Tiny Buddha: Wisdom Quotes, Letting Go, Letting Happiness In

by Sonya Derian

“Don’t wait for your feelings to change to take the action. Take the action and your feelings will change.” ~Barbara Baron

A few months ago, I challenged myself with Adventure Boot Camp. I thought, “What would be more challenging than waking up at five in the morning and working out with a group of ladies for an hour, four days a week?”

And I have to say, it was tough! I couldn’t walk for 3 days.

But as the days progressed and my muscles acclimated, it occurred to me: I’m someone who can roll out of bed at 5 AM and within a half hour, lift 8-pound weights over my head while jogging a track. I didn’t know that I could do that!

That’s the thing about taking an action. You don’t know that you can do it until you do it. And then you become someone who does it. Click Here to Read More…

by Lori Deschene

“It is easy when we are in prosperity to give advice to the afflicted.” ~Aeschylus

Earlier this year I got some feedback from the ‘tween magazine I wrote for: “It sounds like good advice, but kids probably won’t do any of that.”

In my head it all sounded logical, but I didn’t consider whether I’d have taken that advice as a kid. Or now for that matter.

People do it all the time: look at a situation from a removed, non-emotional place, and hurl suggestions that are far easier said than done. And sometimes, just plain unrealistic.

I’ve listed 5 of these hard-to-follow, cliché pieces of advice, along with alternative suggestions you may actually be inclined to take. Click Here to Read More…

by Sonya Derian

“Never ignore a gut feeling. But never believe it’s enough.” ~Robert Heller

A couple months ago when I was almost done producing a teleseminar and spending way too much time hunched over at the computer, I decided to do something different. Something that would bring me joy, that would get take me out of my normal environment and actually excite me. So, I did what had been on my list to do for a long time.

I went flying.

I didn’t know what to expect making the 45 minute trek out to the Sonoma County hills to fly on a trapeze. I just knew I had been wanting to do it for a while and it was closer than then the outfit I’d been considering in Texas (that was also outdoors).

I also knew I had to go because just the thought of flying through the trees excited me more than anything I had done in a really long time.

So I made the trek by myself because no one wanted to join me, and I figured why wait? I was greeted by, what I learned, was a core group of women who met there every weekend.

One of the women who was in her 70′s comes as often as she can. She was flying through the sky doing twists without a harness (she got her pilot’s license in her 60′s, which gives you a clue about her!)

Another woman was a single mom who came with her son every weekend and made this her retreat. Click Here to Read More…

by Lori Deschene

“It is never too late. Even if you are going to die tomorrow, keep yourself straight and clear and be a happy human being today.” -Lama Yeshe

There’s a common misconception that there comes a point when it’s too late to do things you want to do. Maybe one of these statements sounds familiar to you:

“I can’t become a designer. I’m far too old to change my career path.”

“I’ll never get married. It’s too late in the game for that.”

“I couldn’t possibly start yoga. That’s for people much younger than me.”

We choose arbitrary windows of time when we imagine we should have tried something, and then believe it’s not possible once those days have past.

The saddest part of this way of thinking is that we’re generally right. Not because it can’t be done; but because we can only do what we believe we can.

If you don’t think it’s possible to begin a new profession, you won’t take a training course, send out resumes, or make the connections you need to succeed. Click Here to Read More…

by Alexa Hart

Last year, I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a major in Communication Studies and a minor in Business Writing. During my college career, I created public relations material for both my Business Writing minor and the public relations firm where I interned. As I thoroughly enjoyed my minor and the internship, I decided to apply to more PR positions.

About a month into the job search, I was hired to work at a reputable public relations firm. Excited to start the next chapter of my life, I thought I had it all – a new apartment in San Francisco, great roommates, new friends and a stable job. Wow! This was the real deal. However, the excitement of my first “real” job quickly wore off. Although I may have enjoyed my experiences in college, I failed to ask myself an important question: Was I really passionate about agency PR?

As much as I loved San Francisco and the new friends I was making, I discovered that PR didn’t give me a sense of fulfillment. I got no thrill from bouncing around client accounts doing tasks like monitoring media coverage, drafting pitches, researching speaking opportunities and reading about client competition. I couldn’t spend my days working in an office doing something that didn’t make me tick. Thus, I quickly realized that in order to be happy, I needed to make a change. Click Here to Read More…

by Lori Deschene

When I first sat down to write this piece for 5 Rules for Life, I wrote Live without rules five times, each followed by a reason to keep your approach to life flexible. The way you live is largely a reflection of where you’ve been, who you’ve been, and the beliefs you’ve formed. Who am I to create a cookie-cutter hard-and-fast code that makes sense for everyone?

That’s when I realized I’d need to make a sixth rule to introduce these ideas: judge my words, and anyone else’s against your own reason and moral code.

Buddha said, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and common sense.”

The Dalai Lama echoed that sentiment with, “The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.”

Be critical. I invite it. These ideas help me, and they may or may not help you.

