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Posts by Lori Deschene

Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others do the same. She recently created the Breaking Barriers to Self-Care eCourse to help people overcome internal blocks to meeting their needs—so they can feel their best, be their best, and live their best possible life. If you’re ready to start thriving instead of merely surviving, you can learn more and get instant access here.

Lori Deschene's Website

30 Ways to Be Kind: Simple Ways to Spread a Little Love

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Can you remember the last time someone was unexpectedly kind to you?

I’m guessing at least some of the people in your life are kind to you on a regular basis. Or at least I hope they are! But maybe their kindness feels commonplace because it’s made up of lots of little things that they do often… like asking if you want a cup of coffee when they’re getting their own, or saying, “I love you” in that rote way we do before hanging up the phone.

Small gestures like this are always valuable and worth appreciating and acknowledging. But …

Looking for a Meaningful Holiday Gift? These Stories Will Renew Your Faith in Humanity

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The holiday season can be joyful, stressful, difficult, or beautiful. It all depends on what you’re going through.

Regardless of your unique circumstances, I suspect you’ll feel a little lighter and brighter after reading ​HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time​.

This national bestseller brought tears to my eyes. With uplifting stories of hope and kindness, it’s an antidote to all the negativity in the media and the world, and proof that small acts of kindness can have a ripple effect and transform thousands of lives.

It’s also a gift to mentoring organization Big …

Available Now: Tiny Buddha Shirts and Posters

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Hi friends! Since I’ve received numerous requests to bring back the ​Tiny Buddha shirts​, I’ve decided to make them available again, right in time for the holiday season!

You can choose from six shirt designs, in multiple colors, in a T-shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt. Here are my favorites:

I’m planning to add a few new shirt designs next week, so stay tuned for an update then!

I’ve also added three (unframed) quote posters to the store.

To grab a shirt for yourself or a loved one, ​visit the store here​.

Please note these …

Feeling Pressured to Follow the Crowd and Become Someone You’re Not?

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In a world that pressures us to conform and toe the line, it can be hard to live a fulfilling, authentic life.

We can easily spend years trying to be someone or something we’re not—checking off all the right boxes, meeting everyone’s expectations—all in a bid to gain approval from society, our peers, our parents, and even ourselves.

But this comes at a steep cost to our well-being. Not only do we lose ourselves and slowly disconnect from everything that brings us joy and meaning, but we can also end up hating ourselves for struggling to measure up… when ironically, …

[Free Event] Collective Trauma Summit: Creating a Global Healing Movement

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Hi friends! As someone who’s passionate about growth and healing, I’m pleased to share that the FREE Collective Trauma Summit: Creating a Global Healing Movement is starting soon. Each year, over 100,000 people worldwide gather online to explore innovative ways to address current global traumas and unhealed cultural wounds.

From September 26 to October 4, the summit will feature 60+ expert sessions, panel discussions, live events, poetry readings, music, movement sessions, guided meditations, and more.

The summit features a powerful lineup of leading experts, practitioners, and thought leaders from diverse backgrounds, including psychologists, neuroscientists, human rights and social justice activists, …

How to Create a Vision Board That Actually Works (Free eCourse with Journal Purchase!)

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We all have goals for the future, many of them things that would dramatically improve our lives and the lives of the people we love.

Maybe you want to get healthy and fit so you can live a longer, more active life and be there for your kids for years to come. Maybe you want to pay off your debt so you can reduce your stress and increase your financial security. Or perhaps you want to launch a business so you can have more control over your schedule and make the impact you want to make in the world.

It’s …

Embrace a Moment of Space: 5 Easy Ways to Create a Daily Meditation Habit

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“Meditation is choosing not to engage in the drama of the mind but elevating the mind to its highest potential.” ~Amit Ray

If you’re reading this and you follow Tiny Buddha, chances are you’re already intrigued by meditation and perhaps even practicing it. But if you’re anything like me, you might find it hard to be consistent, given the demands of your busy life. Which means you don’t always reap the benefits you know a sustained practice can provide (reduced stress, better sleep, and less emotional reactivity, to name a few).

As a mom of two who works from home, …

Two Guided Resources to Help You Live a Fulfilled, Empowered Life

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For many of us, setting goals is easy. Bringing our visions to life is a lot more challenging. And since we inevitably encounter obstacles and self-doubt when we try to do anything new, it can be hard to stay focused, motivated, and confident in our potential and our dreams.

I remember back in my twenties, before I started Tiny Buddha, I set and abandoned goals countless times because I wasn’t clear on what would be meaningful for me personally. I just knew I felt behind in life and pressured to succeed, which made it hard to choose and stick to …

30 Reminders for Sensitive People Who Feel Drained, Ashamed, or Judged

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“Highly sensitive people are too often perceived as weaklings or damaged goods. To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate.”~Anthon St. Maarten

There are some words that get painfully etched into our memories as if with a red-hot poker. For me, growing up, those words were “you’re too sensitive.”

I often caught this phrase in the fumbling hands of my shame after someone chucked it at me with callousness and superiority as a means to justify their cruelty.

They may have said something vicious or condescending in private, or …

6 Things to Remember When You Feel Anxious in Your Relationships

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“Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.” ~Kahlil Gibran

Relationships have always been anxiety-inducing for me, and I know it stems from my childhood.

As a kid I would often silently mouth words I’d just said, hearing them in my mind and evaluating whether I’d said something stupid or wrong. I was always afraid of saying something that might make someone upset.

