Hello!

Welcome to another issue of Appreciation in Action. Well, as you may have noticed, it has been quite a while since my last newsletter (about two months). It looks like my “monthly” e-zine is back to “periodic.” J I will do my best to get back to sending one of these out each month. Thanks for your patience and for being on this list. I continue to be honored to get to connect with you this way, periodically. I hope that you, those you work with, and your family are all doing well and enjoying the spring. There is so much to appreciate at this time of year.

With Appreciation,

Appreciate Now

Have you ever had something taken away from you in your life only to realize how much you appreciated it after it was gone?

I start many of my speeches and seminars about appreciation with this question. As I pause and wait for people to respond, usually many hands go up acknowledging that, “yes,” they too have experienced this phenomenon. Most of us have taken someone or something for granted and only truly realized how much that person or situation meant to us after the fact. This happens with relationships, trips, success, jobs, our bodies, world affairs, our health, the economy, and much more.

We often waste way too much time and energy focusing on what we don’t like, what we are worried about, or what we think needs to be fixed, changed, or enhanced – about others, about situations, and often about ourselves. The saying “you don’t know what you really have until it’s gone” is all about this.

What if we stopped this nonsense and started paying attention to what and who we appreciate, right now? Imagine how this simple but profound shift in focus could transform our lives, our families, our relationships, our careers, our work groups, and more. As most of us know, life is a function of what we pay attention to. Each and every moment of our lives we have a choice as to where we place our attention.

I am not advocating that we deny, avoid, or run from the challenges, issues, or even the pain in our lives or around us. It is important that we are able to confront, face, and deal with these difficulties. However, we don’t have to obsess about this stuff and let it run our lives. We each can consciously choose to focus on the good stuff in our lives, with others, and most importantly towards ourselves.

There is great stuff happening in your life right now. There are amazing people around you all the time. You are a fabulous, powerful, and enlightened soul. And, all of this is only “true” if you choose to recognize it, acknowledge it, and live it though your thoughts, words, and actions. Another well-known saying is, “argue for your limitations and they are yours.” Instead of that, what if we celebrated the greatness in our lives, in others, and ourselves? When we do this, our world transforms and we are able to see and experience the GREAT FULLNESS of our lives. We don’t have to wait until everything is handled, we get it all perfect, or people do things exactly as we want them to. We can just start appreciating life, others, and ourselves exactly as we are, right now. Don’t wait ‘til it’s too late!

Take out a piece of paper and write down as many things as you can think of to appreciate – about your life, about others, about yourself. Some things will come right to mind like certain people, material possessions, and qualities. Great…write those down. And, see if you can go deeper into this practice/exercise and focus on some things, people, and situations that might be causing you some pain or stress. What can you find that you appreciate about those things or those people, right now?

The LoveLaunch Weekend:
Are you ready to manifest “the one” into your life? Would you like to create a magical love relationship? If so, this incredible weekend workshop is for you. Johnny and Lara Fernandez are experts in relationships and their work is extraordinarily powerful. This fun, experiential, and exhilarating weekend program will give you tools and techniques to break through your limitations and allow you to attract a love relationship of your dreams. I recently spoke at a one-day event that Lara and Johnny put together, and I was blown away my the depth, passion, and heart of their work. They have a workshop coming up this coming weekend (June 2 & 3) and one next month (July 21& 22). The course takes place here in the Bay Area ( Dublin, CA). And, they are offering FULL scholarships for a limited time (a $597 value). Click on the link below and use the this scholarship code – 151
http://launchyourlifenow.com/wst_page4.html

Visit My Online Store:
If you have not checked out my online store in a while, click the link below to check out the new products that are available there. A new box-set of CDs called Small Business Success, which includes my Power of Appreciation audio program, was released a few months ago. This box-set is filled with powerful tools and wonderful information for anyone who runs their own business – or anyone thinking about starting a small business. And, you will also notice on the home page of my website and on this online store page, there is an image of my soon-to-be released book, Focus on the Good Stuff, and a link to pre-order the book from Amazon.com. This is true and I am very excited about it. The book will be out in late August. I will be sending out a more formal email in the next week or two launching the pre-order special offer and also the book website (www.focusonthegoodstuff.com). In late August, of course, I will send out a series of announcements about the release of the book. Stay tuned! And, if you are interested in checking it out now, finding out more about the book, or pre-ordering a copy of it, visit my online store page using the link below.
http://www.mike-robbins.com/online-store.htm

Three New Wonderful Books to check out:
There are three wonderful new books I want to recommend to you today. The first one is called The Angel Inside, by Chris Widener. This book (which is a “business parable”) tells the story of a young man searching for meaning in his work and finding it in an unlikely place: the life and art of Michelangelo. It is a book of fiction with a great deal of real-life implications (like the Celestine Prophecy or The Five Dysfunctions of a Team) The second one is Fabulous Friendship Festival, by SARK. This book teaches you how to create new friendships, celebrate the ones you have, and practice new ways to be a better friend - with others and yourself. I love SARK’s work and her books. They are one-of-a-kind, and you will love this new one. The third one is Finding Grace When You Can’t Even Find Clean Underwear, by Lisa Earle McLoud. This book will make you laugh, cry, and think. It is wonderful! In this hilarious and insightful essay collection, nationally syndicated humor columnist Lisa Earle McLeod turns traditional thinking on its head. You can find all three of these books at most bookstores and online at Amazon.com:
www.amazon.com

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.  He is the author of the popular audio program, The Power of Appreciation, and the forthcoming book, Focus on the Good Stuff (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2007).  Feel free to contact Mike for more information about his speaking and coaching programs, as well as his products.

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“Now that it’s hot, I love playing with the sprinklers. Remember to appreciate your life, right now! And, thanks for reading my daddy’s newsletter.”

– Samantha Benoit Robbins (with us at her first birthday on February 11th)

For more photos of Samantha click here!