Page 226 – Tiny Buddha

Why I Now Appreciate Years of Pain and How Gratitude Healed My Life

TRIGGER WARNING: This post deals with an account of abuse and may be triggering to some people.

“Hope is faith’s impoverished sister, but it’s a start.” ~Maureen Barberio, Gettin’ Out of Bullytown

My life wasn’t always easy. It’s not always easy now, as a matter of fact. But there was a very long period where it was quite difficult and painful. It is sad how many of us can say that, isn’t it?

I grew up in a dysfunctional home with two sisters. My father was an alcoholic and was physically and verbally abusive. My mother, herself a victim of …

How to Be Whole on Your Own and How This Strengthens Your Relationships

By Linda Carroll in Blog, happiness & fun, love & relationships, mindfulness & peace

“Only through our connectedness to others can we really know and enhance the self. And only through working on the self can we begin to enhance our connectedness to others.” ~Harriet Lerner

Three decades ago, I married the man with whom I knew I would spend the rest of my life. We each had a rough childhood and had learned a lot about surviving, defending, and protecting ourselves. However, we did not know much about how to maintain a successful relationship.

We took numerous classes on communication, learned to fight fair, and filled our goodwill bank accounts with lots …

Self-Care Is Whatever Soothes Your Soul

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

What I’ve Learned from Life…

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

The Most Powerful Way to Help Someone Through Emotional Pain

By Tree Franklyn in Blog, change & challenges, love & relationships

“When you can’t look on the bright side, I will sit with you in the dark.” ~Unknown

I walked in for my monthly massage and immediately sensed something was off.

A layer of desolation hung in the air like an invisible mist, ominous and untouchable, yet so thick I felt as though I could reach out and grab a handful in my fist, like wet cement, oozing out between my fingers.

I’d been seeing the same masseuse once a month for three years, repeating the same routine each time. I wait in the hallway just outside her rented studio, a …

Never Forget How Far You’ve Come

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

The World You See Is Created by What You Focus On

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

10 Ways to Let Go of the Hustle and Surrender to the Flow

By Stacey Hagen in Blog, letting go

“You can’t control everything. Sometimes you just need to relax and have faith that things will work out. Let go a little and just let life happen.” ~Kody Keplinger

I have always been an overachiever: straight As, the top of my class; whatever I endeavored, I aimed to be the best at it. I strived through high school, college, graduate school, and in the corporate world.

My hard work came with awards, accolades, and the feeling of accomplishment. But it also came with burnout, exhaustion, and the feeling of never being good enough.

Once I achieved a goal, I …

I’m Replacing My “I’m Sorry’s” with “Thank You’s”

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Start Looking at People’s Hearts

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

What to Do When You Want to Feel Closer to Your Partner

By Hannah Brooks in Blog, love & relationships

“By letting our deep longing for love and connectedness be exposed…[we are] opening up the channel through which love can enter.” ~John Welwood

When we feel disconnected from our romantic partner what we often want most is to genuinely feel their love again, to feel connected. And yet, it can be so difficult to simply share that longing.

So instead of explaining or asking for what we want in a loving way, we complain about what is wrong, about how our partner isn’t showing up for us. Or we simply withdraw.

This is especially true for sensitive souls like …

Don’t Judge When You Don’t Know the Options They Had to Choose From

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Try Loving Yourself Instead

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

The Wisdom of Our Body: Slow Down and Tune In to Take Care of Yourself

By Chetna Mehta in Blog, healthy habits

“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies.” ~Friedrich Nietzche

Parked in a dimly lit garage in the middle of the city at around 7pm, I sat in the driver’s seat, seatbelt still on, texting two different male acquaintances who had expressed sexual interest in me.

“What are you up to tonight?” Waiting for a response back, I checked my phone every few minutes. The resounding emptiness in me that craved to be filled felt like it was growing deeper. After some time of getting immersed in social media, I receive a response back: an invitation …

Family Is Anyone Who Loves You Unconditionally

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

The Betrayal of Expectations: Coping When Life Doesn’t Go to Plan

By Teresa Shimogawa in Blog, change & challenges, letting go

“What will mess you up most in life is the picture in your head of how it is supposed to be.” ~Unknown

I expected to get into college. I expected to have a career after a lot of hard work, and that one day I’d meet a nice man and we would get married. We would buy our first house together and start a family, picking out a crib and the baby’s “going home” outfit and organizing a drawer full of diapers. We’d have more babies and go on vacations and grow old together.

I expected that one day I’d …