Page 263 – Tiny Buddha

Post-Traumatic Growth: How Pain Can Lead to Gain

By Paula Stephens in Blog, change & challenges

“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. When life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” ~Shauna Niequist

It’s been over five years since the unexpected death of my oldest son. The first couple years were fraught with depression, despair, and a sense of hopelessness like I had never felt before. I even kept a notebook in my purse outlining the plan for how I would ultimately end my life.

It wasn’t until this past year that I told my friends about how close I had been to the edge. After outing myself, I found out they …

There’s Purpose in Pain and a Gift in Every Loss

By Lynn Reilly in Blog, change & challenges

“There’s a bit of magic in everything and loss to even things out.” ~Lou Reed

Although I have spent years training myself to reverse my own anxiety, I have only left survival mode in the last couple of months, and am learning what that feels like and to be comfortable fully trusting that my children and I are taken care of.

I am at my goal of better than fine, but I’ve never been here before. And while I know my work is in the interim of where I’ll end up, I am learning to appreciate where I am in …

How to Get Closure When Your Ex Won’t Speak to You

By Carrie L. Burns in Blog, love & relationships

“If you are brave enough to say good-bye, life will reward you with a new hello.” ~Paul Coehlo

Why won’t they call? Can’t they just have the conversation? What’s wrong with them? What did I do to deserve this treatment? Did I mean nothing?

Have you asked yourself these questions at the end of a relationship? I know I have. Actually, I was asking myself these very questions about six months ago. What do you do at the end of a relationship when it doesn’t really feel over or you aren’t ready for it to be done?

First there …

It’s Hard to Be Happy When Someone’s Mean to You All the Time

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

We Can Have Peace

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Why I Won’t Tell You to Stop Caring About What Other People Think

By Johanna Schram in Blog, love & relationships

“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” ~Mark Twain

I almost didn’t dye the tips of my hair purple a couple years ago because I was so worried about what other people might think. While changing my hair color was something new for me, basing my decisions on other people’s opinions was not.

I tend to look to others for clues about how I should think and act. Sometimes this shows up in small things, like opinions about movies, music, or clothes. Even when asking big life questions, however, my first impulse is often to wonder what …

Are You Showing Up in the World as Your Best Self?

By Chrissy Gruninger in Blog, love & relationships, mindfulness & peace

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” ~Robert Kennedy

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to take a yoga class at San Quentin State Prison in Northern California.

I had visited the prison before, attending other classes, with inmates, on anger management and a class based on …

Let Go of Control

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Slow Down, Calm Down

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Breathe In. Breathe Out. Let it Be.

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

You Can Make a Brand New Ending

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

A Thought Is Harmless Unless We Believe It

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

How to Feel Good In Your Skin: 7 Powerful Lessons on Beauty

By Danijela Jokic Vaislay in Blog, happiness & fun, healthy habits

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” ~Proverb

I struggled with body image for years while I was living in Europe because I have a very fair complexion, oily skin, and thin hair.

During my childhood, people would look at me and comment on how pale I looked and ask my mother if I was anemic. Later on, as I was growing up, people who met me would ask if I was ill, or they would say that I look exhausted, tired, and weak.

It was most difficult during the summers, when there was always a social pressure …

The Best Gift We Can Give

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

You Can’t Change the People Around You

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Why We Shouldn’t Force Advice on People & What Actually Helps

By Jennifer Francis in Blog, love & relationships

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” ~Stephen R. Covey

This is a post about listening.

I know it’s really unsexy. It’s a topic that’s like the sun; nobody looks directly at it. But you want to create deep and lasting connections with others, and real changes for your loved ones, right?

Right. Stick with me.

Think about your typical day. How often do you listen in a conversation with others without being fully present?

Go on, be honest.

You find that you float in and out of awareness. Certain …

You Have Made the World a Better Place

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Fill Your Life with Experiences

By Lori Deschene in Fun & Inspiring

Why Insecurity & Approval-Seeking Lead to Unhealthy Relationships

By Lauren Impraim in Blog, love & relationships

“Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.” ~Robert Holden

As a child I was carefree and enthusiastic. Aren’t most kids? At some point, though, life began to impact me and to affect how I felt about myself.

For as long as I can remember, I was a chubby kid. I began using food as a means of coping, and my family didn’t seem to see it as an issue. Coming from an Italian family, food was correlated with love.

As I moved into my adolescent years, being chubby was no longer “cute,” and other …

7 Clues You’re in an Unhealthy Relationship

By Holly in Blog, love & relationships

“You don’t let go of an unhealthy relationship because you stop caring about them. You let go because you finally start caring about you.” ~Charles Orlando

Most of us have experienced the pain of being in an unhealthy relationship.

It took me a long time to admit that I was in one. When I finally took off the rose-tinted glasses, I saw my relationship for what it was: an exhausting, lonely experience, with no real long-term benefits, that sucked the life out of me.

I recognized that the relationship was causing me to feel worse about myself, not better, resulting …