“Appreciation is an excellent thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us, as well.” ~Voltaire
Halloween is the coming attractions preview of the holidays. Those little witches, ghosts, and goblins will soon morph into angels, wise men, and reindeer, and the candy you gave in October will give way to more expensive gift-giving in December.
While the old proverb tells us it is better to give than receive, countless people bemoan the absence of grateful receivers. Thank you letters seem to be a relic of the past and expressions of gratitude are often drowned out in a …
“You can’t be envious and happy at the same time.” ~Frank Tyger
When you’re fixated on everything someone else has that you lack, it’s near impossible to notice and appreciate everything that’s working in your favor. There’s always something, even if you’re not where you’d like to be professionally, romantically, socially, or personally.
You’ll get there–that doesn’t change that now is a perfect time to be happy.
Envy is a disease of resentful dissatisfaction. Gratitude is not only the antidote–it’s also a choice to accept and enjoy your world as it is.
Photo by D Sharon Pruitt
“Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” ~Buddha
Thank you for this food we are about to eat.
Many of us grew up with families who began each meal with a blessing. These prayers followed people from generation to generation like an affectionate family member showing up when everyone sat down at the dinner table.
These days, this honoring ritual is largely absent as we pick up food in a bag at a drive-through window, eat from cartons taken directly from the refrigerator without bothering to put the food on a plate or …
“The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.” ~C.C. Scott
A blueberry muffin, that’s the last thing we spoke about before she went under.
I didn’t know it then, but it was to be the final conversation my (middle) daughter and I would have for a very long time. I was trying to distract Nava by talking about food; in this case, the promise of the rest of her muffin when she came back from the bronchoscopy.
We were thrown a steep curve ball out of left field when Nava went for an exploratory procedure and …
“The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.” ~Pema Chodron
Today, I hopped in the company van for a trip I make once a week with one of two primary clients. In the mental health division of my company, driving is a requirement. Most of the clients don’t drive, and they need coordinated transportation to and from their appointments and leisure activities.
This particular woman goes to visit her husband weekly because she hopes to live with him when recovering from her mental health diagnosis. I’ve been taking her on this trip for several months now, and it’s …
“What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” ~Buddha
A teacher of mine once said, “Don’t show up as the person you think you are. Show up as the person you want to be.”
A powerful statement, but I didn’t know who I wanted to be. Even if I did, I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.
I knew who I didn’t want to be: self-critical, self-conscious, and always focusing on my shortcomings. I wanted to learn how to get out of my own way.
For a long time, I …
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love.” ~Rumi
I have been working on Tiny Buddha for over two years, and yet I’ve rarely written about my experiences running it.
I haven’t told you anything about my own challenges, opportunities, and lessons in maintaining the site, and it occurred to me today that that might be valuable information.
You probably have a Tiny Buddha in your own life—something you created that you’re absolutely in love with. Or maybe you haven’t found it yet, but you want to build something that drives you like nothing …
“Change is the only constant.” ~Heraclitus
Life can be a constant barrage of new and exciting experiences. Still, even the most savvy and confident of us can get thrown off balance during the unexpected changes life throws our way.
My husband’s job means that we move—a lot. I dislike moving, but every time there is an opportunity to move through the pain and find a new sense of peace.
There is nothing I could do, short of leaving my husband, to change that we move often. But I love him, and almost all other elements of our lives …
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to leave the world a better place; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
My father is my hero, and one of the most successful men in the world.
When I was a kid he worked two full-time blue-collar jobs to support me and my siblings. He didn’t have a college degree—he attended briefly on a golf scholarship and then got hurt—but he compensated with hard work.
Though many people …
“To change the world we need to combine ancient wisdom with new technologies.” ~Paulo Cohelo
This weekend I was honored and grateful to speak at Wisdom 2.0, a conference that addressed the question:
How can we use the technologies of our age, from cell phones to social media, with mindfulness, meaning, and wisdom?
Organizer Soren Gordhamer, author of Wisdom 2.0: Ancient Secrets for the Creative and Constantly Connected, created nothing short of magic by attracting participants from all sides of the conversation, from Twitter and Facebook to Yoga Journal and Samovar Tea.
If you’ve ever sat in a room …
1. Is this a site about Buddhism?
Yes and no. The blog focuses heavily on Buddhist themes, such as kindness, compassion, mindfulness, selflessness, and non-attachment. However, you’ll also find posts about living out loud, finding your purpose, and pursuing your dreams. Tiny Buddha is a little bit Buddhism, but also a lot of wisdom from all religions, traditions, and cultures.
2. Who runs Tiny Buddha?
My name is Lori Deschene. I am the founder and site editor, and author of the books:
…
“To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is: a dissatisfaction with self.” ~Joan Didion
I like to think of myself as a realist. I realize it sounds good to recommend fighting envy with gratitude. As in, “Don’t dwell on what you don’t have—just count your blessings!”
I recognize that this is a wise suggestion and that we’d all be happy if we could just focus of the abundance in front of us.
But I also realize this isn’t a complete solution.
We’re wired for look for two things in life:
- Solutions to problems—physically, emotionally, spiritually, and professionally
…
“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I will tell you, I came to live out LOUD.” ~Émile Zola
1. Live your life on purpose.
Not on “default.” Be Proactive. Make conscious and deliberate choices. When you don’t choose, circumstances choose for you and you are never leading: you are following or catching up—or worse, living in “default” mode.
2. Utilize your full potential.
Give what you’re doing your best and fullest attention. Be here now. Even if you’re not where you want to be, giving it half your effort doesn’t move you forward. Master …
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” ~Buddha
You experience and create all kinds of different energies that affect how you feel and what you accomplish throughout your day. Some energies are powerful and easily recognizable, while others are more subtle and often only intuitively felt. I believe it is fair to say that everything is, in a sense, energy.
The things you say, the things you think, the things you do—even the things you don’t do—all produce energy that impacts you and the people around …
“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” ~John Allen Paulos
I used to love uncertainty. I wandered my way all around this country with little more than a suitcase and a journal. Committing to anything felt limiting, suffocating even.
One day I realized it wasn’t enlightenment that pushed me to embrace the unknown; it was a paralyzing fear of creating something certain. You can’t disappoint people when you don’t form relationships with them, and you can’t fail when you never start.
One day I decided to do the scariest …
“It’s really important to be able to receive love and receive compassion. It is as important as being able to give it.” ~Pema Chodron
Yesterday morning two of the correspondents on the news in Boston (where I’m home for the holidays) had an interesting conversation about the classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
One of them said he’s not a big fan of the movie, which instilled a sense of complete outrage in me.
How dare he take George Bailey’s name in vain! It’s such an inspirational film! From saving Harry’s life to finding Zuzu’s petals, every scene gets my …
“Instead of complaining the rose bush is full of thorns, be happy the thorn bush has roses.”~Proverb
Complaining can be a bonding experience.
You meet up with your friends after work and immediately start rehashing frustrations with your boss. You have dinner with your siblings and commiserate about confrontations with your black-sheep uncle. Or you release tension on a blind date by noticing the wait staff’s shortcomings.
Commiserating is a great way to immediately establish rapport. In that moment you feel connected—you both have grievances, problems, and wishes for a better world.
It’s even easier to do in a challenging …
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~Voltaire
There are a lot of impressive people in the world. Some innovate and invent things that help masses of people. Some use art to tell powerful stories that move viewers to action.
Others make the world a better place by being helpful within their own sphere of influence, however small or large it may be.
Those little things define people.
The way your neighbor asks how you’re doing and really listens for the answer. How your coworker supports your ideas and gives …
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. 