New: The Four Friends Practice Companion — deeper stories, practices, and a 30-Day Return Path. Explore it →
When something hurts and your mind will not stop adding to the hurt with stories about what it means.
Trickster does not stop at the pain. It builds a case: what this proves, who is to blame, what it says about your future. One real cut becomes ten bags of suffering.
The pain is real. The extra story is optional. You can feel the cut without building a house on top of it.
- Name what happened. One plain sentence. ("They did not reply.")
- Name the story your mind added. ("They do not care about me.")
- Say them separately. Out loud if you can.
- Notice the difference in your body.
- Ask: "What actually needs care here?"
The next time something stings, write two lines: what happened, and what your mind says it means. Read them apart. Let the second one be a story, not a fact.
Some cuts go deep. Naming the story does not erase the wound. If the pain is old or heavy, you do not have to hold it alone. Reach toward someone safe, or get support.
Want to go deeper?
This free practice is one small place to stand.
If you want to learn the Friends' stories, practise with them across real-life hard weather, and build a return path you can keep close, visit The Four Friends Practice Companion.
Frog. Tree. Eagle. Buffalo.
Tales from the Trail, guided practices, reflection tools, and a 30-Day Return Path.
$9.99 · One-time access
If this practice gave you a little more ground beneath your feet, you may want to keep a few more nearby.
Stay with the herd
Use the Whole Buffalo is still taking shape as a book, but the practices are already here for ordinary hard weather. If this language is useful to you, you can join a small early community and receive occasional field notes: new practices, sample material, and first word when the book's ready. No pressure. No performance. Just something steady to return to when the mind starts making the weather worse.
Receive occasional Field Notes, free practices, book updates, and news from the Four Friends practice companion.