“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” ~Brother David Steindl-Rast
In the summer of 1993, my father was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.
He was only 58. Still just a kid.
To say the least, this was a devastating development.… Read More
“If you surrender completely to the moment as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Last week on Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend Ehren and I had a meeting we’d both spent months working toward.
After writing and rewriting a romantic comedy screenplay for over a year, and consulting with a screenwriter friend to improve it, we’d finally secured a meeting with an agent—her agent.… Read More
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The Winners:
“Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of love.” ~Ann Herbert
An unsolicited financial donation right when you need it.… Read More
“All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?” ~Buddha
When I first started on the path of personal development, I naturally came to the question: What is the first step for me? There are certain improvements I could have made which would have had the biggest impact on my situation.… Read More
“Peace begins with a smile.” ~Mother Theresa
Minor things can trigger bad days, whether it’s a having a tiff with your roommate, getting stuck in traffic, or just waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
As a fitness instructor, I’ve found that one negative comment from a member in a class can completely derail an otherwise happy day.… Read More
“Don’t wait for people to be friendly. Show them how.” ~Unknown
Sometimes I stop to think about how in the world I ended up where I have. I started off with very little, and somehow along the way I have ended up generally happy and on my own two feet.
My adolescence up to my early twenties had its share of dark days.… Read More
“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel” ~Steve Furtick
Have you ever wondered when the turning point was? When did you start questioning yourself and believing you were missing something? When did you stop thinking of yourself as invincible and start noticing what others called “flaws”?… Read More
“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” ~Pema Chodron
One of my yoga teachers, Johanna Aldrich, inspired me to inspect what I “thought” I was.
“This is what I am, this is what I am not, this is what I do, this is what I don’t do, this is what I like, that is what I don’t like.” All the stories and behavior patterns gathered in 40+ years that I had created to define me.… Read More
Note: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen. Subscribe to Tiny Buddha for free daily or weekly emails and to learn about future giveaways!
The Winners:
Yoga, road trips, and personal stories that border on TMI—these are all things I enjoy, which might explain why I was drawn to Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi.… Read More
“To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is: a dissatisfaction with self.” ~Joan Didion
For a few years in the late 90s, I had a date with the green-eyed monster every other Monday at 6:00 PM on the dot.
That was when my women artists support group met in my friend Anne’s studio.… Read More
“Your actions are your only true belongings.” ~Allan Lokos
I used to be the kind of girl who relished in stable and perfect surroundings. I fanned my magazines. I scrubbed the inside of the refrigerator.
I worked tirelessly to cultivate the external environment that I was lacking inside.
Externally, things were in order.… Read More
“Freedom is instantaneous the moment we accept things as they are.” ~Karen Maezen Miller
The world is filled with people who work hard at being positive, peaceful, and more spiritual and who then feel bad when they don’t measure up. I know because I used to be one of them. And I still am from time to time.… Read More
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” ~Chinese Proverb
Yes, I had reached the age of 25. Still, I doubted this letter from my past would make it to me, all these years later. It was a simple creative writing assignment from when I was 15.… Read More
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It’s finally happening.
After much thought and discussion, I’m excited to move forward with a Tiny Buddha iPhone app!
I have a ton of my own ideas, but I’d like to ensure the app meets your wants and needs.… Read More
“Our way to practice is one step at a time, one breath at a time.” ~Shunryu Suzuki
Two years ago, I reached a breaking point. I was miserable in my job, unhappy in my marriage, disinterested in my graduate school program, and struggling with multiple medical issues.
One night, while fighting with my husband, a deep sense of dread overcame me.… Read More
“The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.” ~Paulo Coelho
I stood there in the parking lot of my apartment complex, with the hot Phoenix sun beating down on me, as I watched him drive away for what I thought would be the last time.
With tears rolling down my cheeks, I went inside my apartment after his car had turned the corner and was out of sight.… Read More
“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” ~Dalai Lama
I’m betting you’ve heard the advice to “follow your bliss.” While I find there to be much value in those words, I submit that this mindset can become a trap.
It’s not the bliss I have an issue with.… Read More
“The light is what guides you home, the warmth is what keeps you there.” ~Ellie Rodriguez
One day I came home and just sat in my driveway for a while, wondering why I wasn’t happy about going inside my house. I wasn’t depressed, and I had a loving relationship with my family.… Read More
“Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power.” ~Shirley MacLaine
“Good and evil, there never is one without the other,” Merlin stated ominously in Excalibur. Others explain it as pertaining to how every Yin needs a Yang.
Every light has darkness to balance it out.
People can be kind or mean or beautiful or ugly.… Read More
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” ~Ernest Hemingway
When I was a child I was part of a family that didn’t communicate beyond “pass the salt.”
There was no confiding of fears, sharing of hopes, and encouraging each other’s dreams. It was a superficial and empty existence but one that was completely normal to me.… Read More
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