Preventing the second arrow
Preventing the second arrow
If an arrow were to strike you, you would feel pain. If a second arrow struck you in the same place, the pain would be many times greater.
The unwelcome things that happen in life are the first arrow; they cause some pain. The second arrow is our reaction, which magnifies the suffering. We can prevent the firing of the second arrow by simply being present with the real suffering. This allows us to see there are still things to be grateful for, still things that are not going wrong. Happiness is possible immediately, even if everything is not perfect.
Thich Nhat Hanh