Tag: Lori Deschene

Does It All Feel Too Hard? Tiny Buddha’s Inner Strength Journal Can Help

Do you ever feel like calling into the day? And I don’t just mean work. I mean everything. I mean turning it all off for a while. Freezing the full gamut of this messy human experience—the regrets, the fears, the adulting, the drama. The constant onslaught of anxiety-inducing news and personal problems to face.

When everyone needs you and everything worries you and nothing helps you feel better, it’s tempting to disconnect. To numb out, shut down, or give up.

But we can’t, at least not for long. And really, that’s not what we want. Or at least, that’s not what I want when I’m overwhelmed by it all. I don’t really want life to stop.

When my relationships are triggering, my workload is mounting, and my kids’ needs feel hard to meet, I don’t really want to escape it all. I want to rise above it all. I want to respond wisely and make best of what’s in front of me instead of reacting impulsively and only making things worse.

I don’t want to disconnect; I want to reconnect—with the still voice inside me that reminds me, if I listen, to breathe, take a step back, and take care of my needs so I can handle whatever life throws at me.

Because I know I can. After all I’ve overcome, I know I’m strong, and I know you are too. I know, like me, you have stories of trauma, tragedy, and terror. But I also know we all have the capacity to not only handle life’s stressors and challenges but also learn from them and be better for it.

That’s why I created Tiny Buddha’s Inner Strength Journal: Creative Prompts and Challenges to Help You Get Through Anything.

I started working on this journal during the height of the pandemic, when I was exhausted from nights with a poor-sleeping toddler, drained from a high-risk, “geriatric” pregnancy, and overwhelmed by a new work project that ultimately failed in the end. And that’s not to mention all the Covid-related concerns and challenges we all had to face.

I also knew from emails and comments that many of you were grappling with intense challenges and feelings of your own and struggling to get through each day.

Since working things through on paper has always helped me feel less stressed, more confident, and more in control—all well-known benefits of journaling—I focused on prompts and questions that can help us access our personal power. Exercises that can help us protect our energy, manage our emotions, and take good care of ourselves so we feel our best—and feel prepared for the worst.

I also put together a companion eBook—a free gift when you pre-order, for a limited time only—with forty of the site’s most helpful posts on overcoming hard times.

The process of creating this journal was deeply healing to me, as I did each exercise as I went, and I have a feeling it can help you too. This isn’t a book of answers; it’s a framework to help you create your own personal roadmap to resilience so you can not only get through anything but also get the most out of life.

As a mother to two young children, I’ve often wished I could prevent them from struggling. I’ve spent hours thinking about how I can insulate them from pain and ensure they never hurt as I have.

But I realized a while back that if I protected them from pain, I’d also prevent them from gaining the wisdom and growth that accompany it. They’d live a flat, one-dimensional life, without the pride and confidence that come from doing hard things; and they’d never feel the sense of purpose we often find when we overcome something that once felt insurmountable and feel a burning need to help others do the same.

What I really want for my sons, and for anyone I love—including myself—is the strength to handle life’s greatest challenges and the capacity to recycle their pain into something beautiful. Something meaningful. Something that makes all the darkness in life feel like a pathway to the light.

I believe we all have that strength inside us, even if sometimes it all feels too hard. Even if sometimes we need to shut down for a while. We just need to learn how to access it.

Whether you’re hurting, healing, or somewhere in between, I believe Tiny Buddha’s Inner Strength Journal can help you do just that. Click here to pre-order and get instant access to Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Overcoming Hard Times: Stories and Tips to Help You Cope with Life’s Biggest Challenges.

July 4, 2022
Book Giveaway: Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges
UPDATE – The winners for this giveaway are:
- Melissa Ballinger Dees
- Julie C. Perry
- Bobby Irion
- Michael Jon Piper
- Hannah
Sometimes the world can feel like a lonely place. There are billions of people on the planet, and many of us encounter hundreds in the course of our daily lives. Yet it’s easy to feel disconnected from most, if not all of them.

The many strangers we pass on a given day, who may avert their eyes to avoid awkwardness, can start to feel like part of the scenery—like cars parked in a lot or leaves floating in the wind.

And, of course, we may feel the same to them, when we attempt to busy ourselves right when we cross paths—anything to avoid an intimate moment of locking eyes with someone we don’t know.

We look at our feet, or our phones, or our friends. We shut down, cave in, tune them out. In that moment, they’re not people, with stories and feelings just like us. They’re strangers. Unknown. And perhaps a little scary.

