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 the upcoming 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.
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~Melody Beattie
There’s very little that upsets me like feeling stuck and out of control. That’s exactly how I felt at the beginning of …
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ~Lao Tzu
A little over a decade ago I thought I was going to marry my college sweetheart and become a young bride, which made …
“Identify one supportive phrase you wish you heard more growing up. Every time you pass by a mirror today, look at yourself and say that.” ~from Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges
When I was a kid, an authority figure …
Update: The winners for this giveaway have been chosen. They are:
When I first found what looked like a self-help book called The End of Self-Help, I thought it was …
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
It’s not about you. It’s about them. It’s their loss. Don’t take it personally. It doesn’t mean anything.
Well-intentioned people have told me these things many times to …
“It’s not your job to like me. It’s mine.” ~Byron Katie
I’m short. I’m stumpy. My nose looks like a pig’s. My inner thighs touch when I walk. My gums show too much when I talk. I have to change …
I started working in the food industry when I was just twelve years old.
I couldn’t drive, stay out past 11:00pm, or do algebra, but I could easily fill a bag with bagels at a business owned by a close …
”Be kind to unkind people. They need it the most.” ~Unknown
A couple weeks back I had what Alexander would call a no good, terrible, very bad day.
I’d slept poorly the night before—possibly because I had caffeine, which I …
“Maybe it’s not about the happy ending. Maybe it’s about the story.” ~Unknown
Growing up, I often pretended my life was a movie, and created quite a few awkward situations by trying to force real life to look like a …
Update: The winners for this giveaway are Galit Erez and Granny Nate.
I’ve often wondered if I suppressed my tears when I was born, in fear of upsetting the doctor and my parents.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn …
Update: The winners for this giveaway are Divya Rangi and Sand.
Growing up in a loud Italian family, I learned early on to scream and speak fast if I wanted to be heard. Neither of these things is conducive to …
Update: The winners for this giveaway have been chosen. They are: Julie C. Perry and GoBubbles1.
Growing up, we learn innumerable things about how the world works and how we’re supposed to fit within it, but not all of …
Update: The winners for this giveaway have been chosen:
You’re too sensitive. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. Why are you letting that bother you? Why can’t you just let it go? Really, you’re …
“If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.” ~Ajahn Chah
Growing up, I often felt emotionally overwhelmed, causing others to call me “too …
Note: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen:
As a kid, I often played movies in mind when I was trying to fall asleep.
I’d start from the opening scene, as if I’d popped a …
When your mind is scattered, your head full of worries, and your heart full of fears and doubts, the world is a stressful, sometimes terrifying place.
When you take time to clear your mental space, suddenly everything feels easier. Without …
Have you ever noticed that unhealthy food is a lot cheaper and easier to get than healthy food? You can zip through a drive thru and get an entire meal off the dollar menu without losing more than five minutes …
Update: The winners for this giveaway are:
I have a confession to make—I sometimes cringe when someone tells me to “just be positive.” I’ve often assumed this really means, “Your sadness is making me uncomfortable, so please …
“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
Sometimes it seems to me that we are collectively obsessed …
“See the positive side, the potential, and make an effort.” ~Dalai Lama
I was a perfectionist growing up, always trying to bang my flawed round-shaped self into a perfect square hole that couldn’t possibly contain me.
In my early twenties, …
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.
