“Life is a choice.” ~Unknown
I’m virtually broke. Yet, I’m still enjoying life. How is this possible, you ask?
True happiness comes from having much less than you think. Growing up, I wouldn’t say that I had an abundance of toys. By normal standards, my family was just getting by with what we had.… Read More
“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.” ~Proverb
I couldn’t drive, drink, vote, or stay out after 9:00, and yet I had two jobs.
I started working just before I turned 12. My parents didn’t have a lot of money, so I knew early on I’d need to work if I wanted to do fun things, like go to music camp.… Read More
Happy day! As you can see, tinybuddha.com has a new design.
Earlier this week, I mentioned I was excited to launch this new site in conjunction with the one-year anniversary.
In that somewhat long post, I announced three book giveaways I planned to conduct in celebration. It’s not too late if you haven’t already entered to win.… Read More
It’s a pretty exciting week in Tiny Buddha world. Several months back, I decided to have Tiny Buddha redesigned.
Well, we decided. There is an amazing man named Joshua Denney who has done a lot of work on the site.
It’s through his passion, expertise, and hard work that we’ll have a completely new design at the end of this week.… Read More
“Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” ~Unknown
There are two basic human emotions that are the driving force behind each thought, each daily inspiration and that rare but pivotal new-chapter, life-changing decision. … Read More
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.” ~Rumi
I have been working on Tiny Buddha for over two years, and yet I’ve rarely written about my experiences running it.
I haven’t told you anything about my own challenges, opportunities, and lessons and it occurred to me today that that might be valuable information.… Read More
“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Last night I did something I rarely do. Drum roll please…
…last night I cooked.
OK, to be fair, I more prepped than cooked. But my willingness to participate in this domestic ritual with my boyfriend at the helm was certainly not the norm.… Read More
“People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” ~Chinese Proverb
When I was in junior college, I wasn’t the best student. I skipped classes, didn’t do my assignments, and barely studied for my tests. Needless to say, I flunked those exams.
After a few months, I realized I didn’t want to continue on like this.… Read More
“With realization of one’s own potential & self confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.” ~Dalai Lama
For the vast majority of my life I didn’t believe I could do most of the things I wanted to do.
I knew I wanted to be in a relationship, but I feared that if I got into one I’d do something to mess it up.… Read More
“He is able who thinks he is able.” ~Buddha
The world has given us many outstanding people.
Although we possess our own unique talents, we look to leaders and mentors as models of action and success. They represent unlocked potential, perseverance and shining lights for us to follow.
Since all paths are unique, we can’t follow exactly where others have been, but we can learn from their examples of confidence and dedication.… Read More
“Excellence can be obtained if you care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, expect more than others think is possible.” ~Unknown
A revelation came to me the other day during lunch with my co-worker.
As I wolfed down my germ-infused, salad-bar lunch, I thought about my father for no particular reason other than I probably miss him since moving out of my parents’ house two weeks ago.… Read More
“All appears to change when we change.” -Henri-Frédéric Amiel
I admit it—I’m a change addict. I love new cities, apartments, jobs and friends. This can be both a strength and a weakness.
On the one hand, I never shy away from a new experience or opportunity. On the other hand, it takes a strong effort for me to stick with anything once the novelty wears off.… Read More
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” ~Unknown
Sometimes for me it’s not a matter of if I’ll work on the weekend; it’s a matter of how.
On the one hand, I’m committed to being mindful and creating balance in my life.
But on the other hand, I have a lot of dreams and goals, and I enjoy giving my all to pursuing them.… Read More
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” ~Charles Swindoll
Unemployment is up almost 10 percent and job opportunities are not necessarily speeding to catch up. It’s not always easy to stay positive when you’re dealing with uncertainty, particularly if you fell out of a comfortable situation and now have to adapt.… Read More
There is an art to living—to creating your life on your terms based on your desires, your talents, your values, and your dreams. In a culture where we must attend 13 years of school, we’re rarely taught to look within and name what it is we want from life.
We’re rarely taught that we have the power within to live the lives we want—not what other people expect of us.… Read More
“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” ~Proverb
You have a dream. Right?
Everyone does. Maybe it’s buried, but it’s there. You probably have a rainbow assortment. Your life is made up of choices. Why not choose your dreams?… Read More
I write a newsletter every week and last month, a subscriber emailed me with a question I thought was worth exploring.
“… I guess what I’m getting at is if everyone had a choice, treating sewage would be the last thing one would want to do. Isn’t it? Well yes I’m making that judgment.… Read More
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” -Milton Berle
The people who are the most successful in life are the ones who create their own opportunities. Since I’m a work-from-home freelance writer who prefers beadworking to networking, I have to be ultra creative.
I’ve identified 7 simple ways to find opportunities in everyday situations.… Read More
“Care and diligence bring luck.” ~Proverb
When things aren’t going well for you, it’s easy to blame it on bad luck—to assume other people who are doing better had more help and advantages.
Nothing could be less empowering. This line of thinking just confirms that the world is unfair and you have limited control.… Read More
“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” ~Gandhi
Both the industrial and digital revolutions promised increased productivity, meaning people could work less and live a more balanced life. We all know that’s not how history has played out.
Even as technology advances, we work longer hours than ever—and ironically, struggle financially and accrue more debt with each passing year.… Read More
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. Click here to read more.
