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Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Madison Sonnier

This month we’re celebrating the impending launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have chance to meet some of the book’s contributors through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is Madison Sonnier, who has overcome obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, and now strives to help others through her writing.

In her contribution for the book, she offers a few tips to believe in our worth and ourselves and find the right path for us.

A little more …

How Feeling My Pain Made Me Feel More Alive

“We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” ~Kenji Miyazawa

I used to run from pain.

My father died suddenly when I was six. For years I stuffed it down, never letting anyone know my emotions, how I was feeling, and I ran from situations that could cause me to lose, to feel pain.

My heart would jump and feel fear every time I received bad news or a “bad” email from a boss. I only wanted to feel good things. I stayed out of relationships for fear of the eventual loss and bad feelings, …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Hannah Braime

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is blogger and life coach Hannah Braime. Formerly self-destructive and dependent on external validation and achievement, she turned her life around by embracing authenticity and spending her time doing things that bring her whole-hearted joy.

In her contribution for the book, she explores why we so often find …

The Power of Failure: We Get to Decide What It Means

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” ~Elbert Hubbard

Why does this affect me so? What am I feeling? Sheer Anger! Total disgust with myself. Hatred and disappointment in my life stain my thoughts. Why? Because in my ego’s opinion, I should already be who I am meant to be, and I am not there! Not by a mile.

I feel so much disgust. My fears and resentment have grown into hatred and pain. I am at a loss for who I never became. Full of shame, I see that …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Cat Li Stevenson

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is Cat Li Stevenson, an avid meditator, a blogger for Think Simple Now, and a Sponsorship Coordinator for the Wisdom 2.0 Conference.

In her contribution for the book, she explores what it really means to take care of ourselves—not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

A little …

How to Release Anxiety and Feel Peaceful, Calm, and Free

“I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety in order to be light and free.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

For a long time I have struggled with episodes of anxiety. At times, I’ve gotten a feeling of crushing fear that occurs even in situations that most people consider to be safe.

The first episodes I remember were from my early childhood, when I was so frightened that I used to cry all the way from home to kindergarten because I didn’t want to go, although I apparently had no reason.

As I grew up I learned to hide …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Kayla Albert

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is Kayla Albert, a Social Media Specialist by day and a personal growth blogger by night.

In her contribution for the book, she shares her experiences with jealousy, along with a few tips to let it go and celebrate our own greatness.

A little more about Kayla…

1.

Wanting to Be Special: Would Fame and Fortune Make Us Happy?

“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.” ~Ann Landers

Until recently, the name “Tiny Buddha” didn’t make any sense to me for a website. Why “tiny”?  Yet, an experience I had recently helped me understand why it might make sense to put those two words together.

This experience even led me to ask two key questions that help me to let go of whatever I’m holding onto.

Swimming with “Sharks”

It all started …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Wendy Miyake

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is Wendy Miyake, a writer and teacher who blog at Momochan Conquers the World and strives to hold onto her inner child as long as she can.

In her contribution for the book, she shares her experiences in becoming more authentic, and how we can benefit from being genuine, …

Dare to be Different: Why It’s Okay to Break the Mold

“Criticism is something you can easily avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” ~Aristotle

Who am I? This is a question that haunts us all at some point, especially when the people around us are trying to constantly answer this question for us.

How do we remain true to ourselves in a world that is constantly trying to make us something else?

I can tell you that it isn’t easy.

I work as a full-time police officer in a busy department. In police work, everything is supposed to fit in its right place, and there is an …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Julia Manuel

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is Julia Manuel, a writer, strategic communications specialist, and assistant with a Baptiste-affiliated yoga studio.

Her contribution for the book explores how we can live authentically instead of playing roles.

A little more about Julia…

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your self-love journey.

My journey …

Seeing Beyond the Negative: It’s Better Than You Think

“Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power.” ~Shirley MacLaine

When I first started teaching, I was really ambitious. I took a line from the Pokemon theme song to heart, “I want to be the very best, like no one ever was!”

I had the dream, but the fortitude wasn’t quite there yet.

An early mistake I made was how I measured my success: class participation.

The concept isn’t bad in itself, but the problem was my idea of class participation. To me, it meant one, all eyes were focused to the front; two, students would be highly engaged …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Lucy H. Pearce

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is Lucy H.Pearce, who runs Dreaming Aloud.net, a blog about motherhood, creativity, and mindfulness; and The Happy Womb.com, a site offering empowering women’s resources.

Her contribution for the book focuses on ways to overcome perfectionism.

A little more about Lucy…

1. Tell us a little about yourself

How to Find the Motivation to Change Your Life When You Don’t Feel Capable or Worthy

“Eventually you will come to realize that love heals everything, and love is all there is.” ~Gary Zukav

Following a path of personal development isn’t easy. Oh, it’s rewarding and can be life changing, but it can also be confusing, challenging, and scary.

What if you take the wrong path? How do you know which piece of advice is right? Can you still get the results you desperately want, even if you go against some of the assumed wisdom?

One such piece of wisdom is that people should make changes in their lives and their behavior for themselves, not for …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Julie Hoyle

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is Julie Hoyle of True Alignment. Having experienced a profound spiritual awakening, she now teaches others to transform self-limiting beliefs, expand in consciousness, and access their innate gifts, skills, and talents.

Her contribution for the book explores how we can come home to ourselves by embracing our shadow …

The Gains in Our Losses: Growing Through the Pain

“In this world of change, nothing which comes stays, and nothing which goes is lost.”  ~ Anne Sophie Swetchine

I’ve always been a “cat guy.” This was long before my Buddhist friends told me stories of how cats are true earthly masters, here on earth to show us the way. Or, to demonstrate the meditative perfection of the feline purr. Or, how the life of a cat is seen in some traditions as reward for good karma.

When I lived in rural Nova Scotia, the house was blessed with two cats named Midge and Mooch—tabby mixes, who would come …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Emma Brooke

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is life coach Emma Brooke, a yogini with a passion for figuring out how people tick and using that to help them find space and clarity in their lives.

Her contribution for the book focuses on letting go of insecurities.

A little more about Emma…

1. Tell us

7 Ways to Cultivate a Deep Sense of Love for Yourself

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” ~Buddha

I have struggled with a lack of self-love for most of my life. I’ve experienced feelings of guilt and shame on a regular basis and have constantly sought the approval of others. My father committed suicide when I was fourteen years old, and that shaped my feelings about myself.

It completely rocked my world and everything that I thought I knew. It happened at such a vulnerable age. I was on the verge of beginning high school, just going into the teenage years, and …

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself Interview: Joanna Z. Weston

This month we’re celebrating the upcoming launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, a book about taming your inner critic that features 40 stories from Tiny Buddha contributors. 

Throughout September, you’ll have a chance to meet some of them through daily interviews here on the blog.

Today’s featured contributor is life coach Joanna Z. Weston, who formerly struggled with depression and now helps others find a way out.

Her contribution for the book urges us to celebrate how far we’ve come in life instead of focusing on everything we think we lack or should have done by …

5 Effective Guidelines for Fair Fighting in a Conflicted World

“The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.” ~Pema Chodron

It happened today. Two minutes after announcing I was on lunch my coworker failed to pick up a call, letting it roll to my line. I angrily picked up the receiver and hustled through the call as fast as I could.

As soon as the call ended, my coworker apologized, and in a voice that almost fooled me as well, I answered, “That’s okay!”

It wasn’t okay. It upset me. I would really appreciate it if it didn’t happen again in the future.

These are all clear indications