Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She’s also the author of Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal, Tiny Buddha's Worry Journal, and Tiny Buddha's Inner Strength Journal and co-founder of Recreate Your Life Story, an online course that helps you let go of the past and live a life you love. For daily wisdom, join the Tiny Buddha list here. You can also follow Tiny Buddha on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” -Mahatma Gandhi
When I was twenty-one years old, I starved myself to ninety-five pounds and then spent every ounce of my energy worrying about the potential to …
“Love is saying, ‘I feel differently’ instead of ‘you’re wrong.'” -Unknown
I’ve written a lot of posts about compassion these past few years, challenging both myself and readers to be open-minded and see things from others’ points of view.
On …
“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.” -Francois Gautier
Last week, I wrote a post about making difficult decisions, which incorporated 30 ideas from the Tiny Buddha Facebook community. The experience of writing …
“We must remember that an apology isn’t an apology unless it’s meaningful.” -Unknown
An old friend of mine used to apologize almost once during every sentence. If she interrupted me, she apologized. If I interrupted her, she apologized. If she …
“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” ~Flora Whittemore
I have been running this website for almost two years. A few months back, I met a goal I set for myself: I eliminated most …
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha
When I first moved to San Francisco, the only friend I knew there …
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” ~Unknown
Recently, I’ve been listening to a guided healing meditation I found online. I searched for it because I sensed something was wrong with my body, a couple weeks before a doctor confirmed it.…
“If you’re going to doubt something, doubt your own limits.” -Don Ward
There’s a Saturday Night Live sketch that features Kenan Thompson as a middle school student with a broken knee. Scarlett Johansson and his other classmates repeatedly convince him …
“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.” ~Buddha
Every now and then, someone writes to me to inform …
“If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right.” -Bob Basso
Yesterday as I was searching for fun videos to lift my spirits, I found “The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun.” It’s from 2010 and a little long, at just …
“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” -Kimberly Howard
Yesterday I wrote about realizing that we don’t need to justify our feelings–but there is another side to that coin: we need to realize that having difficult feelings does not …
“What other people think of me is none of my business.” -Wayne Dyer
You’re visibly anxious before a performance evaluation, but you don’t want your coworker to think you’re neurotic—so you tell her about everything that’s riding on this promotion.…
“Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.” -Goethe
This weekend, I attended the Wanderlust Yoga & Music Festival where I gave a presentation on Saturday afternoon. That evening, my friend and I went to the Girl Talk concert. …
“When you judge another, you do not define them. You define yourself.” -Wayne Dyer
The other day, I reached out to someone I admire, and felt disappointed by the experience. I perceived her response to be somewhat curt and even …
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” -Dr. Seuss
The other night, I saw Jersey Boys, the play that chronicles Frankie Valli’s rise to fame with the band The Four Seasons. I wasn’t previously familiar with the …
“When you live on a round planet, there’s no choosing sides.” -Wayne Dyer
I’ve read a lot of articles about achieving your dreams and creating the life you want. There is a common message that always creates a disconnect in …
“If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone.” -Maxwell Maltz
I’ve written a lot about letting other people in. As a recovering loner, this has been a huge issue in my life, but everything is about balance. …
“Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.” -Henry David Thoreau
An old friend of mine used to say she hated when people pushed their causes on her. She saw this as pestering and judgment–that she somehow …
“An honest answer is the sign of true friendship.” -Proverb
Have you ever had a lengthy conversation with someone without acknowledging a single thing you were really thinking or feeling?
Maybe someone asked, “How are you?” And, instinctively, you said, …
“Patience is passion tamed.” -Lyman Abbott
Running a site about wisdom can be an exercise in massive irony when you don’t feel like applying what you’ve learned. For me, this is most relevant when it comes to patience.
For the …
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.