The luckiest of us have deep connections with people we do know. But even those relationships can feel distant at times, and maybe more often than not.

We may feel judged, or misunderstood, or ignored. We may worry about what those people think of us, or wonder if they’ll be there when we need them.

And worst of all, we may question if they’d still be there if they really knew us, deepest secrets and all. Proximity doesn’t always equal closeness, and closeness doesn’t guarantee trust.

If it sounds like I am speaking from experience, that’s because I am. I have felt lonely, and insecure, and suspicious. I’ve feared letting my guard down, letting my feelings out, and letting people in.

As a result, I spent years living on an island in my head, maintaining a physical presence in the world but remaining as much emotional distance as possible.

The irony is that I thought I was keeping myself safe from pain, when really I was causing it.

It hurts to feel separate. We are wired to seek connection and belonging—to feel like we are part of something larger than ourselves.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I believe it also takes one to sustain an adult. We were not built to live in isolation, hidden behind apartment doors, phone screens, and dead eyes.

We thrive when we feel like part of a tribe, when the people we share space with become part of “us,” not “them.”

I’ve spent my whole life fantasizing about “us,” and years trying to learn what it takes to be part of that.

I wish I could say I’ve discovered some great secret to forming deep, meaningful relationships and feeling less alone in the world, but that would be a lie.

I haven’t discovered any one thing that turns strangers into friends, and friends into family. I have, however, identified countless tiny things, which, compounded over time, can make a massive difference.

And that’s how Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges was born. As you may recall, I launched the book in October of last year.

I wanted it to be a comprehensive list of small things we can do, every day, to create deep, meaningful connections with the people around us.

I wanted to offer specific, actionable ways to show kindness, compassion, trust, and support; to be authentic, accepting, forgiving, and encouraging.

They’re abstract ideas, and not always easy to put into practice, especially when you factor in that other people are flawed and scared, just like us.

Though I still don’t feel as connected as I’d like to be—a natural consequence of moving every two years for the past sixteen—I no longer live alone on the Alcatraz in my head.

I have healed relationships from my past, dug beneath the surface with people who would otherwise have remained acquaintances, and most importantly, strengthened my relationship with myself so that I finally believe I am worthy of being loved and fully seen.

And I feel proud that I’ve created a book that, I’ve been told, has helped other people do the same.

If you grabbed a copy last year, you may be at the halfway point now—meaning you’ve completed six months of challenges pertaining to kindness, compassion, authenticity, forgiveness, attention, and honesty.

I’d love to know how this experience has been for you—if you feel more connected, if you’ve strengthened your relationships, or if there have been any other pleasant, unexpected side effects of taking these action steps.

And if you don’t have a copy, I’d like to offer you a chance to win one today. I’m giving away five autographed books, and all you need to do is leave a comment answering one of the following questions:

-What is one thing you believe most people want to receive from the people they love?

-What is one thing you believe most people want to hear from the people they love?

-What do you think it means to love someone?

Your comment doesn’t need to be any specific length; in fact, it can be one word. However much you choose to write, know that you are giving all Tiny Buddha readers a gift through your time and effort.

Whatever you choose to write could inspire someone, guide them toward a life-changing epiphany, or help them form deeper, more meaningful relationships with the people around them.

Your comment is, in itself, a tiny act of love. And I will be the first to say that I am grateful for it.

You can enter the giveaway until Wednesday, July 13^th, and you can learn more about Tiny Buddha’s 365 Tiny Love Challenges, or grab a copy, here.
July 5, 2016
Be Part of the Next Tiny Buddha Book: 365 Tiny Love Challenges
*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!
September 7, 2014
Win a Free Copy of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself
UPDATE: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen.

The winners:
- Antwanette Miller
- Rebecca
This may seem like Déjà vu, because I published an almost identical post last Friday. It’s now a new week (soon to be weekend) and a new chance to win a copy of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself!

For those of you who already bought a copy, I hope you’re enjoying it!

And I have a special request for you: Since it’s brand new, there are currently only four reviews on Amazon. (Thank you so much to those of you who responded to my request last week and wrote one!)

Those reviews go a long way in influencing people who may benefit from the book.

If you’ve found the site and the book helpful, I would be so grateful if you would take five or ten minutes out of your day to support me and the site by reviewing Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself.

Whether you write two words, two sentences, or more, it will make a tremendous difference.

