Everyone Should Believe in Something
How Releasing Expectations Takes the Pressure Off Relationships
“When you learn to accept instead of expect, you’ll have fewer disappointments.” ~Unknown
A few months back, I was having drinks with a friend from university for the first time in a while. I sat across from her, smiling and laughing, almost in awe that we were here—here, not as in at this particular restaurant patio, but here, as in, in this moment that felt so free and so light, unbound by who we used to be.
During our first couple years of university, we were best friends, always hanging out, living together, supporting each other, swapping secrets, and creating …
The Fascinating Reason We Fear Rejection and the Key to Acceptance
“Our job in this lifetime is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.” ~Steven Pressfield
“We need to talk to you.”
I looked up from my book. The other thirteen girls in my class had assembled around me.
Part of me was annoyed that they interrupted Indiana Jones’s latest adventure. But another part couldn’t shake the feeling that I was facing the sixth grade execution squad. My heart began to beat faster, my shoulders tensed, and sickening fear spread through my body.
“We don’t like …
Imagination Coloring Page from Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal
Hi everyone! This is my sixth week sharing coloring pages from the soon-to-be-released Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal (available for pre-order now). Previously, I shared:
- The nature coloring page
- The vacation coloring page
- The technology coloring page
- The animal coloring page
- The music coloring page
How would you answer the question in the middle?
I appreciate that my imagination allows me to visualize possibilities for the future, envision what it was like for those who lived in the past, imagine how it feels to walk in someone else’s shoes, and create things that hopefully touch others as much as the process …
Why You Feel Anxious In Relationships and How To Stop
“I was feeling insecure you might not love me anymore.” ~John Lennon
After doing years and years of self-esteem work, I thought I was fairly well adjusted and secure. I thought I was fairly confident, self-assured, and not at all needy. But all that changed when I got into my recent relationship.
My subtle thought pattern of fear, distrust, projection, and unhappiness started creeping in. Again? Seriously? I thought I was past all that.
As it turns out my attachment disorder runs much deeper than I thought it did. What about yours? I mentioned attachment theory in one of my …
Unreasonable Boss? 8 Ways to Honor Yourself in a Toxic Workplace
“Good bosses care about getting important things done. Exceptional bosses care about their people.” ~Jeff Haden
“I’ll need you to log your work down to the minute on this spreadsheet,” she said pointing to my computer where an elaborate timesheet was swallowing up my entire screen.
I looked up at her, confused—nope, more like utterly stunned. Was she for real? My body seemed to know before my mind that I’d just entered some sort of workplace twilight zone.
I had a sinking feeling in my gut, and it was sounding some sort of alarm deep in my chest, making my …
How to Calm Your Mind Without Sitting to Meditate
“Our way to practice is one step at a time, one breath at a time.” ~Shunryu Suzuki
Sitting meditation has always been challenging for me; practicing mindfulness, even harder.
As a self-confessed worrywart who has contended with constant ruminations, flashbacks, and nightmares for most of my life (more on this later), all prior attempts at being fully present and not thinking merely served as reminders of how little control I had over my mind. Then I took up hiking and stumbled upon a form of meditation that literally transformed my life.
Initially, just being out in nature on scenic trails …
Lost Everything? 8 Tips to Help You Get Back on Your Feet
“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” ~Robert H. Schuller
About two years ago, I was working in a professional career that I had been building for nearly twenty years.
I had been at my company for thirteen years, and had been generally commended and given positive reviews and regular bonuses and raises for most of that time.
I had just left a terrible and traumatic relationship, and due to two years of criticism, gaslighting, and conflict, was experiencing severe depression. I was on medication that made it hard for me to focus and which gave me anxiety …
Music Coloring Page from Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal
Hi everyone! This is my fifth week sharing coloring pages from the soon-to-be-released Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal (available for pre-order now). Previously, I shared:
- The nature coloring page
- The vacation coloring page
- The technology coloring page
- The animal coloring page
How would you answer the question in the middle?
It’s hard to narrow down my favorite music, as I imagine is true for most of us. But there are certain songs that are particularly meaningful to me because of the memories they evoke, including:
1. Wonderwall, by Oasis (which I played on repeat, with friends, for much of my sophomore …
Why Surrendering to Life is the Key to Positive Change
“Surrender to what is. Say ‘yes’ to life and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.” ~Eckhart Tolle
“Surrender” in current colloquial language equals failure. According to the Oxford Dictionary, without an object, surrender means to “stop resisting to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.” With an object, it gets even worse: “Give up or hand over (a person, right, or possession), typically on compulsion or demand.”
How then can surrender be the key to joy?
At age thirty, I was defeated by life. Down for the count. But, I did …
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. 