Be Like a Bison

4:30am. The alarm gently wakes me up. I can hear the wind and rain steadily engulf the house. A storm was upon us.

The desire or should I say excuse to rollover was strong. The warmth, safety and certainty of the bed comforted me. The darkness and silence seduced me. Slowly worry of work, family, health and the future invaded my mind, further coercing me to “run and seek shelter” in the blankets, temporarily delaying what the day might bring.

But I had set the alarm for a reason. It was time to get up and run as part of my annual marathon training for my 1 in 26 Epilepsy Fundraiser every October. This commitment and “challenge” (worry too!) lingered in my mind especially as the rain steadily continued. Deep breath…

As I glanced towards the nightstand, I could see the recent birthday gift from my sister Kate… a framed picture of the American Bison. This creature had become a symbol of strength, resilience and courage for us during the last 18 months when we unexpectedly lost both parents. Undoubtedly the hardest challenge and strongest “storm” either of us had ever witnessed.

You see, I have come to learn that a Bison behaves differently when faced with a storm. Instead of running away from the storm and seeking comfort and shelter like most animals, a bison runs towards the storm. It chooses to face the wind, the rain and even the snow with courage in hopes of getting through it more quickly.

This inborn characteristic of the bison has become a metaphor for how Kate and I aspire to face challenges and adversity in our lives now. Facing our fears, challenging our limiting beliefs that cage us and running towards rather than away from “storms”. From this, we have I adopted the mantra when we are sad, lonely, scared or just need the courage to face the “storm” (adversity):

“Be like a Bison”

With that, I got up. Got dressed, put on my running shoes and headed out for my morning run…in the pouring rain. Half way through, the rain stopped, the sky cleared. The run was complete. Just like life… “storms” (challenges) usually pass more quickly when we face them head on.

Today, I faced the “storm”.

Today, I was a Bison….

What will you do?