Tiny Buddha's Guide to Loving Yourself

Lori Deschene grew up in Massachusetts, where she developed into a Type-A overachiever with a strong drive to do more and be more—largely because she believed this would prove she was valuable and lovable. She began working two jobs at twelve years old, all while maintaining her status as an honor roll student and spending nights rehearsing for community theater performances. So packed was her schedule that a friend predicted, in her high school year book class prophecy, that she'd eventually write and star in a one-woman show about her life called "Stress." Though she's yet to pen that script, she's learned a lot about managing stress since she left her hometown in 2002. Since then, she's traveled all over the US for work, lived in multiple states, recovered from a decade-plus battle with bulimia, healed from major depression, learned to embrace her emotional sensitivity, and built a career that suits her introverted nature and allows her to leverage her painful past for good. Lori is the author of Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life's Hard Questions, Tiny Buddha's Guide to Loving Yourself, Tiny Buddha's 365 Tiny Love Challenges, Tiny Buddha's Gratitude Journal, and Tiny Buddha's Worry Journal. Formerly a contributor for nationally distributed girls' magazines, Lori dreams of one day writing and illustrating her own picture books. But first, she's devoting her energy to the newly launched Tiny Buddha Productions and working on her first feature film. Who knows—that one-woman show may eventually see the light of day.

CONTENTSAcknowledgments

About Tiny Buddha and This Book

About My Journey to This Book

1. When You're Stuck in Your Childhood: Moving Beyond What You Learned
Top 4 Tips About Moving Beyond Your Childhood Pain

2. When You're Obsessed with Fixing Yourself: Realizing You're Not Broken
Top 4 Tips to Stop Feeling Broken

3. When You Focus on Your Flaws: Accepting All of You
Top 4 Tips About Self-Acceptance

4. When You're Hard on Yourself: Embracing Self-Forgiveness
Top 4 Tips About Forgiving Yourself

5. When You Focus on Getting Approval: Releasing the Need for Validation
Top 4 Tips About Releasing the Need for Approval

6. When You Think Other People Are Better: Letting Go of Comparisons
Top 4 Tips About Releasing Comparisons

7. When You're Trying to Fill a Void: Learning to Complete Yourself
Top 4 Tips About Completing Yourself

8. When You're Scared to Be Real: Allowing Yourself to Be Authentic
Top 4 Tips About Being Authentic

9. When You Don't Prioritize Self-Care: Taking Care of Yourself
Top 4 Tips About Taking Care of Yourself

10. When You Don't Feel You Make a Difference: Believing in Your Worth and Discovering Your Path
Top 4 Tips About Believing in Your Worth and Discovering Your Path

Conclusion

The Tips

The Quotes

The Stories

The Contributors