We all experience pain. It’s an unavoidable aspect of the human condition. We stub our toes, we lose loved ones, we face setbacks and disappointments. This is the raw, unfiltered experience of life, the tapestry woven with both joy and sorrow. But pain, in and of itself, doesn't inherently lead to suffering. Suffering is a different beast entirely. Suffering is optional. It's the self-inflicted wound, the extra layer of anguish we create through our resistance to what is. It’s the clinging to a preferred narrative, a desperate attempt to control the uncontrollable.