In the Buddhist parable of the two arrows, a man walking through a forest is struck by a hunter’s arrow and left wounded and alone. The first arrow reflects the real pain of being struck. But the second arrow represents all the worries and anxieties that follow. Pain is inevitable, but suffering is a choice. The difference lies in whether we fight, deny, and ask “why me?”, or pause, accept reality as it is, and respond with kindness and compassion.