching, they run straight into it. Not because they enjoy the chaos, but because they know the truth: the fastest way out is through.

By facing the storm head-on, they actually minimize their time inside it. They move with it, not against it. And in doing so, they suffer less.

This isn’t just an animal behavior lesson—it’s a life strategy.

When we avoid what’s hard, when we delay what we know we need to face, we stretch the storm out. The dread lingers. The anxiety builds. The fear grows heavier. We stay stuck.

But when we choose to confront what’s uncomfortable—when we lean in, even if we’re scared—we start moving through it. And more often than not, it passes quicker than we thought.

So whatever hard thing is on the horizon—Don’t run.

Don’t wait it out.

Be like a buffalo.

Face the storm.

The fastest way through it—is through it.

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