Page 175 – Tiny Buddha

Lessons from a Life Lost Too Soon: Don’t Let Your Inner Critic Destroy You

By Anita Kite in Blog, change & challenges, letting go

“What you tell yourself every day will lift you up or tear you down. Choose wisely.” ~Unknown

It was a story I just couldn’t get out of my head. A young teen had died in a town not far from where I live, a town where I used to live. I knew people who had kids who knew this girl.

I heard she was a swimmer, bright and popular. At first the talk was about how she’d died. I heard someone surmise that she was killed. Someone else said it was a horrible accident, and of course, there were murmurings …

Thank You for the Sunshine You Bring into My Life

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Creating Calm in the Chaos: How I Found My Peace in NYC

By Carolyn Brouillard in Blog, mindfulness & peace

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” ~Deepak Chopra

I found my peace in New York City, where I spent a year as a consultant on a temporary work assignment.

It may seem counter-intuitive that living in a city targeted by terrorists, clogged with traffic, and punctuated by sirens and honking horns could instill a kind of tranquility unattainable in Minnesota, where I currently live. After all, Minnesota is home to over 10,000 lakes, comforting casseroles of tater tots and cheese, and generations of Scandinavians who make Minnesota “nice.”

So, what is it about the …

Stop Waiting for Happiness

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Life Is Far Less Painful When We Drop the Story in Our Head

By Meredith Hooke in Blog, change & challenges, mindfulness & peace

“You will never be free until you free yourself from the prison of your own false thoughts.” ~Philip Arnold

Every meditator knows the dilemma of trying to find that perfectly quiet place to meditate, where silence is the golden rule and voices hush to a whisper.

Oh how perfect our meditation would be if only everyone would be quiet.

As wonderful as it sounds, we know it just doesn’t always work out that way.

And that’s what made this particular meditation experience so insightful. It gave me an opportunity to see how my judgmental thoughts can make life far more …

How Body-Obsession Made Me Sick and How I Got Better

By Vania Nikolova in Blog, healthy habits

“You are not a mistake. You are not a problem to be solved. But you won’t discover this until you are willing to stop banging your head against the wall of shaming and caging and fearing yourself.” ~Geneen Roth

I’ve spent so much time on the dieting hamster wheel that I am almost too ashamed to admit it. Throughout my teen years I went from one crash diet to the next. When this proved more than unfruitful and disappointing, I changed strategies.

The next twelve years I spent searching for the “right lifestyle” for me, which would allow me …

Maybe It’s a Good Thing Life Doesn’t Always Go Our Way

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Your Enthusiasm is Contagious, So Share Your Passion Loud and Proud

By Ben Fizell in Blog, happiness & fun

“Enthusiasm is the electricity of life.” ~Gordon Parks

Have you ever noticed how powerful enthusiasm is? It can be contagious.

If a friend or someone around us is enthusiastic there’s a certain energy or presence that shines from them that can be infectious. It doesn’t even matter what they’re enthusiastic about; if we’re in their presence, it’s easy to be lifted up by their energy.

I’ve always loved seeing people express their enthusiasm. It brings such an authentic quality of who they are through the things that excite them. The thing they’re excited about may seem insignificant to others, but …

I Am Pieces of All the Places I Have Been

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Invest in Yourself

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Why I’m Choosing to Be Happy Now, Not When I Feel Like a Success

By Will Aylward in Blog, happiness & fun

“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” ~Alan Watts

I love how instant modern life has become.

When I’m hungry, without really moving, I can instantly get food delivered to me. Pizza, of course. When I’m hungry for knowledge, at the touch of a button on my mobile, I can discover answers to the questions I’m pondering. No need to head to the library to search for and flick …

Grief Isn’t Something You Live Through, It’s Something You Live With

By Ellie Batchiyska in Blog, change & challenges, mindfulness & peace

“Obstacles do not block the path, they are the path.” ~Zen proverb

I thought the concept of a “cold sweat” was unreal and paradoxical until the evening of August 27, 2014. That was my first cold sweat. My first of a lot of things.

My heart jack-hammered in my chest.

I heard my pulse in my ears.

I gasped for air on my dorm room floor in New York, while my mom tried to calm me down on the other end of the phone in Los Angeles.

“It’s just a panic attack, sweetie. Just breathe deep.”

No, no, no, …

Today I Will Not Stress

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Go at Your Own Pace and Sing Your Own Song

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

I Would Just Like to Publicly Announce…

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Kids Don’t Remember What You Spent on Them

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Introducing Backpack Buddha: Meditation Tools and Spiritual Gifts

By Lori Deschene in Blog, mindfulness & peace

Hi friends! Since we’re well into December now, I imagine many of you may be either starting or rounding out your holiday shopping. If you’re not yet familiar with Backpack Buddha, I highly recommend checking them out!

What I love about Backpack Buddha is that they not only offer beautiful fair-trade, eco-friendly products, supporting craftsmen and women in Nepal, they also donate 10% of their profits to a number of worthy causes.

Started in 2015, they base their entire business model on good karma, and it shows in how they operate.

Below I’ve shared a number of their products, …

How Mindfulness Is Saving My Relationship

By Sandy Woznicki in Blog, love & relationships

“Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.” ~Jon Kabat-Zinn

I started meditating and practicing mindfulness more seriously several years ago incorporating it in to my daily routine, initially to help with my anxiety. My practice certainly helped me by leaps and bounds in overcoming my anxiety, but an unexpected side effect has been the impact it’s having on my marriage.

We’ve not been married long, and as many couples before us have experienced, getting accustomed to this new …