“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” ~Helen Keller
The phone call arrived like a silent explosion, shattering the ordinary hum of a Tuesday morning. My uncle was gone, suddenly, unexpectedly. Just a few months later, before the raw edges of that loss could even begin to soften, my mom followed. Her passing felt like a cruel echo, ripping open wounds that had barely begun to form scabs.
I remember those months as a blur of black clothes, hushed voices, and an aching emptiness that permeated every corner of my life. …
The phone call arrived like a silent explosion, shattering the ordinary hum of a Tuesday morning. My uncle was gone, suddenly, unexpectedly. Just a few months later, before the raw edges of that loss could even begin to soften, my mom followed. Her passing felt like a cruel echo, ripping open wounds that had barely begun to form scabs.
I remember those months as a blur of black clothes, hushed voices, and an aching emptiness that permeated every corner of my life. …
Remembering What Truly Matters in a World Chasing Success
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/remembering-what-truly-matters-in-a-world-chasing-success/
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/remembering-what-truly-matters-in-a-world-chasing-success/
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” ~Albert Einstein, adapted
I often feel like I was born into the wrong story.
I grew up in a time when success meant something quieter. My father was a public school music teacher. We didn’t have much, but there was a dignity in how he carried himself. He believed in doing good work—not for recognition or wealth, but because it mattered.
That belief shaped me. I became a teacher, filmmaker, and musician. And for decades, I’ve followed a similar path: one rooted in meaning, not money.…
I often feel like I was born into the wrong story.
I grew up in a time when success meant something quieter. My father was a public school music teacher. We didn’t have much, but there was a dignity in how he carried himself. He believed in doing good work—not for recognition or wealth, but because it mattered.
That belief shaped me. I became a teacher, filmmaker, and musician. And for decades, I’ve followed a similar path: one rooted in meaning, not money.…
Micro-Faith, Huge Benefits: Reasons to Believe in Something Bigger
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/micro-faith-huge-benefits-reasons-to-believe-in-something-bigger/
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/micro-faith-huge-benefits-reasons-to-believe-in-something-bigger/
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.
My grandmother passed away (https://tinybuddha.com/hub/love-relationships/loss-grief/) a few years ago after a long battle with cancer. Even as her health deteriorated, she never lost her spirit. She’d still get excited about whether the Pittsburgh Steelers might finally have a decent season after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. She’d debate the Pirates’ chances with the kind of passionate optimism that only comes from decades of loyal disappointment.
But what I remember most are the afternoons she’d spend napping in her favorite chair with my son curled up …
My grandmother passed away (https://tinybuddha.com/hub/love-relationships/loss-grief/) a few years ago after a long battle with cancer. Even as her health deteriorated, she never lost her spirit. She’d still get excited about whether the Pittsburgh Steelers might finally have a decent season after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. She’d debate the Pirates’ chances with the kind of passionate optimism that only comes from decades of loyal disappointment.
But what I remember most are the afternoons she’d spend napping in her favorite chair with my son curled up …
The Strength I Found Hidden in Softness
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-strength-i-found-hidden-in-softness/
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-strength-i-found-hidden-in-softness/
“You can’t heal what you won’t allow yourself to feel.” ~Unknown
I used to act strong all the time. On the outside, I looked like I had it all together. I was competent, composed, and capable. I was the one other people came to for advice or support.
The stickiness was that my version of strength created distance. I couldn’t allow myself to appear weak because I was terrified that if I let myself break down, I wouldn’t be able to pull myself back together.
Maybe underneath it all, I was so fragile I might actually break.
So I held …
I used to act strong all the time. On the outside, I looked like I had it all together. I was competent, composed, and capable. I was the one other people came to for advice or support.
The stickiness was that my version of strength created distance. I couldn’t allow myself to appear weak because I was terrified that if I let myself break down, I wouldn’t be able to pull myself back together.
Maybe underneath it all, I was so fragile I might actually break.
So I held …
The Beautiful Losses of a Childhood Moved to the Philippines
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-beautiful-losses-of-a-childhood-moved-to-the-philippines/
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-beautiful-losses-of-a-childhood-moved-to-the-philippines/
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” ~Alan Watts
I must admit, dear reader, that I wasn’t always a fan of change (https://tinybuddha.com/hub/change-challenges/change-life-deal/)—not even a little. I wouldn’t say I entered this world naturally inclined toward new or unfamiliar things.
Like many children, I found comfort in routine—the joy that comes from ordinary moments repeating themselves. Whether we realize it or not, repetition builds a mental framework that quietly defines our comfort zones.
Maybe that’s where identity begins, slowly shaped over time. And perhaps that’s why, …
I must admit, dear reader, that I wasn’t always a fan of change (https://tinybuddha.com/hub/change-challenges/change-life-deal/)—not even a little. I wouldn’t say I entered this world naturally inclined toward new or unfamiliar things.
Like many children, I found comfort in routine—the joy that comes from ordinary moments repeating themselves. Whether we realize it or not, repetition builds a mental framework that quietly defines our comfort zones.
Maybe that’s where identity begins, slowly shaped over time. And perhaps that’s why, …
How Understanding Complex Trauma Deepened My Ability to Love Myself
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-understanding-complex-trauma-deepened-my-ability-to-love-myself/
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-understanding-complex-trauma-deepened-my-ability-to-love-myself/
“Being present for your own life is the most radical act of self-compassion you can offer yourself.” ~Sylvia Boorstein
In 2004, I experienced a powerful breakthrough in understanding what it meant to love myself. I could finally understand that self-love is about the relationship that you have with yourself (https://tinybuddha.com/blog/unconditional-self-love-looks-like/), and that relationship is expressed in how you speak to yourself, treat yourself, and see yourself. I also understood that self-love is about knowing yourself and paying attention to what you need.
These discoveries, and others, changed my life and led me into a new direction. But as the years …
In 2004, I experienced a powerful breakthrough in understanding what it meant to love myself. I could finally understand that self-love is about the relationship that you have with yourself (https://tinybuddha.com/blog/unconditional-self-love-looks-like/), and that relationship is expressed in how you speak to yourself, treat yourself, and see yourself. I also understood that self-love is about knowing yourself and paying attention to what you need.
These discoveries, and others, changed my life and led me into a new direction. But as the years …
Martha Graham
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martha_Graham
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martha_Graham
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul."
Confucius
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Confucius
"When anger rises, think of the consequences."
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Confucius
"When anger rises, think of the consequences."
Dale Carnegie
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Dale_Carnegie
"If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there and worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep."
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Dale_Carnegie
"If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there and worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep."