One Day at a Time
What You Need to Know Before You Start or Quit Meditating
“Many paths lead from the foot of the mountain, but at the peak we all gaze at the single bright moon.” ~Ikkyu
I was the kid who didn’t like to sleep. In nursery school, I would pretend to be asleep at nap time, while the other kids were sleeping. I’ve always thought life was full of exciting things to explore and learn, and I didn’t want to sleep through it.
So, it shouldn’t surprise you that traditional meditation didn’t sit well with me (pun intended). I remember my Buddhist grandmother chanting and meditating twice a day. Yet I never had …
Why I Appreciate Simple Things in Life After The Coronavirus
“It’s not a bad idea to occasionally spend a little time thinking about things you take for granted. Plain everyday things.” ~Evan Davis
Let me go back in time. Not too long, but only six months ago when the virus outbreak hadn’t occurred yet. I was cursing the traffic, complaining the beer in a bar was not chilled enough, and hating that the supermarket next to my house did not have my favorite deodorant.
Soon after, due to the global pandemic, my country was under lockdown like many others. When I was indoors, I realized how beautiful and blessed …
How to Avoid a Soul-Crushing Life Crisis
“Sometimes it takes an overwhelming breakdown to have an unbelievable breakthrough.” ~Unknown
I had hit rock bottom.
Now that means different things to different people, so let me explain what my rock bottom meant.
I’ll start with my physical health. I was underweight, about twenty-five pounds. My face looked gaunt and scrawny.
I was hypertensive, even though I was eating a healthy diet. I also had severe eczema. The itching was so bad that I woke up in the middle of the night with my legs covered in blood from the scratching.
The only thing that helped make the …
Why Joy Is Important for Healing Developmental Trauma
“We all have everything we need within us to create our fullest potential.” ~Abraham Maslow
Did you grow up with a critical, distant, or ignorant mother?
She probably made sure that your physical needs were covered, but she never noticed or understood your emotional needs. If she was anything like my mum, she may even have shamed you for having them!
You’re an adult now, and you have everything you need to be happy. So why aren’t you? Instead, you feel unworthy, disconnected, and lonely even when you’re with people you love. There’s this constant emptiness inside that makes …
What I’ve Learned Since My Years Feeling Stuck and Unlovable
This writing is in memory of my father, who—without knowing it—helped make me the man I am today.
When I was a young boy, my father seemed bigger than life, like most fathers seem to young sons. I looked at him in the same way that I imagine my son Jeremiah looked at me at that age—like a superhero, a towering giant who could fix anything, do anything, and make anything seem better than it was. We see what we want to see, until we don’t.
Life took him away from me very early in my life, so we never …
Giveaway: Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal – A Tool to Calm Your Mind
THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!
Thank you, everyone, for opening your hearts and sharing a piece of yourself and your journey. I am amazed and inspired by all of you, and so grateful that you shared your strength and your stories here.
I wish you all peace, joy, and so much love!
The winners are:
Please send your address to email@tinybuddha.com so I can send you a copy of the Worry Journal!
—
Though life has become a lot less busy for many these days, I suspect a lot of us have incredibly busy …
What It Means to Love: 9 Steps to a Strong Relationship
“Be there. Be open. Be honest. Be kind. Be willing to listen, understand, accept, support, and forgive. This is what it means to love.” ~Lori Deschene
They say your heart pounds when you’re in love.
But the very idea of opening up and letting love in can bring on the wrong kind of palpitations.
Saying yes to love… that’s like standing naked, bare naked, every inch of you on show.
Completely vulnerable.
Or so I thought.
My Impregnable Force Field
“Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.” ~Bertrand Russell…
A Buddhist Chaplain Shares How to Cope with the Pandemic
EDITOR’S NOTE: You can find a number of helpful coronavirus resources and all related Tiny Buddha articles here.
When I decided over two years ago to become a Buddhist Chaplain, I could’ve never dreamed that I would be experiencing our current pandemic crisis.
I chose to become a Buddhist Chaplain after I lost my son in 2010. The experience of losing a child forever changed how I related to the world and how I relate to grief, suffering, and compassion.
One of the most profound lessons I learned about grief is that it doesn’t have to follow 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. 