Now on to today’s giveaway!

This one’s a little different, in that you won’t be entering to win a copy for yourself; instead, its an opportunity to have a copy mailed to someone you love, directly from my publisher, with a special note from you.

About Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself is a collaborative book featuring a collection of stories from Tiny Buddha contributors, along with tips to help you feel good about yourself and your life.

The book shares 40 unique perspectives and insights on topics related to loving yourself. It will help you:
- Release shame about your past and the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck
- See yourself as beautiful and valuable, with all your flaws and weaknesses
- Accept yourself more and judge yourself less
- Forgive yourself for your mistakes and stop being hard on yourself
- Minimize the need for approval to feel more confident
- Let go of the comparisons that keep you feeling inferior
- Feel complete so that you no longer look to others to fill a void within yourself
- Find the courage to share your authentic self for deeper connections with others
- Learn to take care of yourself instead of putting everyone else’s needs first
- Believe that you’re valuable so you can start creating a life you love
I started Tiny Buddha and created this book because I believe there is a healing power in recognizing that we are never alone with our challenges.

And there’s nothing wrong with us for what we’ve been through or what we’re going through.

No matter how we’ve struggled, no matter what our flaws or weaknesses, we are worthy of being fully seen—and we can make a difference in the world by doing it.

I hope this books helps you remember, in times of doubt, that you are beautiful, imperfections and all, and you can thrive not in spite of them, but because of them.

The Giveaway

To enter to win one of two free copies of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, to be mailed to someone you love with a special note from you:
- Leave a comment on the post sharing one thing you think other people appreciate about you
- Tweet: RT @tinybuddha Enter to win a free copy of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself! http://bit.ly/16yY2ru
If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can still enter by completing the first step.

You can enter until midnight PST on Monday, October 28th. Have a great weekend everyone!
October 24, 2013
Book Giveaway: Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself
UPDATE: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen. They are:
- Sunny Kharbanda
- UnicaPoet
It’s been 10 days since the launch of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, and I’m excited to share that the book has been a bestseller in Amazon’s self-esteem category since then.

For those of you who already bought a copy, I hope you’re enjoying it!

And I have a special request for you: Since it’s brand new, there’s currently only one review on Amazon. Those reviews go a long way in influencing people who may benefit from the book.

If you’ve found the site and the book helpful, I would be so grateful if you would take five or ten minutes out of your day to support me and the site by reviewing Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself.

Whether you write two words, two sentences, or more, it will make a tremendous difference.

Now on to today’s giveaway!

This one’s a little different, in that you won’t be entering to win a copy for yourself; instead, its an opportunity to have a copy mailed to someone you love, directly from my publisher, with a special note from you.

About Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself is a collaborative book featuring a collection of stories from Tiny Buddha contributors, along with tips to help you feel good about yourself and your life.

The book shares 40 unique perspectives and insights on topics related to loving yourself. It will help you:
- Release shame about your past and the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck
- See yourself as beautiful and valuable, with all your flaws and weaknesses
- Accept yourself more and judge yourself less
- Forgive yourself for your mistakes and stop being hard on yourself
- Minimize the need for approval to feel more confident
- Let go of the comparisons that keep you feeling inferior
- Feel complete so that you no longer look to others to fill a void within yourself
- Find the courage to share your authentic self for deeper connections with others
- Learn to take care of yourself instead of putting everyone else’s needs first
- Believe that you’re valuable so you can start creating a life you love
I started Tiny Buddha and created this book because I believe there is a healing power in recognizing that we are never alone with our challenges.

And there’s nothing wrong with us for what we’ve been through or what we’re going through.

No matter how we’ve struggled, no matter what our flaws or weaknesses, we are worthy of being fully seen—and we can make a difference in the world by doing it.

I hope this books helps you remember, in times of doubt, that you are beautiful, imperfections and all, and you can thrive not in spite of them, but because of them.

The Giveaway

To enter to win one of two free copies of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, to be mailed to someone you love with a special note from you:
- Leave a comment on the post sharing one thing you love about yourself
- Tweet: RT @tinybuddha Enter to win a free copy of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself! http://bit.ly/GTjqRC
If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can still enter by completing the first step.

You can enter until midnight PST on Monday, October 21st. Have a great weekend everyone!
October 17, 2013
Love Yourself and Your Life: 7 Reasons to Buy the New Tiny Buddha Book
10/9/13: The pre-order promotion is now over. You can learn more about Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself here!

