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Hello!
Welcome to another issue of Appreciation in Action. I hope this email finds you well. It has been about two months since the last issue…my wife Michelle and I had a baby girl, our first! Samantha Benoit Robbins was born on February 11th. There are two photos of Samantha below. She is doing great and we are deeply in love with her. Wow, talk about APPRECIATION!
Thanks for being on this email list. I am so honored to be able to connect with you this way on a regular basis.
With Gratitude and Appreciation,
The beautiful loves of my life, my wife Michelle and our daughter Samantha.
Appreciating Babies
The birth of our daughter, Samantha Benoit Robbins, was one of the most magical and miraculous moments of my life.I had no idea I could feel such intense appreciation, devotion, and love for her so quickly. I was not prepared at all for the power and depth of these emotions. It continues to blow me away each day.
In addition to my own personal experience, I have been fascinated and amazed by the reactions of other people – especially strangers. I expected our family and friends to get excited about Samantha and her arrival, but I did not realize the impact she would have on people we do not even know. The few times my wife Michelle and I have gone out with Samantha (to the doctor, the grocery store, or a restaurant) people have gone nuts. Strangers smile at us, come up to us, talk to us, comment on how little she is, how beautiful she is, share stories with us about their own children, and much more. It is incredible. Somehow it seems that babies give people permission to connect and share – even with people they do not know – in meaningful and heartfelt ways. I love this!
I have also noticed two very interesting things about all of this. First of all, people seem to light up just by interacting with a baby. It puts them in a good mood. Second of all, there is so much love and appreciation outwardly expressed to and about babies.
It is this expression of love and appreciation that I find extraordinary. From a certain perspective, it is odd that we appreciate and acknowledge babies as much as we do. They do not actually “deserve” all of this appreciation. They have not “earned” it. So often we are unwilling to appreciate or acknowledge other adults unless they really “deserve” it or have worked very hard to “earn” it. We rarely think to appreciate or acknowledge people just because they are human. Ironically, we intuitively understand how important it is to appreciate babies just because they are there. We do this both for their benefit and for ours. You could argue that they do not even understand or realize that we are appreciating them (although I think they can feel it). Therefore, the appreciation we express for babies has mostly to do with us, not with them.
The point of all of this is that we each have the capacity to appreciate and acknowledge people – whether we know them or not AND whether they truly “deserve” it or not. We are all deserving of appreciation, not because of what we do, but because of who we are…just like babies, just like my beautiful, 5-week old daughter Samantha. If we treated each other with even a fraction of the kindness, empathy, appreciation, and love we share with babies, think of how amazing the world would be. It is my dream that Samantha gets to grow up in a world like this.
For the rest of today, see if you can relate to the people around you – your teammates, friends, family members, and even strangers on the street, as if they were little babies. Without being weird, inappropriate, or condescending about it, see if you can have the same kind of empathy, kindness, and appreciation for all of the adults you interact with as you would for a little baby. It may help to even picture them as little babies (which, of course, they actually were at one point). If you enjoy this, feel free to do it tomorrow and/or for the rest of the week. Have fun!
The Power of Appreciation is available as an MP3 download:
We are very excited to announce the release of The Power of Appreciation audio program as an MP3 file that you can purchase, download, and listen to on your computer or iPod. You can now purchase this 72-minute audio program as an MP3 file from the online store page of my website. This popular CD is a studio recorded version of my most popular program. It is filled with great information, interactive exercises, and action tips for you increase your level of appreciation personally and to empower the people around you. Click on the link below for more info and/or to purchase:
http://www.mike-robbins.com/online-store.htm
Winning Strategies Box Set – a great value:
This extraordinary box set contains powerful material from 15 experts in the field of success and winning. The box has 13 audio programs and 2 bonus DVDs from 15 speakers/authors/experts, including me. My Power of Appreciation audio program is one of the programs included, along with programs from great speakers and authors like Rich Fettke, Theo Androus, Vince Posente, Vince Lombardi Jr., and others. This box is only $49.95, a great value! Click on the link below to visit my online store for more info and/or to purchase this box:
http://www.mike-robbins.com/online-store.htm
About Mike Robbins
Mike Robbins is an expert in success, teamwork, and the power of appreciation. As a former professional baseball player and Internet advertising sales executive, as well as a life-long student of personal development, Mike brings a varied and impressive background to the clients with whom he works. Through his keynotes, seminars, writing, and one-on-one coaching, Mike empowers individuals, teams, and organizations to be more productive, appreciative, and successful. Feel free to contact Mike for more information about his speaking and coaching programs.
You may forward your copy of this e-zine to anyone you think might enjoy it. Please keep the broadcast intact, including contact and copyright information. Thanks!
Our amazing angel, Samantha Benoit Robbins.
Copyright ©
Mike Robbins
1735 Glazier Drive
Concord, CA 94521
Phone: (925) 825-2319
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