Page 2 – Tiny Buddha

When Being Helpful Hurts: A Guide to Better Boundaries When You’re Feeling Drained

“You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop, and what you reinforce.” ~Tony Gaskins

It was a Tuesday afternoon when I said the word that saved my sanity: “No.”

Just two letters. But the weight I’d been carrying for twenty-eight years finally lifted.

My phone was ringing. Again. It was my cousin, and I already knew what she wanted before I answered. Could I watch her kids this Saturday? I know it’s your only day off, but it would really help me out.

I sat in my car in the grocery store parking lot, …

Love Is in the Middle Things

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

When There’s Nothing Else You Can Do

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Hand It Over to Your Heart for a While

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

You Can Move Slowly or Choose Stillness

By tinybuddha in Fun & Inspiring

How to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed by Other People’s Strong Emotions

By Diana Bird in Blog, love & relationships

“It is not your responsibility to figure out what someone else is feeling and why. Let go of the illusion that ‘fixing’ their bad mood will make you feel better.” ~Sarah Crosby

Some years ago, I was talking to my husband on the phone. He sounded annoyed about something to do with his work, but I noticed an intense emotional reaction in myself. Immediately, my heart contracted and my stomach lurched. I could feel a runaway train of emotions activate within me.

My whole body was awash with nausea, and I felt so very uncomfortable.

This was a familiar and …

The Hidden Cost of Trusting the Universe More Than Yourself

By Christina Lane in Blog

“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” —Rumi

The last days of the year felt like the right time to let go. I stood in my backyard with twenty-five years of journals—thick notebooks filled with prayers, confessions, and late-night spirals—ready to release them to the flames.

I wasn’t being dramatic. I was being deliberate. I stopped daily journaling several years ago.

For years, I’d used these journals as a kind of inner courtroom, constantly building a case against myself or others. Every page held evidence of failures, proof of my profoundly …

An Ordinary Day

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

How Exhausting It Can be to Operate with Integrity

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Trust Future You

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

How Deeply You’re Loved

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

The Mind Wants Something to Do

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Letting Go of the “Good Person” Identity and Spiritual Expectations

By Paul Wong in Blog

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ~Lao Tzu

For many years, I was deeply involved in spiritual communities—satsangs, meditation centers, ashrams, and groups focused on positivity, service, and personal growth. These places gave me comfort, community, and a sense of purpose. But they also shaped something inside me that I didn’t fully recognize until much later:

I had built my self-worth around being a “good person.”

On the surface, it sounds harmless. Who doesn’t want to be good, kind, and helpful? But looking back, I see how the pressure I put …

Maybe You’re Not Just Physically Exhausted

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Staying Present in a Life That Isn’t What You Expected

By Tony Collins in Blog

“To live without arriving is to learn how to stay.” ~attributed to the Buddha

For most of my life, I assumed that arriving was the point. Like many people, I believed adulthood would eventually deliver a clear role, a measure of security, and a sense of belonging I could point to and say, This is it. This is who I am. I trusted that if I worked honestly, followed what mattered, and stayed true to my values, that moment would come.

Now, much later, I’m facing the possibility that it never will.

I know I’m not alone in this, even …

There’s A Lot of Beauty Out of Here

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Maybe You Just Need to Slow Down

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

When Love Feels Like Pain: Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

By Melany Essentials in Blog

“Sometimes the person you love the most is the one who teaches you the hardest lesson about yourself.” ~Unknown

I once thought that being in a relationship meant sacrificing parts of myself for the sake of “love.”

I stayed when I should have left.

I forgave when I hadn’t healed.

I silenced myself when I needed to speak. I gave up my voice, my boundaries, and my sense of emotional safety. I stopped expressing my needs to avoid conflict. I minimized my feelings so I wouldn’t be “too much.” I slowly disconnected from the parts of me that felt confident, …