10 to Zen
Source: Buddha Heart
Why Stress Is Good for You and How to Respond to It
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” ~Viktor Frankl
These days we can’t seem to get away from stress. We all feel it, and we all hate it. Even my sister’s two dogs are on a special diet for their stress-induced digestive issues, and I’m pretty sure they hate stress too.
Recently it hit me: Our relationship with stress is dysfunctional. No wonder we’re stuck in an anxiety-ridden existence!
Stress is Love
Stress has gotten a bad rep, but it …
Help Bring Tiny Buddha Productions to Life
When I was a little girl, I could watch movies for hours on end.
I would lie underneath my blanket fort and get lost in The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride, and The Goonies—movies that bring the hero on a fantastic adventure far beyond the restrictive world they know.
My life felt small and limited, and not always bright or easy. Movies gave me an escape from that, and a sense of freedom within the expansiveness of my imagination.
As I got older, I gravitated toward mysteries and psychological thrillers—such as Identity, Memento, and Black …
Set Yourself Free: 5 Things You Gain When You Forgive
“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~Catherine Ponder
Somewhere in the middle of my freshman year of college, my best friend from high school broke up with me. Out of nowhere, she just stopped talking to me. I tried relentlessly to reconnect, but she stopped responding and never gave me an answer why.
For years it was the most painful heartbreak I had going in my life. It’s still what I …
How to Respond to a Verbal Assault Without Losing Your Cool
“Often those that criticize others reveal what he himself lacks.” ~Shannon L. Adler
I answer the phone.
And then the yelling starts. The woman on the other end lets fly a barrage of abuse.
She’s angry and upset and she’s taking it out on me. Because I haven’t sent her a text message for two days.
She wants to know why I haven’t responded and what is wrong with me. She wants to know how I can be so mean.
I don’t understand. I thought I was giving her space during a difficult time. I was also dealing with events …
Healing Is a Journey, Not a Destination (and You’re Not Broken)
“Healing requires from us to stop struggling, but to enjoy life more and endure it less.” ~Darina Stoyanova
At the age of twenty-seven I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, chronic inflammation of the bladder that causes UTI like symptoms. I am now twenty-nine and still experiencing symptoms, but I have improved greatly.
I have spent that time searching for the answers to this medical enigma, for which doctors claim there is no cure. At first my research led me on a path of frustration and hopelessness, until I realized that my mindset was what was holding me back from healing.…
The Upside of Adversity: 6 Lessons from Thriving with Chronic Illness
“If you’re not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you’re determined to learn, no one can stop you.” ~Unknown
I vividly remember the day that I realized something was seriously wrong inside my body.
It was a Friday night. I was out with some friends after work when I suddenly started slurring my speech.
I’d been drinking soda water all evening.
I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I remember trying to stem the rising feeling of panic, to convince myself that everything was okay.
As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, noticing a …
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