With that, I give you five guidelines that have helped me feel happy, fulfilled, and meaningful: Click Here to Read More…

by Belinda Munoz

“Be what you are. This is the first step toward becoming better than you are.” ~Julius Charles Hare

I admit, I have a beautiful life.  I don’t mean to brag, but I love the life I have and there is no other life I’d rather live. But this wasn’t always my truth.

Many years ago, I didn’t think I would one day have a beautiful life.  I had a terrible attitude, a soul-sucking job that I occasionally enjoyed superficially at best, and I pursued things that would always leave me feeling empty.  It took me a long time and a lot of work to get to where I am.

Today, like everyone, I have my own struggles. I have personal deficits that I’m aware need fine-tuning (or major overhaul). I’m susceptible to sadness, negative energy from others, and occasional feelings of helplessness about the troubles of the world.  But I focus more on laughter, celebration and the depths of life.  Overall, life is beautiful.

I’m not talking about aesthetic beauty, although a beautiful environment can contribute to a beautiful life.  I’m talking about a deeper kind of beauty.  One that you can’t buy from a store.  One that makes you feel excited about being alive, that allows you to be inspired and be an inspiration, that shows your connectedness to other human beings.

I would imagine that many of you who are already living a beautiful life have your own formula for getting there.  But for those who are curious, here are my 7 key steps: Click Here to Read More…

by Brittney Warren

“If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” ~Daisaku Ikeda

I’m sitting here in a quaint coffee shop trying to work, and I’m listening to some soulful music that moves me more than I can explain. Today I feel so thankful for my life and how beautiful it is. When I get in this place of peace, with my headphones on, blocking away all the other noises and sounds of my everyday tasks, I fall into a trance—a dreamlike state where I can’t help but feel inspired and full of love.

More and more every day I feel my purpose breaking through. I love working for a non-profit cancer foundation. I love that each day I wake up confident I’m doing something meaningful. I get to end everyday with a full heart knowing I work hard to educate and help people fighting this devastating disease.

Life hasn’t always been this way for me. I used to struggle because I felt like what I did wasn’t enough. I was stuck. The life inside of me was beginning to disappear. I was becoming that type of person who I once looked at thinking, “I hope that I never become that.”

Money, status, and my career were my priorities. That wasn’t who I wanted to be. Click Here to Read More…

by Lori Deschene

“I could never make a living while traveling the world; it’s just not realistic.”

“My guitar won’t pay the bills. People think I’m crazy for trying.”

“I don’t have the money to go back to school. I’m stuck in this dead-end temp job.”

Most people dream of doing something that gives them a sense of excitement and purpose. Only some people believe in the possibility of that meaningful, exciting reality. Even fewer people pursue those goals in the face of adversity and discouragement.

Belief in possibility and the willingness to try can mean the difference between feeling alive and feeling stuck. Even if you don’t get where you’re headed, believing you can, and working toward your dream is more powerful than you realize.

The woman who spends her days going to auditions—she may not be a famous actress, but she’s an actress who could find work. Work that may lead to opportunities she can’t even imagine.

The man who wants to bike across the US someday—every hour he devotes to training increases his chances of achieving his goal. Every time he dots an i on his dream-to-do list, he’s one step closer to actually doing what some people say he can’t.

There will always be people who doubt you. People who think you should do what’s easy, customary, and reasonable. Sometimes you may even be one of those people. Don’t think about them today. Instead, think about one simple step. Click Here to Read More…

by Lori Deschene

“The secret to success is constancy to purpose.” ~Benjamin Disraeli

Most of us want to be successful—if not in monetary terms, then by our own definitions.

We want to feel a sense of meaning; to do something worthwhile that we can be proud of. Something that matters to people. Something that will live on after we do.

We often get so caught up in becoming who we want to be, that we miss on being those people right now.

We get so focused on striving—getting things done, crossing items off the to-do list—that we forget to simply enjoy that purpose that matters so much. We approach tasks like races, anxious to reach the finish line. And then move onto the next item—get just one foot closer to that dream.

Sometimes when we move closer through achievements, we move further away in passion. Click Here to Read More…

by Michelle Pfennighaus

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ~Lao Tzu

It took me three years from the time I decided to leave my career in advertising to actually make the move. I remember the first day I considered a career change. I was in my office with the door closed, searching the Internet for nutrition schools.

I had started college as a physical therapy major and got straight A’s. I changed majors to graphic design because I didn’t like the idea of working in a conventional hospital or outpatient setting. But now here I was deciding that the health field was maybe a better fit after all.

My mom suggested I take a look at a holistic nutrition program she’d heard about: The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN).

“Mom,” I said, “That doesn’t look like a real school. I need a degree to be taken seriously. I want to do this right.”

Trouble was I had a degree in art. And to apply to any masters programs in nutrition, I needed to have taken a bunch of science courses. Plus, these masters programs were highly expensive and required full-time attendance.

Hmmmm. I looked into the jobs I’d get as a Registered Dietitian and saw that at least in the Boston area everything was a job in a hospital. This was not for me.

I shook off the idea of nutrition and carried on, working in advertising, changing companies and then freelancing. I was looking for something but I really wasn’t finding it. And of course, it’s scary to change careers. It’s easier to keep your eyes down and get through the day. And the next day. And the next. Click Here to Read More…