Junior high was a particularly rough time in my life. I was insecure and had low self-esteem, and I was desperate for approval from other kids, which made me …

9 Self-Guided Meditation Courses to Deepen Your Practice and Supercharge Your Spiritual Growth

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In a culture that teaches us we need to prove our worth through achievements, it can be challenging to prioritize peace, well-being, and spiritual growth.

We’re bombarded by marketing messages that tell us we’ll be enough, if only we “buy this—do this—look like this,” making it difficult to simply relax in who we are and feel a sense of contentment in our lives. But there is a way out of this cycle of discontent, anxiety, and constant striving.

If you’re yearning to connect with life more deeply and feel a sense of greater peace and acceptance, I highly recommend developing …

7 Things You Need to Do If You Want to Enjoy Life More

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Do you ever feel like you’re just going through the motions? Like you’re adulting too hard, enjoying too little, and wondering why life isn’t more fun?

I think we all feel this way at times, and not just because we have busy lives and overwhelming responsibilities. We also have busy minds and overwhelming thoughts that keep us stressed, insecure and anxious. And we unintentionally sabotage our own happiness, thinking we need to make big changes to finally love our lives—or do something big to earn the right to enjoy it.

The tragedy is that months and years can go by …

Rediscover Your True Self with “Are You on the Right Track?”

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Do you ever feel like you’re just going through the motions in life, unsure of what your true purpose is? I know I’ve been there before, back in my twenties when I felt lost in the world, desperate to do something that mattered, and afraid I was wasting time.

I think these feelings are fairly common, but the good news is that you have the power within you to create a meaningful life. And Tiny Buddha contributor Antasha Durbin Solomon has just the tool to help you get there!

Introducing Are You on the Right Track?—a 101-day guided journal …

[Free Online Event] The Dalai Lama Global Vision Summit 2023

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Hi friends! I’m excited to share that the inspirational Dalai Lama Global Vision Summit 2023 starts next week.

This FREE event takes inspiration from the Dalai Lama’s vision, kindness, humility, and wisdom to explore how we can navigate our increasingly uncertain world with compassion and virtue.

If, like me, you’d like to help create a world with less pain and move love, this is a perfect opportunity to learn the skills and strategies you need make a positive difference.

Sign up today for free to access 20 expert presenters and join thousands of people around the world who share your …

8 Things Not to Say to Someone Who’s Struggling with Anxiety

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“Sometimes just being there is enough.” ~Unknown

It felt like I couldn’t breathe. Like someone was holding me by the neck, against a wall, and the floor might drop beneath us at any moment.

I’m describing a panic attack, but this has actually happened to me before—being held by the neck against a wall, that is, not the other part. Growing up I experienced many moments like that, moments when I felt unsafe, physically and emotionally.

There were countless experiences that reinforced to me, over the years, that I couldn’t let my guard down, because at any moment I …

A More Colorful Approach to Meditation—Creating Your Way to Peace

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Have you ever felt so absorbed in the moment that you lost track of all your worries?

For me, it’s often something creative that gets me into a peaceful state of flow—writing, painting, or scrapbooking, for example.

Creativity is often the gateway to inner calm, assuming you’re able to focus on the process instead of striving for perfection and judging your work. If you combine creativity with mindfulness and meditation, you can bypass the inner critic and tap into the magic of pure presence.

That’s the idea behind Master Peace Box: a monthly art subscription box that pairs with …

20 Powerful Quotes to Help You Deal with Difficult Relationships

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Relationships are never easy, especially relationships with family.

Some people seem to always push our buttons, making it hard not to react emotionally. Others trigger our deepest wounds, leaving us questioning our worth or sanity. And sometimes, without even realizing it, we’re the ones creating unnecessary conflict and drama.

We take things personally that aren’t really about us, assume the worst in people and act accordingly, and fight to be heard and understood while refusing to hear or understand the other person.

I know I’ve done all these things before, and I always wish later I’d responded more skillfully. With …

Two Exciting Updates (Including a FREE Life-Changing Event Next Week)

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Hi friends! I’m thrilled to share that Suzanne from Generation Mindful is hosting a FREE online event from January 2nd-4th—the Reparent Yourself Online Summit.

I’ve been a huge fan of Generation Mindful since I had my two sons. I only felt comfortable having children after discovering that it’s possible to parent without shame, pain, or fear—and that this is actually the key to raising confident, emotionally resilient children.

Since then, I’ve devoured everything I can find on positive parenting, and Generation Mindful has been a lifesaver during those challenging moments when I’m feeling emotionally triggered …

7 Books for Your Holiday Gift List (and Enter Win a Free MacBook Air)

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Hi friends! I imagine many of you, like me, are still finishing up your holiday shopping, and what better present to give someone than the gift of insight, peace, joy, and healing? The seven books below are some of my recent favorites, and I’m sure they’d be a wonderful addition to your loved ones’ libraries—or your own!

All for Love: The Transformative Power of Holding Space by Matt Kahn

It makes my heart so happy to see that Matt Kahn’s All for Love is a #1 bestseller because I truly believe the world would be a better place if we …

Hard Times eBook Sale: Buy One, Give One (This Weekend Only!)

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Most people find their way to Tiny Buddha for the same reason—they’re hurting and looking for relief.

Since you’re reading this post right now, I’m guessing that’s true for you too.

Maybe you’re dealing with loss, illness, a toxic relationship, or a major life change that’s been hard. Maybe you’re struggling with your mental health as you try to heal from a traumatic childhood or event. Or maybe the demands of everyday life have you feeling stressed, depressed, overwhelmed, and even a little hopeless.

Whatever you’re feeling, you’re not alone. Thousands of contributors have shared their stories over the years, …