If you visited the blog any time during September, you likely saw some of the many self-love interviews featuring contributors from the new book Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself: 40 Ways to Transform Your Inner Critic and Your Life.

I’m excited to announce that today is the official launch date! If you already ordered a copy on Amazon, it’s possible that you already received it, as I’ve recently learned they shipped a little early.

If you haven’t redeemed the free bonus pack yet, please forward your order confirmation email (for hardcopy or digital, from any book vendor) to bookbonus(AT)tinybuddha(DOT)com.

For those of you who didn’t yet order a copy of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself, today is the final day to receive the self-love bonus pack—including 8 digital items, valued at over $150—as a free gift with your purchase.

About the Book

Including 40 blog posts from tinybuddha.com, Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself offers more than just advice; it offers in a window into our shared human experience, and universal lessons we can all apply to feel happier with ourselves and our lives.

These posts have reminded more than 1.5 million monthly readers that we are never alone, and we don’t have to live life controlled by our inner critic. They touch upon ideas that will help you:
- Release shame about your past and the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck
- See yourself as beautiful and valuable, with all your flaws and weaknesses
- Accept yourself more and judge yourself less
- Forgive yourself for your mistakes and stop being hard on yourself
- Minimize the need for approval to feel more confident
- Let go of the comparisons that keep you feeling inferior
- Feel complete so that you no longer look to others to fill a void within yourself
- Find the courage to share your authentic self for deeper connections with others
- Learn to take care of yourself instead of putting everyone else’s needs first
- Believe that you’re valuable so you can start creating a life you love
- The stories are categorized into 10 chapters, connected to each of these themes.
At the end of each chapter you’ll find four tips—one from each of the four posts in that section. They’re ideas you can turn to whenever you need help changing your thoughts, and consequently, your feelings and experience of the world.

About the Bonuses

Today only, anyone who orders Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself will receive instant access to the “Self-Love Bonus Pack,” which includes 8 digital resources, valued at more than $150.

Those items include:
- From Coping to Thriving: How to Turn Self-Care into a Way of Life, by Hannah Braime
- Flowing Through the Void: Creating Miracles Out of Struggles by Activating Presence, Power, and Passion, by Amyra Mah
- Complete Confidence eCourse, by Emma Brooke
- An Awakened Life: A Journey of Transformation, by Julie Hoyle
- Create a Brilliant Vision for Your Life and Business, by Margie Beiswanger
- 5 Days of Self-Compassion, by Joanna Weston
- Be You, Unapologetically by An Bourmanne
- Tiny Wisdom: On Self-Love, by Lori Deschene (me)
7 Reasons to Buy Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself

If you’re still not sure that Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself is worth the cost ($13.50 on Amazon for hardcover, $9.99 for Kindle—both including the free self-love bonus pack for today only), consider these 7 benefits of owning a copy:

1. The book features 40 candid firsthand accounts of overcoming physical and emotional challenges…

…including abandonment, abuse, addiction, depression, eating disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder, to name a few. If you’ve feared that no one can understand or relate to your pain, this guide will help you realize that you are not alone.

2. You’ll find practical tips to help you deal with a wide range of issues related to self-acceptance and self-love…

…including insecurity, perfectionism, jealousy, shame, self-judgment, rejection, confidence, self-care, and the fear of being alone.

3. It’s Tiny Buddha, off the web.

You could spend time searching through the archives for posts related to loving yourself, and then print them out for reading at home. Or you could purchase this book to have all those stories in one anthology—complete with summaries of the main insights and a collection of related quotes.

4. You’ll find one story from my experience in overcoming shame, self-loathing, and self-destruction.

I’ve never before written about my former battle with bulimia. In addition to exploring the lowest point of my struggle, I shared the main message of hope that’s helped me forgive and accept myself, and not just survive, but thrive.

5. The book is easy to read—at home or on the go.

With 40 stories in 10 chapters, you can easily read one story each night before bed, or jump around to the sections that feel most relevant to you. And with its compact size, it’s easy to carry in your purse or bag for a boost of clarity and confidence, wherever you go.

6. Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself has received wonderful advanced reviews.

As Amanda Owen, author of The Power of Receiving, wrote: “If you are ever hard on yourself—and who isn’t—you need to read this book.” And according to Dr. Kristin Neff, author of Self-Compassion, “This wonderful collection of personal stories and words of wisdom will help you become kinder and more compassionate to yourself, and ultimately show you how to lead a happier and more fulfilling life.”

