No Mud, No Lotus

There’s a great book called “No Mud, No Lotus” by Thich Nhat Hanh.  It is a gentle but profound guide showing that suffering and happiness are intertwined.  The hard stuff – the mud – is where we grow stronger, kinder and more awake.

One idea that is very important is, “Don’t launch the second arrow”.  We suffer first from what happens – and then from our judging, resisting, or refusing of that pain.  Let go of the extra suffering.

So, something happens that is not good.  It hurts.  Well, don’t then replay it over and over in your mind, saying it is not fair, resisting it instead of accepting it, and creating a victim narrative.  That’s the second arrow you should not launch.

I recall Brian Tracy saying, “Never get upset about something that is in the past.”  It’s the same thing.

Observe, learn, and move forward.  Don’t beat yourself with it over and over again.

Are you still suffering from “second arrows” you have launched on yourself?