Mike Robbins' Appreciation in Action

An email newsletter designed to give you
insights and techniques for greater success and fulfillment.

Hello!

Welcome to another issue of Appreciation in Action! I hope that you and those around you had a great Thanksgiving. During the holidays we are often given a chance to reflect on the things that we are grateful for, which I always enjoy. Of the many things I am thankful for is the opportunity to connect with you on a regular basis through this email newsletter.

Thanks for your interest and support of my work.

Specifically, I want to thank those of you who purchased a copy of my new audio program, The Power of Appreciation, when we launched it last month. The response to this new CD has been very positive and I am grateful for that.

Happy Holidays!

With Appreciation,

Let's Have Thanksgiving All the Time

Last Thursday when my wife Michelle and I sat down for Thanksgiving dinner with our family, we participated in one of our favorite holiday traditions, “gratitude sharing.” We went around the dinner table and each of us took turns talking about what we were thankful for. I love doing this! Whenever we do this, I always feel inspired, closer to the people I am with, and reminded of the many blessings in my life and in life in general.

I know that many people use this same ritual (or some variation of it) on Thanksgiving. It is wonderful that we take this time to give thanks and express our appreciation for the “good stuff” in life. However, I found myself wondering. why don't we do this more often?

We seem to have many unwritten rules about public gratitude and appreciation in our society. One of these rules is that expressions of thankfulness and appreciation should come only at “appropriate” times. Thanksgiving is one of these acceptable times, which is why many of us take the time and feel at least somewhat comfortable expressing our gratitude out loud. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, retirement parties, awards banquets, and other events or activities also fall into this acceptable category. These are all wonderful occasions for us to express appreciation for ourselves, others, and for life in general. But, what if we did this more often? What if expressing our thankfulness was a regular, everyday occurrence? What if we had “Thanksgiving” all the time?

The same good feelings that we generate sitting around the dinner table at Thanksgiving could be generated on July 17th, April 2nd, October 28th or on any other day throughout the year. We could express our gratitude every Wednesday, every other Tuesday, or every single day for that matter.

There is an endless supply of things for us to be grateful for. It is simply a matter of what we focus on and what we choose to talk about. If we take time on a regular basis to focus on what we are grateful for and have the courage to express it out loud, we can have Thanksgiving all the time!

Create a regular gratitude ritual that you can do with other people in your life. You can do it with your family, your friends, and/or your team. Make it simple, fun, and creative. My friend Johnny recently told me that he, his wife, and their four year old daughter have “Thankful Thursdays” every week. Each Thursday morning as they are driving their daughter to school, they all talk about what they are thankful for. This is a perfect example of a regular gratitude practice. Here are a few other examples:

At the beginning of dinner have everyone around the table say something they are grateful for (just like on Thanksgiving)

On your outgoing voice mail message, ask people to tell you something that they are grateful for in their message (you will be amazed what people say)

At the beginning of a team meeting, have people on your team say things they appreciate about the team and/or publicly acknowledge something good that has recently happened

There are so many different gratitude practices that you can incorporate into your life. They are simple, fun, and inspiring. Be creative, have fun with it, and make sure that you put it into action. As one of my favorite quotes reminds us, “Insight without action makes no difference.”

The Power of Appreciation (audio program) is available:
My new audio program, entitled The Power of Appreciation is now available. This 72-minute CD is a studio recorded version of my most popular keynote and seminar program. This fun and interactive program gives you tips and techniques for how you can appreciate yourself, others, and life in general – thus creating more success and fulfillment for you and the people around you. Click below for more information and/or to purchase a copy of this program.
http://www.mike-robbins.com/online-store.htm

Winning Strategies box-set is available:
Winning is an art. There are specific strategies, techniques, and formulas used by individuals and teams that truly know how to win. This extraordinary box set contains powerful material from 15 experts in the field of success and winning. This box has 13 audio programs and 2 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. Click on the link to my online store for more info about this product and/or to purchase a box for yourself.
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.

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“ Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. ”
—Melody Beattie