*The deadline to submit a story has now passed. Thank you to everyone who submitted one! You will receive an email by the end of November if I’d like to include your story in the book.
When I started this site in 2009, after struggling for over a decade with depression, bulimia, and shame-induced isolation, I hoped it would be a place where we could all feel less alone with our struggles and more empowered to overcome them. I’m beyond thrilled to see that’s just what Tiny Buddha has become.
Over the past five years, I’ve been honored to help over 1,000 people share their stories on the blog, and I’ve also appreciated the opportunity to write two collaborative books, sharing some of my experiences and lessons, along with stories and insights from community members.
Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions, published in 2011, includes 150 tweets of wisdom addressing some of life’s most complex topics, like meaning, pain, love, fate, and control.
Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, published in 2013, features forty stories of overcoming challenges related to self-love, including shame, perfectionism, comparisons, and the need for approval.
The next Tiny Buddha book will hit the shelves in November 2015, and I’d love for you to be a part of it!
The Book
Tentatively titled 365 Tiny Love Challenges from Tiny Buddha, the book will feature a year of simple daily activities to help you give and receive more love.
I was inspired to write this book after reflecting on the relationships in my life and recognizing how little I’d done for so long.
For years, I waited for other people to reach out to me, expected them to anticipate my needs, and unintentionally ignored theirs while fixating on myself, my fears, and my insecurities. It wasn’t until I started making an effort to give love that I started feeling loved in return.
But it wasn’t simply because I got back what I gave; it was because the giving helped pull me outside of myself so I could attract and maintain healthy, reciprocal relationships based not on need, but on mutual respect, appreciation, and understanding. And that’s what this book is all about.
It will be published by Harper One, an imprint of Harper Collins, and it will be available on Amazon, in Barnes & Noble, and in various stores where books are sold.
The challenges will focus on increasing self-love, strengthening current relationships (romantic or otherwise), building new relationships, and taking tiny steps to help build a more loving world.
Sharing Your Story in the Book
The book will feature short stories related to a number of relationship themes, including:
- Releasing Anger & Forgiving
- Acceptance & Non-Judgment
- Compassion & Understanding
- Authenticity & Vulnerability
- Attention & Listening
- Releasing Comparisons & Competition
- Kindness & Thoughtfulness
- Support & Encouragement
- Appreciation & Admiration
- Giving & Receiving
- Fun & Playfulness
- Honesty & Trust
You can submit an original short story, never before published online or in print, 400 words or less, with a related lesson, on any of these themes.
Click here to learn more and submit your story!
About Lori Deschene
Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others to do the same. You can find her books, including Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, here and learn more about her eCourse, Recreate Your Life Story, if you’re ready to transform your life and become the person you want to be.
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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. 
I will gladly support this app because the site motivates me almost everyday, thanks to the articles I read and forums. It wouldn’t be so without Lori and her wonderful website. Hopefully you can include a forum feature once you begin to develop the app more.
Woops! and the book 🙂
“I hoped it would be a place where we could all feel less alone with our
struggles and more empowered to overcome them. I’m beyond thrilled to
see that’s just what Tiny Buddha has become.” Absolutely, Tiny Buddha has been one of the biggest inspirations for me ever since I came across the site a few years ago by pure chance or was it fate? :). Can’t wait for the book to come out…Best wishes with writing it; Lori Didi….
By the way, your words…”I was inspired to write this book (and create LOVE by Tiny Buddha, the new iPhone app) after reflecting on the relationships in my life and recognizing how little I’d done for so long.” When you said HOW LITTLE I’D DONE FOR SO LONG…I hope you are talking about years gone by from your past…If we go by anything by the blogs you have shared in our site during the past 5 years about the relationships in your life and the countless hours you spend everyday trying to help strangers from all walks of life in our Tiny Buddha, that’s the furthest from truth! Like I have told you in the past, the reason I like to address you as DIDI (older sis) is because you been exactly that & more for me…& I’m sure there are so many others in our site who feels similar sentiments about you! :).
I love these love challenges. Sometimes we get so detracted that we don’t realize our behavior and how it reflects and what others see. Since I’ve been reading my daily messages, I’ve applied them to my relationship with my husband and friends. We get along just fine but there’s always need for improvement. The results so far in 30 days….: our bickering has decreased, I’ve been more patient and understanding, I’ve been judging and assuming less. Mostly, my quick-to-react emotions have decreased as well.
Small request… I ventured over from the iphone to a Galaxy, and am no longer able to use the LOVE app. Any idea when we will have the app available for android use?
Hey there…Lori mentioned before, she only has the app for IPhone so far…but she will let us know when its ready for Androids & other types of phones!
Thanks so much, Vic! I’m glad the site and the forums have been helpful to you. I actually intend to create a special, members-only forum for this new book, and I’m pretty excited about that!
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you and your husband have found the challenges helpful. I’ve actually just written some new ones for the app, and I plan to release an update with those in the next few weeks. I hope they continue to help!
Thanks for the well wishes! And yes, I was reflecting more on my past. But even over the past five years, while I’ve put a lot of energy into this site, I’ve still recognized areas for improvement when it comes to my personal relationships. I think I’ve made significant progress, but there’s always room for more!
I so appreciate that you took the time to recognize and compliment my work here, as you’ve done in the past. At times, I’ve felt guilty for being more “behind the scenes” these days, so it means the world to me to know my work still makes a difference, even if I am spending more time helping others share their stories sharing mine less often.
Love,
Didi 🙂
Thanks Jeevan!
Thanks for responding Lori! Can’t wait until its available!
You’re most welcome! =)
Totally agree, as a wise person once said, the day we think there is nothing else to improve in life is the day we really die or something like that…lol. There is no need to feel ‘guility’ about it…afterall, one person can only do so much….& like you said in the past, one of the main reasons you wanted to start Tiny Buddha was to focus on helping people share their stories, rather than focusing on yourself, but you can always make it up by writing a blog or two of ‘Tiny Wisdom’ Blogs now & again & I’ll forgive you…;). Also, even if its only virtually…you have this little brother to remind you from time to time about how much of an inspiration you are for continuing to do what you do with our Tiny Buddha! 🙂
Thank you for creating one of the most empowering platforms on the online space that allows so many stories of transformation to be shared. So much courage shines out of every single post, I especially love and celebrate hearing the voices of so many who have healed and evolved. I didn’t realize that you too Lori, had been through such adversities as well. Its no wonder our human journey is termed samsara. That’s so awesome! your new book idea, thank you for inviting us to be a part of it xo
You’re most welcome, and thank you so much for the kind words. It means the world to me to Tiny Buddha has become an empowering space for authentic sharing and connecting. =)