“Control is never achieved when sought after directly. It is the surprising consequence of letting go.” ~James Arthur Ray
I have always been a bit of a control freak, and if I’m not mindful, it can suck the joy out of my work and my passion.
I like tasks done a certain way—which means I don’t always do well when it comes to delegating to others, and can end up overextending myself.… Read More
“Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.” ~Buddha
Life is short. Time spent feeling angry or resentful about things that happened or didn’t happen is time squandered.
What’s that? You think those feelings motivate you and help you get things done? Hogwash! If you’re honest with yourself, you realize getting things done isn’t the end goal.… Read More
“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
For many years, the only way I knew to get from one place to another was to rush. I was chronically “running late.” In fact I couldn’t conceive of managing time in any other way. I usually would get to an appointment in the nick of time, but never without a rush.… Read More
“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.” ~Joseph Campbell
Growing up in a family of medical professionals, I received an abundance of opportunities with the understanding that my “job” was school. There was immense pressure to bring home straight A’s.… Read More
“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” ~Karl Barth
We were lying in bed. I said, “We can’t do it.” She said, “I don’t see what else we can do.” We lay there in silence, trying to figure it out.
It was the third big decision of our relationship. The first was when I asked Nicole to marry me.… Read More
“Letting go gives us freedom and freedom is the only condition for happiness.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
Most people I know are carrying extra weight—and I’m not talking about gaining a few pounds.
I’m talking about the mental and emotional weight we lug around with us. We carry it everywhere—like a backpack full of bricks—and it weighs us down.… Read More
Editor’s Note:
The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen:
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Especially when we’re going through challenging times, it can feel tempting to try to control the future—but this doesn’t change that much lies beyond our control.… Read More
“The world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming it.” ~Helen Keller
You’ve probably heard the saying “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.”
For a many years, I didn’t understand how pain and suffering were different from each other. They seemed inextricably wrapped up together, and I took it for granted that one was the inevitable consequence of the other.… Read More
“Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.” ~Cicero
At one point or another, we all questions whether or not we are doing enough, making enough money, or if we are going to be “successful” enough. I know this firsthand, as I’ve spent long periods of my young adult life in a persistent state of fear and self-doubt.… Read More
“Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength.” ~Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton
Patience sucks!
Well that is what I used to think.
I was taught growing up that it was a virtue, but I was never taught why.
In my experience, patience had meant I would miss out on something I desired.… Read More
“Be gentle first with yourself if you wish to be gentle with others.” ~Lama Yeshe
Think back to the last time somebody apologized to you about something. Did you forgive them? There is a very good chance that you did.
Now think back to the last time you harmed someone else.… Read More
“Prosperity depends more on wanting what you have than having what you want.” ~Geoffrey Abert
Nothing has the power to mess up my finances more than my own brain—or, more precisely, my ego.
According to Eckhart Tolle, the ego entails the habitual and compulsive thought processes that go through everybody’s mind continuously.… Read More
“A bend in the road is not the end of the road…unless you fail to make the turn.” ~Unknown
A year ago this week I was lying on a pile of laundry on my bathroom floor, sobbing, blowing my nose into a dirty t-shirt. I was in the last stages of packing up my apartment, selling my furniture, putting a few belongings into storage, and at 34 I was moving home to my parents’ house.… Read More
“He who doesn’t fear death only dies once.” ~Giovanni Falcone
“None of us get out of here alive…” My sweet friend spoke those words, a few months before she lost her battle with Stage IV Brain Cancer at the tender age of 33.
She had a sense of humor, always, and even in the midst of her intense radiation treatments, was able to make light of a fact that is so obviously true—yet is so inherently avoided by Western culture.… Read More
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Today is my 33rd birthday, and at this very moment I am likely sipping a fruity drink by a pool in Las Vegas.
My boyfriend and I go there often on his Monday and Tuesday off days because it’s not too far from LA; the weekday hotel rates are great; and we’re both huge fans of buffets, shows, and (occasional) poolside day drinking.… Read More
“Whenever something negative happens to you, there is a deep lesson concealed within it.” ~Eckhart Tolle
I’ve experienced a unique situation that has taught me a surprising lesson about the scope of the human races’ ability to choose love over hate, understanding over anger, and belief over fear.
I’d rather not have to tell a story like this, and my wish is that no one would ever have to learn lessons from an experience such as this.… Read More
“Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed.” ~Heraclitus
I’m reclining on a pebble beach, my bag tucked under my head, a can of Fanta to the right of me, above me, the sky and before me, the sea. It’s a few miles out.
I came here alone.… Read More
“The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably deal with.” ~Tony Robbins
“Uncertainty” may be one of the least popular places to hang out.
I hear this all the time from my clients, friends, and truth be told, from the voice inside my own head.… Read More
“Letting go isn’t the end of the world; it’s the beginning of a new life.” ~Unknown
This June marked 12 years since I got divorced and moved 1,000 miles away from my hometown. It’s an anniversary that I usually remember, but not one that I tend to dwell on—until this year.… Read More
Note: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen. Subscribe to Tiny Buddha to receive free daily or weekly emails and to learn about future giveaways!
The Winners:
In the past decade, I have read more than my fair share of self-help books.
Though I’ve enjoyed the ones with countless action steps and workbook sheets to change my life, I’ve felt the most moved and inspired by honest, personal stories of overcoming adversity.… Read More
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