Relaxation

“If you think there’s something missing from your life, it’s probably you.” ~Robert Holden Most people would agree that thinking too much can cost you your peace, your happiness perhaps—but your life? Surely that’s a bit of an exaggeration. I’ll explain with a story. I remember taking my daughter to the park one day when

How often do you feel energized, grounded, and excited for the day when you finish your morning routine? And what is your morning routine? Are you one of those people who sleep as late as possible, pound some coffee and a processed breakfast, and then rush to get into work on time? (No judgment—I’ve been

My brother, Marc-Emile, sparkled brilliantly. At sixteen years old, he could expound on physics or Plato, calculus, or car mechanics, Stravinsky or Steppenwolf. At seventeen, he began reading the Great Books series, starting with Homer and Aeschylus and moving forward through the Greeks. I don’t know how many of those Great Books he read. He didn’t have that long.

“Don’t shoot what it looks like, shoot what it feels like.” ~David Alan Harvey Due to the current state of the world, I think it could benefit of us all to be more in the here and now, in the present, where it’s easier to find peace and calm. Or even to just be more

“I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.” ~Brené Brown I had just squeezed all my possessions into a jumbo-sized moving van and relocated to a teeny tiny apartment. I had landed a new job in a new city, and everything

“You don’t suffer because you have thoughts. You suffer because you judge them, resist them, believe them, wallow in them, or identify with them.” ~Unknown At one point in my life, I wondered, “Will things always be this way?” So rushed, with barely a moment to call my own. Current events swirling around, reflecting the

“Nothing in the world can bother you as much as your own mind, I tell you. In fact, others seem to be bothering you, but it is not others, it is your own mind.” ~Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Do you ever feel confused about what to do and unsure about how to find clarity? Maybe

Hi friends! I couldn’t be more excited to share that I’ve officially launched a Mindfulness Kit that includes a daily mindfulness practice guide and four aromatherapy-based products, as well as three free digital bonuses that expand on a few of the practices in the guide. Why This Kit—with Aromatherapy Products? Over the years I’ve written

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt I spent way too much of my life worrying about what other people were thinking of me. I couldn’t walk down the street without sucking in my gut for fear a stranger might have thought

“Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn’t know before you lived through it. Honor your path. Trust your journey. Learn, grow, evolve, become.” ~Creig Crippen When I was a child, my immediate reaction to most things was “I’m sorry.” Had to miss class because of a field trip for a different class? I’m sorry.

“The biggest lie we’re told is ‘Be with someone who makes you happy.’ The truth is, happiness is something you create on your own. Be with someone who adds to it.” ~Unknown That’s what we all strive for, right? Happiness, I mean. I used to think that happiness was about my external world. If things

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~Buddha This unprecedented time has given us an opportunity to pause, reflect, and focus on the things that are truly important in our lives. As an unexpected benefit, the need for social distancing has provided many of us with much

“You must first teach a child he is loved. Only then is he ready to learn everything else.” ~Amanda Morgan If I had a nickel for every parent who asked me, “So, if we do (…insert a strategy they have been given…), can we know for sure that he won’t have to deal with (…insert

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” ~Unknown My whole life has been filled with toxic and abusive relationships, starting with extreme physical and emotional abuse from my parents, right up to the last relationship that I left in 2013. Abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, and verbal—is all I’ve ever known. My entire

Dear estranged adult, What I want you to remember is that it was never really about you, although it might have felt like it at the time and it might feel that way now. When your parents told you over and over you weren’t good enough, that you would never amount to anything, they were

TRIGGER WARNING: This post mentions sexual abuse and may be triggering to some people. “Along the way I stopped into a coffee shop. All around me normal, everyday city types were going about their normal, everyday affairs…In spite of which—or, rather, all the more because— here I was, sitting in this coffee shop, drinking my

“Progress is impossible without change.” ~Walt Disney I want you to look in the mirror and tell me what you see. Do you look older? Does your skin have more wrinkles? Do you notice dark circles around your eyes or white hair on your head? You are looking at massive changes from a decade ago.

“And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth, ‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with a love like that. It lights up the sky.” ~Rumi I grew up believing love was conditional. My grandmother, as much as I adored her, was extremely controlling, and unless I met her high standards

“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” ~William James I’ll never forget the call. It was 1989 and, like most college students, I spent winter break in Florida looking for some sun. Stepping off the airplane and being greeted by a burst of warm air was the

“Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder.” ~Henry David Thoreau Most of us are always on the lookout for a big breakthrough—a point in our life where the

“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” ~ Hafiz of Shiraz When we think of illness, we don’t usually equate it with loneliness; however, there seems to be a huge connection between the two conditions. The fact is, when dealing with health

“What I’m looking for is not out there, it is in me.” ~Helen Keller I used to think that life should be easy, and if it wasn’t easy, then I was doing it wrong. I’m older and wiser now, and I’ve learned that if it is hard, that means I am probably doing something right.

“It’s not the events of our lives that shape us, but our beliefs as to what those events mean.” ~Tony Robbins BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The sound of my fiancé’s alarm went off at 5:00 in the morning. I had fallen asleep around 2am after scrolling for hours on Instagram and Pinterest. Frustrated, I rolled into

“You can’t stop negative thoughts from popping into your head, but you can choose to stop letting them control you and your life.” ~Lori Deschene Some of us are more prone to negative thoughts. They start out subtle and quiet, a small voice in the background of your life, until suddenly they’re shouting at you

“When solving problems, dig at the root instead of just hacking at the leaves.” ~Anthony J. D’Angelo This is an account of my experience using marijuana as a device to help my anxiety, why I’m glad I had it, and why I no longer need it. This story isn’t an advocation for or against smoking

“Recovering from PTSD is being fragile and strong at the same time. It’s a beautiful medley of constantly being broken down and pieced together. I am a painting almost done to completion, beautiful but not quite complete.” ~Kate J. Tate I never considered myself as a trauma survivor. I didn’t think I had something as

“Today be thankful and think how rich you are. Your family is priceless. Your health is wealth. Your time is gold.” ~Unknown The other day I read a science fiction story called “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury. It’s about Leopard Mead, a citizen of TV-centered society, who enjoys walking at night. The routine eventually lands

“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another—and ourselves.” ~Jack Kornfield The quality of our relationships has a massive impact on our levels of happiness and well-being. Nurturing our relationships requires time, attention, and effort. But it’s all too easy to become sidetracked and complacent,

Since you’re a Tiny Buddha reader, I know you’re someone who understands the importance of fostering wisdom and compassion. And I imagine you’re also interested in learning how you can help create a more peaceful world, with less suffering for all. The Dalai Lama has dedicated his life to guiding others, like a beacon of

“We can say what we need to say. We can gently, but assertively, speak our mind. We do not need to be judgmental, tactless, blaming, or cruel when we speak our thoughts.” ~Melody Beattie When I first learned about the concept of boundaries, I imagined how freeing it would feel to finally be able to