Podcast Ep 255- Active Shooter Hoax and The Second Arrow of Suffering

In this episode of the Flourish Academy podcast, host Heather Lahtinen discusses the concept of the Second Arrow, a Buddhist parable about dealing with suffering more skillfully. She explains that anytime we suffer misfortune, two arrows fly our way. The first arrow represents the actual bad event or circumstance, which can cause pain, but the second arrow represents our reaction to the bad event. The second arrow is optional, and it's the manner in which we choose to respond emotionally.

Heather shares a personal experience where she was presented with the opportunity to practice these new skills. Her son's school was locked down because of a call reporting an active shooter, which turned out to be a hoax. Heather processed her emotions and avoided the second arrow by refraining from letting her thoughts get away from her.

She shares that we can avoid the second arrow by noticing our emotional reaction, catching ourselves adding more pain and suffering, and giving ourselves credit for recognizing and avoiding the second arrow. Finally, Heather encourages listeners to apply the concept of the Second Arrow to situations in their own lives and to avoid dwelling on things that aren't worthy of their attention or focus.

This is the article referenced: https://grandrapidstherapygroup.com/second-arrow-of-suffering/

What to listen for:

• The concept of the "Second Arrow" and how it relates to dealing with suffering in a more skillful and graceful manner.
• The difference between the first arrow (an actual bad event or circumstance that causes pain) and the second arrow (our emotional reaction to the bad event).
• How to avoid the second arrow by noticing your emotional reaction and refraining from adding more pain and suffering.
• An example of how the Second Arrow concept was put into practice after a school shooting hoax affected the host's family.
• The importance of processing emotions and feelings, but also choosing to avoid dwelling on them and absorbing unnecessary arrows.
• The benefits of paying attention to synchronicities in life and learning new skills for personal growth and development.