7. It’s a tiny book that can have a massive impact.

Despite its small size and short stories, this guide explores feelings and challenges that could potentially limit your potential for peace and happiness—and also offers some powerful, effective practices to overcome them so you can feel good about yourself and your life.

You can order your copy of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself here. To claim the self-love bonus pack, forward your order confirmation email (for hardcopy or digital, from any book vendor) to bookbonus(AT)tinybuddha(DOT)com.

I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed the collaborative process of creating it. As always, I thank you for your loving presence here at Tiny Buddha!
October 7, 2013
Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself (and the Self-Love Bonus Pack)
10/9/13: The pre-order promotion is now over. You can learn more about Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself here!

Two years ago I surveyed the Tiny Buddha community to crowdsource wisdom for my second book, which was going to break apart the idea of success.

Around the same time, I experienced a series of life-altering events, including a major surgery, financial hardship, a break-in, and the death of my grandmother.

Within the following months, I dramatically decreased the amount of time I devoted to blogging. After almost three years of regularly sharing my feelings, I wanted space to explore my conflicting emotions without having to put them into words.

Despite having chosen to do this, I felt immense guilt in seemingly “abandoning” the community. I also felt embarrassed and disappointed in myself.

After not only announcing my book but also soliciting insight from others, I realized I wasn’t in the right headspace to work on the project. Even though I knew I’d had a tough few months, this inability to deliver deeply distressed the perfectionist in me.

I planned to work on this later in the year, but when the time came I wanted to work on something different—a book that felt more personally relevant in light of my recent challenges, and extended naturally from the philosophy of this site.

I wanted to create a collaborative book about self-love, for a few reasons.

For one thing, it’s something that many of us struggle with, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to fully love others and life.

Secondly, my former lack of self-love was the foundation of all my greatest struggles. I once thought my life was a mess because I struggled with depression and an eating disorder, and didn’t have purpose, money, or a relationship, but at the heart of all those troubles was my unwavering self-loathing.

Lastly, it tied into an unexpected consequence of making, what seemed like, a massive public mistake: announcing a plan and then not following through reinforced that I need my empathy the most when I feel most resistant to giving it.

It also reminded that sometimes mistakes are opportunities to do something good—and I believe I have with this book.

Including 40 blog posts from tinybuddha.com, Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself offers more than just advice; it offers in a window into our shared human experience, and universal lessons we can all apply to feel happier with ourselves and our lives.

These posts have reminded more than 1.5 million monthly readers that we are never alone, and we don’t have to live life controlled by our inner critic. They touch upon ideas that will help you:
The stories are categorized into 10 chapters, connected to each of these themes.

At the end of each chapter you’ll find four tips—one from each of the four posts in that section. They’re ideas you can turn to whenever you need help changing your thoughts, and consequently, your feelings and experience of the world.

Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself launches on October 8th. Over the next month, I’m going to run a pre-order promotion that will involve daily self-love interviews with some of the book’s contributors.

During the month of September, anyone who pre-orders the book will receive instant access to the “Self-Love Bonus Pack,” which includes 8 digital resources, valued at more than $150.

Those items include:
You can pre-order a copy of Tiny Buddha’s Guide to Loving Yourself here.

Please note that you will not receive your copy of the book in the mail until October. You will, however, will receive instant access to the bonus items once you forward your sales confirmation email to the address listed on the sales page.

Thank you to everyone who’s involved with this book—which is all of you. You make this community what it is. You make a difference, and you’re appreciated.
September 2, 2013
The Piece You’ve Been Looking For

August 27, 2013
Book Giveaway: Chicken Soup for the Soul 20th Anniversary Edition
Update: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen. The winners:
If you enjoy touching, uplifting stories, you’ve likely stumbled upon the Chicken Soup for the Soul series at one time or another.

What started with one book two decades ago has expanded to more than 200 titles, providing motivation and inspiration to millions of people of all ages, from all over the world.

The newly released 20^th anniversary edition includes all of the original stories from the first book and 20 new ones from writers including Deepak Chopra, Dr. Mehmet Oz, don Miguel Ruiz—and me!

When publisher Heidi Krupp-Lisiten contacted me with this opportunity, I was honored and beyond excited. And now I’m excited to share it with you.

