"Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." This quote, often attributed to Haruki Murakami, is rooted in the Buddhist parable of the second arrow.

The Buddha says, “In life, we can’t always control the first arrow. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The second arrow is optional.”

Tara Brach explains the teaching like this: "If you get struck by an arrow, do you then shoot another arrow into yourself?"

It's this second arrowing that causes us so much emotional suffering, and what many of us don't realize is that we have control of the second arrow. The first arrow is the original pain we experience as a result of a circumstance in life.

In this diary-style episode, I share a raw audio of me processing how we can use this awareness to lighten our emotional load. So many of us are buckling under the weight of our emotional suffering, not realizing how much of what we carry is self-created.

In this episode, I help you see where you might be creating suffering for yourself, so you can choose whether you want to carry it into the future or set it down.

When we lighten our suffering, we give ourselves the chance to enjoy the human experience rather than buckling under the weight of it.

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Original music by JMW

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1:1 mindset coaching isn’t just for athletes or select special people. It’s for anyone who wants to ask more of themselves but knows their thinking is getting in the way.

If this is work you’re excited to do, sign up for my free offering (a 90-minute deep dive coaching call) so you can experience firsthand how managing your mind can bring more peace, happiness, and success into your life.

To book your free call, visit KariWatterson.com.

At the end of the day, we have one life.

How do you want to live yours?

Think about it.

And then, let's get to work.

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