Practicing Courage #34: The path to inner freedom

The Courageous Life

There is a beautiful teaching metaphor that comes out of buddhist psychology about 2 darts.
As we move through life we inevitably experience pain.
From minor bumps and scrapes,
To major injury, loss, heartbreak, and catastrophe.

This is the 1st dart.
What’s interesting about pain though is that it can often be accompanied by
thoughts about the pain:

• “This shouldn’t be happening.”
• “What if this doesn’t end?”
• “There’s something wrong with you." Etc.

These are add ons.
They’re the extras that in moments where we are in pain, can pile on.
Adding to the weight and intensity of the experience.
Turning what is already painful into experiences marked by additional suffering.
These add ons are the 2nd dart.
Within this metaphor though there is a possibility for less suffering.
When we learn to put the second darts down,
to not throw them as much,
or not throw them at all,
we suffer less and we experience more freedom.
Today, we'll look at a simple practice for turning this possibility into a reality which in part was inspired by yesterday's Courageous Life conversation with renowned therapist Dr. Jacob Ham.
Curious to explore this topic further? Check out the full conversation with Dr. Ham:

• The Art of Meeting Life with Curiosity, Presence, and Love | Dr. Jacob Ham

Thank you for your practice today.
I look forward to continuing together next Thursday!
-Joshua
Want these practices delivered via text?
If you are located in the U.S. text the word COURAGE to 805-430-6801 to join Joshua's text community and you'll get a text once/week with a link directly to the practice.
Looking for more practice opportunities?
Check out:

• Free Meditation Events - 60 minute gatherings with Joshua held 2x a month over zoom
• The Practice Pass - An annual membership that gives you on-demand access to robust practice experiences including the 28-Day Practicing Courage Challenge, The 5-Day Transforming Stress Challenge and the brand NEW Creativity Challenge.
• Past Practicing Courage episodes in the podcast feed
• The FREE Practice Library

Support the show