The Giveaway

To enter to win 1 of 5 free books:
- Leave a comment on this post sharing the most inspiring thing you’ve heard lately. It can be a quote, something a loved one said to you, something you saw on TV or heard in a song—anything you found inspiring.
- For an extra chance to win, tweet: Giveaway: Chicken Soup for the Soul 20th Anniversary Edition – RT & comment on the @tinybuddha post to win! http://bit.ly/18GFU0F
You can enter until midnight PST on Friday, August 23^rd.

Learn more about Chicken Soup for the Soul, the 20th Anniversary Edition, on Amazon.
August 20, 2013
8 Reasons to Buy the Tiny Wisdom eBook Series (Available Now!)
Since Tiny Buddha launched in 2009, I’ve written hundreds of “Tiny Wisdom” blog posts. In the beginning, I kept these short and peripheral.

Over time, I started putting more of myself into them and giving them a lot more love and attention. Suddenly, these posts became far more popular than I ever thought they’d be.

They aren’t lengthy how-to posts with lists of action steps. They’re short reflections on the little things that make a huge difference in our daily lives. They’re reminders of what matters and how to embrace it, right now, instead of focusing on all the things that only bring us down.

They’re concise. They’re focused. Most importantly, they’re relevant to the challenges we all face every day.

In recent months, I’ve received countless emails from readers asking me to compile some of these posts into an eBook—so I decided to do something even better.

I created 5 short eBooks with posts on the following topics:
- Self-Love
- Happiness
- Mindfulness
- Love
- Pain
These eBooks are all available today, individually or as a complete package. On it’s own, each eBook costs $4.97. The full package of five costs $19.97—which essentially means you get one free if you buy the whole series.

(more…)
July 16, 2012
The Possibility of Today Video Interview with Lori Deschene

I have done everything in my power to avoid video interviews. When I did my blog tour for my book, Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions, I did mostly written interviews, after pushing for that. As a writer, I enjoy taking time to gather my thoughts and communicate precisely what I want to say.

But I’m far less enthused when it comes to being on camera—especially when that camera is a webcam that’s two feet away from my face.

Still, when my new friend Sibyl of The Possibility of Today suggested a video interview, I decided to oblige; after all, comfort zones are meant for stretching.

After we spoke, I felt confident I spoke straight my heart, and I was excited to see the interview once it was edited. Then I saw it. And I seriously considered not sharing it.

Because I was a little nervous on that day, I found myself feeling distracted by my own face in the tiny box on Skype. So instead of looking directly at Sibyl while I spoke, I darted my eyes back and forth in an attempt to keep my focus.

When I first watched this video, I felt insecure and self-conscious. As a perfectionist, I sometimes find it tempting to scrutinize things I do in ways I doubt other people would. Then I watched the video again and listened to my words—particularly this one part about learning not to be hard on myself.

There I was, doing just that.

I realized then that this is a perfect result for this video interview I was nervous to give, because it provides an opportunity to reflect my own words back to myself and really walk my walk.

So here it is: a tiny video, straight from my heart.

(more…)

March 20, 2012
The Tiny Buddha Book, Bonus Gifts, and Win a Kindle or DSLR Camera
UPDATE: Please note that the pre-order bonus promotion described in this blog post ended on December 8, 2011.

This is a post that’s been a year and a half in the making, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally write these words!

Today is the official pre-order launch day for my first print book, Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions, and I have some exciting promotions to share with you!

In this post you’ll find:

-Information about Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions

-A description of the pre-order bonuses (totaling more than $150 in value) that you will receive if you purchase between now and December 8, 2011

-Instructions to enter the “Life’s Hard Questions” contest for a chance to win:
- A Canon DSLR Camera
- 1 of 2 Kindles, each with a free digital version of my book
- 1 of 10 free hard copies of my book
About Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions

You may have previously seen information about my eBook, Tiny Buddha’s Handbook for Peace and Happiness. This is a compilation of my most popular posts from the first year of the site, and it’s only available as a digital product.

Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions is entirely original, available both in print and as an eBook, distributed through Conari Press. And it started as a collaborative project.

Last year, I asked @tinybuddha Twitter followers a number of challenging questions, including “What’s the meaning of life?” “What does it take to be happy?” and “How can you make each day count?

I received more than 1,000 tweeted responses, and narrowed them down to 200 that form the backbone of this book. Tiny Buddha is a combination of their insightful answers, stories from my life, and lessons from wise teachers around the world and throughout time.

