“I want to live my life without stress and worries. I don’t need to be rich or famous. I just want to be happy.” ~Unknown
Have you ever set a goal and then become obsessed with it, making it the center of your life and arranging everything else around it? Did you think that only after you achieved your goal would you be totally relaxed and happy?
I’ve done this many times before.
Throughout my life, I’ve measured my happiness by my achievements. I pushed to get good grades in school, then focused on going to a good college, then …
“Just like a muscle needs to tear to grow stronger, sometimes we need to wade into our own darkness to find a brighter light.” ~Lori Deschene
Sometimes we need to journey into the deepest, darkest, scariest, most painful places inside in order to reach the next level.
This is what happened to me earlier this year.
When I was younger, I was in an abusive relationship that created a lot of stories in my head. These stories became beliefs that I carried around for a long time. Beliefs like, “I’m not good enough,” “Relationships are painful,” “I don’t …
“Be there. Be open. Be honest. Be kind. Be willing to listen, understand, accept, support, and forgive. This is what it means to love.” ~Lori Deschene
A few months ago, I was totally freaked out.
I was having a cup of tea with a soul-sister friend, and we were in deep conversation. I was crying.
I was explaining, between hiccupping sobs, about how there was someone in my life who was suffering deeply.
Sitting at the café that day, I said to her, “There is this person in my life that I love so deeply, but he is suffering.”
I …
“By practicing self-awareness and pausing before reacting, we can help create a world with less pain and more love.” ~Lori Deschene
It happens to the best of us. We find ourselves in a challenging situation or stressful environment and we get overcome—by an emotion, an impulse—and we act in a way that makes things worse.
It might be exploding at our spouse in response to a simple request. Or freezing during a difficult meeting at work. For me, this often happens when I receive negative feedback or constructive criticism. Something “takes us over” and we act in a way that …
If you’re anything like me, you apologize far too often, and most of the time, when you haven’t done anything wrong.
Sometimes we apologize for things beyond our control—like bad weather during a party we’re hosting.
Sometimes we apologize when someone else was actually in the wrong—when a waiter brings us food not cooked to our specifications, for example.
And sometimes we apologize for life choices we have every right to make—like the decision to change jobs, or end a relationship.
We’re wired to seek a sense of belonging, and we fear being ostracized from our tribe, so many …
“Life is short. Say what you’ve wanted to say. Do what you’ve wanted to do. Don’t wait until the only thing you can say is, I wish I’d had the courage to do it sooner.” ~Lori Deschene
Lunch hour.
Escaping the stale, re-circulated air of my office, I fled down Main Street in pursuit of freedom from the routine of the day.
A rusty bell clanged against the door of a dusty used bookstore when I pushed it open.
Scanning the horizon of bulging shelves and teetering stacks of magazines, my eyes suddenly met his and my heart began to …
Today’s the day! I’m thrilled to announce that Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal is now available for purchase, and if you order today, you can still get the three free bonus gifts.
I decided to create this gratitude journal/coloring book, with the help of the talented illustrator Rose Hwang, because gratitude and coloring have both greatly enhanced my life.
Coloring is not just for kids. It’s calming, creative, and meditative, and best of all, it’s easily accessible. You don’t need fancy equipment or an art class, just some markers or colored pencils and a little time and space to get lost …
“Your face will change. Your body will change. The only kind of beauty that endures is the kind that lives in your heart.” ~Lori Deschene
How many times have you hidden away from the world when you felt ashamed by your appearance?
How many invitations have you turned down because you felt disgusted by the way you look?
And how many times have you gazed into the bathroom mirror and thought, “Why, in my brief existence on this planet, does it have to be me?”
Seeing your reflection in the mirror is like a physical pain. It’s not just one …
“Give everyone the benefit of the doubt today…” ~Lori Deschene, Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges
Here’s something I’ve learned firsthand: No matter how someone looks or acts, you truly never know what’s happening in their lives.
Five years ago my husband Walter was dying from cancer. Twice during a thirteen-month period he was hospitalized, thirty minutes away from our home.
I spent about ten hours a day at the hospital, plus travel time during those long weeks. I was a wreck.
I don’t know what I looked like to the outside world. Inside, I felt impatient, angry, sad, out …
If this seems like deja vu, it’s not just you! I am republishing this blog post because there are only a few hours left to grab a “Be here now” shirt.
