Feeling Misunderstood or Ignored
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Hi friends!
Over the years I’ve received countless emails from people asking for advice to help them start a heart-led business, as I’ve done with Tiny Buddha. Many of you have expressed frustration with your jobs—the constant grind, the low pay; for some, a toxic work culture—and a desire to do something more fulfilling with your time.
I get it. I’m someone who needs to feel a sense of purpose with my work, and I never felt I was made for a 9-5; I’ve always wanted …
Why You Should Stop Looking for Your Purpose and What to Do Instead
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ~Pablo Picasso
Twenty years is a long time when you know you’re meant to be doing something, but you don’t quite know what it is or how to go about doing it.
To cut a two-decade story very short, I found the seeds of my purpose when volunteering in a hospital playroom with pediatric cancer patients in Romania one summer when I was twenty years old. And, though I have made many an attempt over the years, I am only now beginning …
Overcoming Negative Thoughts: A Little Awareness Can Go a Long Way
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” ~Marcus Aurelius
Every time I get back up from my lowest point, it seems as if negative thoughts will drag me down all over again.
Whether it’s the fear of actually being happy only to be sad once again or the self-doubt and self-judgment that pop up when things are going well and I’m healthy, negative thoughts seem to win every single time.
A while ago, I spent a few weeks battling constant negative thoughts about not being good enough, no matter how much I …
If You’re Afraid to Ask for Help Because You Don’t Trust People
“Ask for help. Not because you are weak. But because you want to remain strong.” ~Les Brown
I sat in the doctor’s office, waiting—linen gown hanging off me, half exposed—while going through the checklist in my mind of what I needed help with. I felt my breathing go shallow as I mentally sorted through the aches and pains I couldn’t seem to control.
Fierce independence and learning to not rely on others are two of the side effects of my particular trauma wounds, stemming from early childhood neglect and abandonment. During times of heightened stress, my default state is …
How I Stopped Feeling Sorry for Myself and Shifted from Victim to Survivor
“When we deny our stories, they define us. When we own our stories, we get to write a brave new ending.” ~Brené Brown
There was a time when I felt really sorry for myself. I had good reason to be. My life had been grim. There had been so much tragedy in my life from a young age. I had lost all my grandparents young, lived in a home with alcoholism and domestic abuse, and to top it all off, my dad killed himself.
I could write you a long list of how life did me wrong. I threw myself …
Feeling Burnt Out? How to Slow Down and Reclaim Your Peace
“Burnout is a sign that something needs to change.” ~Sarah Forgrave
Fifteen years ago, my doctor informed me I was in the early stages of adrenal exhaustion. In no uncertain terms, she warned that if I failed to address the stress I was under, my adrenals might not recover. This was hard to hear, but it forced me to face the fact that eating well, exercising religiously, and keeping up with the latest research on wellness was not enough.
I had to ask myself a defining question that day: Am I ready to go down with the ship?
At the …
Searching for Purpose? 5 Ways to Embrace Not Knowing What You Want
“Omnipotence is not knowing how everything is done; it’s just doing it.” ~Alan Watts
We sometimes hear of remarkable people who just knew what they wanted to become from a young age. I, however, was not one of them.
When I was about eight years old, I told my cousin that I wanted to become a scientist. Looking back, I find that pronouncement baffling since I wasn’t particularly interested in science at the time. What I did love doing, though, was making art.
My interest in art eventually led me to study graphic design. I thought that design would be …
3 Things I Realized When I Stopped People-Pleasing and Let Myself Receive
“Until we can receive with an open heart, we are never really giving with an open heart.” ~Brene Brown
The honest truth about needing to please is that we do it to make other people happy. We will sacrifice everything and anything to put a smile on another’s face and lighten their load, while ours keeps building.
The only problem is that while helping others makes us feel good, it’s almost addictive until we are burnt out. And giving and pleasing others starts to come from a place of resentment.
I’ve been there!
There was a time when I used …
How I’m Coping with Grief by Finding Meaning in My Father’s Death
“Life has to end, love doesn’t.” ~Mitch Albom
Before we dive into the dark subject of death, let me assure you, this is a happy read. It is not about how losing a loved one is a blessing but how it can be a catalyst to you unlocking big lessons in your life.
Or maybe it is—you decide.
To me, this is just about a perspective, a coping mechanism, and a process that I am personally employing to get over the loss of a loved one.
My dad and I were best buds till I became a teenager. Then my …
20 Inspiring Acts of Kindness and Giveaway Winners for HumanKind
Last week I ran a giveaway for Brad Aronson’s HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time—a heartwarming book that highlights ordinary people doing extraordinary things and offers practical tips for everyday kindness.
I had ten books to give away—four for the blog, three for Facebook, and three for Instagram—and I invited you all to share an act of kindness you’d recently received or witnessed for a chance to win. The four blog winners, chosen at random, are:
Please email me at email (at) tinybuddha.com so I can get a book …
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. 