I wrote this book because I lived much of my life feeling paralyzed by pain and uncertainty. While there is much that may always be unknown, we can still empower ourselves to live peaceful, purposeful lives based on what we do know.

The Pre-Order Bonuses

Tiny Buddha, Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions, will ship from Amazon on December 8, 2011 (and will be available in stores by January 1, 2012). (more…)
November 14, 2011
Approaching the Site’s 1-Year Anniversary (Giveaways!)

It’s a pretty exciting week in Tiny Buddha world. Several months back, I decided to have Tiny Buddha redesigned.

Well, we decided. There is an amazing man named Joshua Denney who has done a lot of work on the site.

It’s through his passion, expertise, and hard work that we’ll have a completely new design at the end of this week.

One of the reasons I’m excited to launch the new site this week is that Thursday is the site’s one-year anniversary.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to do a few things:

1. Conduct a series of book giveaways leading up to the anniversary/redesign.

2. Highlight some of the milestones from the first year’s journey.

3. Share some of the most popular posts from the year past. (more…)

September 6, 2010
4 Life-Changing Lessons I’ve Learned from Running Tiny Buddha

“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 else.

Tiny Buddha has been that for me, and I’d like to share with you a few of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way: (more…)

August 12, 2010
10 Ways I Know There’s Nothing Wrong with You (or Me)

“On a deeper level you are already complete. When you realize that, there is a joyous energy behind what you do.” ~Eckhart Tolle

At seventeen I had it all. I made straight As, was the vice president of the Honor Society, held two jobs, took the lead in four community theater performances, and joined Donnie Osmond onstage as part of the children’s chorus in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

I was busy. I did things well. I got attention. I was ready to snap.

I was so hungry for success and approval I’d do anything to get it, even if it meant exhausting and dehydrating myself straight to the ER.

What’s worse, I was continually dissatisfied with everything I did. I was my own punching bag.

Thirteen years later I don’t do nearly as much. I don’t take any classes. I don’t work much at the moment. I don’t perform anymore. On the other side of overexertion, I’ve still beaten myself up.

I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up—there’s something wrong with me.

I live across the country from my family and haven’t justified it by becoming a massive success—there’s something wrong with me.

I’m obsessed with self-improvement, but I’m still not perfect—there’s something wrong with me.

Stop. Revelation. Cue the spotlight: There’s nothing wrong with me.

And there’s nothing wrong with you.

Here’s how I know both of these statements are true:

1. You’re playing the game of life as best you know how and trying to get better every day.

You can’t possibly do someone else’s best, so there’s no point in stressing about it.

2. You make mistakes like everyone else, which allows you to learn as you go.

That means you’re doing what you should be.

3. You’re unique, whether you’re introverted or outgoing, book smart or street smart, creative or technical…

…the list goes on and on. You’re the world’s only opportunity to know a person just like you. The only hope to share what only you can.

4. There’s no such thing as the way you should be.

If you do what you enjoy and don’t harm other people, you’re living a beautiful life.

5. You will never become someone—you are someone right now…

…whether you influence millions of people or mean the world to just one person. Your impact is powerful, whether you realize it or not.

6. If someone hurts you, you don’t deserve it.

No one does. End of conversation.

7. You feel emotions and respond to them.

That’s the way this whole humanity thing works. If you could stand to improve the way you respond, newsflash: everyone could.

8. You have a pulse right now, and it’s your choice what you do with it.

There’s no right or wrong answer. (Unless what you want is to maim a puppy or something equally perverse.)

9. You choose what you think is best, or else you wouldn’t choose it.

As you get new information and grow stronger and smarter, you’ll make different choices.

10. You are beautiful, inside and out.

I’ve printed this out and put it in my nightstand where I can read it when I get hard on myself. I hope it gives you comfort when you start thinking there’s a good reason to not enjoy right now.

Photo credit

October 5, 2009
Worry Serves No Useful Purpose

“Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.” ~Eckhart Tolle

Tomorrow is my thirtieth birthday. For two hours earlier this evening, I felt certain I’d start the day hooked up to an IV in intensive care.

It all started two weeks ago when I visited my family. Shortly after I arrived home I began feeling chest pains, something I experienced frequently in my youth.

Back in the day, I spent hours in the high school nurse’s office while my peers were in lunch, study hall, or gym class. Though it was intense and frightening, I wonder, in retrospect, if my mind magnified the pain after the doctor called my damaged esophagus “pre-cancerous.” (more…)

September 8, 2009