As you may remember, I shared a post a couple months back about my desire to start writing and producing inspiring short films, in partnership with my fiancé Ehren Prudhel.
It was just after the New Year, and I knew the time was finally right to revisit both of our childhood dreams.
Over the past couple of months we’ve been hard at work writing, connecting with crewmembers, and …
THANKS FOR GETTING IN TOUCH!
Like many of us, I spend hours every day responding to emails, so I’ve decided to change how I engage with my inbox to reclaim my time.
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If you’ve reached out with a potential partnership opportunity or an invitation to do an interview on your site or podcast, thank you for your consideration! I will review the information you provided and get in touch shortly if I’d like to learn more/get involved.
CONTRIBUTING TO THE BLOG
If you’d like to pitch a post for the blog, you can learn more here.
If you …
Since 2009, Tiny Buddha has published articles related to mindfulness, spirituality, and well-being, with a focus on practices like meditation and yoga.
Arguably, this site would not exist if not for the power of yoga. As I wrote in my first book, Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions, it was during my time volunteering at a New York yoga studio that I experienced profound growth and healing by connecting with both myself and other likeminded individuals.
Before that, I spent more than a decade struggling with low self-esteem, depression, and bulimia. I then spent several more …
“Out of difficulties grow miracles.” ~Jean dela Bruyere
The image in my mind is vivid, like an old photograph etched into my brain, where every facet is clearly discernible.
It was a frigid, blustery December night, right before my son’s seventh birthday. The heating unit had gone on the blitz, and the house was so freezing it seemed as though ice crystals would form on the inside of our windows.
Grabbing as many blankets as possible, I wanted to envelope my son with covers, hoping he would feel safe and warm in the cocoon. Time for bed, I reassured him …
*Update: This campaign has ended. Subscribe to Tiny Buddha for daily or weekly emails, and to learn about future shirt campaigns!”
Happy almost New Year, friends!
As you may remember, I originally launched a two-week shirt campaign, supporting the David Lynch Foundation, in November. Over 700 people ordered a shirt then, but many of you emailed asking me to relaunch the campaign, so I did! If you’d like to order a “Just Breathe” shirt, hoodie, or pullover, today is the last day to do so.
This time, a portion of the proceeds will go to the non-profit Project Happiness…
“Respond kindly to someone who is unkind to you.” ~Lori Deschene (from Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges, January 15)
Growing up with an alcoholic father, I was often on the receiving end of his anger. As a child, I didn’t realize his behavior was a reflection of how he felt inside and wasn’t about me at all.
I thought he was angry because I wasn’t good enough or I had done something wrong. I felt like if I could just be perfect enough, maybe he would love me. I tried and tried, but trying to be perfect didn’t …
Update: The winners for this giveaway are:
- Lyndsay G
- Beth Casey
- Marsha Lawrence
- Claudia Menger
- Teejayhanton
You can get a copy of Let It Go, Coloring and Activities to Awaken Your Mind and Relieve Stress on Amazon here.
When I was a kid, I could color for hours. I could be a little Type-A about it; if I went outside the lines, I would often rip out the page and throw it away, and I may even have yelled, “I hate coloring!” while cursing my imperfection.
But that was a lie—I loved it. So it was only a matter …
“I believe one of the greatest achievements in life is the choice to be empowered, not paralyzed, by a disappointment.” ~Lori Deschene
I was recently fired from my dream job, and this was devastating to me.
Anyone who has ever lost their livelihood should be able to relate to this experience. Vulnerability, shock, confusion, and anger dominated my feelings in the aftermath of suddenly losing a job that I loved.
What happened? My company created a fantastic referral program, and I saw a business opportunity to take advantage of it.
I reached out to multiple senior members of …
*Update: This campaign has ended. Subscribe to Tiny Buddha for daily or weekly emails, and to learn about future shirt campaigns!”
Hi friends! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Lori, the founder of Tiny Buddha.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been offering a limited edition “Just Breathe” shirt, and I’ve been excited to see the response from the community! The campaign ends this Sunday, so if you’d like to grab a shirt, this is your last opportunity to do so.
A portion of the proceeds will go to the David Lynch Foundation, a nonprofit that …
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. 