Finding Joy in the Ruins of a Crushed Dream
“Life is a process of becoming. A combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” ~Anais Nin
Five months …
Category “meaning & passion”
Where We Place Our Attention
“The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Let's think for a second about emptiness. Why is a cup of tea useful? For its decorations? No—it's useful for its emptiness, for the space …
Baby Steps: A Simple Guide to Doing Something New
“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” ~Proverb
Two years ago, after hearing Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project, talk about setting up …
Be Happier with Your Life: 6 Ways to Let Jealousy Guide You
“Jealousy is the art of counting someone else's blessings instead of your own.” ~Unknown
My friend Kayla and I ran a student organization together at our graduate school. One day, we were sitting at the local café, talking about plans …
10 Happiness Tips for Busy People
“Life is what happens while you are making other plans.” ~John Lennon
I am someone who enjoys doing a lot of different things, and yet I don’t always enjoy being busy. Sometimes when my schedule gets full, I feel almost …
Discovering Happiness through Purpose in 3 Natural Steps
“The person who lives life fully, glowing with life's energy, is the person who lives a successful life.” ~Daisaku Ikeda
In everything we do, we seek happiness. Or at least what we think will bring happiness.
But this goal can …
5 Ways to Push Through Discomfort to Make Positive Change
“Don't let today's disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow's dreams.” ~Unknown
One of the most difficult parts of reaching your goals or making positive change is pushing through discomfort.
This is where a lot of people give up—when the process …
How Planting a Seed Can Change Your Life
“To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.” ~Unknown
There are certain events that can rock us to the core: starting a new job, moving across the country, ending a relationship. Within the past …
Pema Chodron Retreat Giveaway
Update: The winners have already been chosen for this giveaway. Subscribe to the Tiny Buddha List to learn about future contests!
Last week, I received an email from the marketing team at Shambhala Publications informing me about the upcoming “Smile-at-Fear” …
Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
“The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” ~Unknown
This is a phrase that had become a central theme in my life. One night, during one of my all too frequent bouts of …
16 Ways to Get Unstuck
“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don't belong.” ~Mandy Hale
We all get stuck: paralyzed about a decision, unsure what choice to make. Stuck in resentment or disappointment we can’t …
Childhood Dreams That Are Attainable Now
“A man is not old until regrets take the place of his dreams.” ~Proverb
Something beautiful just occurred to me.
I spend so much time stressing over my future adult achievements—a good career, a home for life, getting published, an …
Do, Adjust, Do: A Journey to Meaningful, Satisfying Work
“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 nine, and yet I had two jobs.
I started working just before I …
A Year of Tiny Buddha and a New Design!
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 …
The Magic of Making Mistakes: 3 Tips to Lead an Exciting Life
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” ~Elbert Hubbard
This year has been a massive change for me. I had enough of the lameness that was freezing my previous life. …
Approaching the Site’s 1-Year Anniversary (Giveaways!)
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.…
On Fearing Change: When It’s Time to Take a Leap of Faith
“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 …
Why It’s Hard to Trust Our Instincts and How to Start
“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” ~Benjamin Spock
I was talking to a friend of mine a couple weeks ago. I was telling her how I always know when it's time for me to move. She …
4 Life-Changing Lessons I’ve Learned from Running Tiny Buddha
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange 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 …
Writing Your Story: 5 Ways to Discover Your World
“The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.” ~Pema Chodron
This past year has been one of tremendous self-discovery. One day, I suddenly realized after nine years of a very straight finance-paved path that I …
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.