Mike Robbins' Appreciation in Action

Hello!

Thank you for subscribing to my monthly email newsletter! I am grateful to have this opportunity to connect with you each month. I hope you enjoy this second issue of “Appreciation in Action.”

I also hope that you, your family, your co-workers, and your friends are enjoying the holiday season. May the holidays and the New Year bring you and those around you loads of joy, love, fun, and success!

With Gratitude and APPRECIATION,

Mike Robbins

Appreciation is the Best Gift We Can Give

At this time of year, it is easy to get caught up in the “stress” and activities of the holidays. Recently, I have found myself rushing around, trying to find the right gifts, planning holiday gatherings, worrying about family and group dynamics, wanting to make sure everyone will be happy, and hoping that I can pull everything off without going crazy and/or being a jerk to the people around me.

Your personal version of this may be a little different than mine, but most of us have some form of holiday “madness” that we experience at this time of the year. In the midst of our madness, we often forget that what most people want, more than anything else, is to be truly appreciated by us. Whether it is our significant other, our family, our friends, our children, our co-workers, or anyone else…the best gift we can give to the people in our lives is the gift of our true appreciation and love. This is not to say that material gifts are meaningless. However, I think we often get so caught up in the material gifts and the activities of the holidays (parties, meals, presents, decorations, etc.) that we forget that the most important gift (our love and appreciation) costs nothing at all.

If we stop for a moment and think about the people around us, there is so much to appreciate about them. Maybe they are not “perfect” and maybe we get annoyed and frustrated with them at times. It seems that we often get the most frustrated with those closest to us. However, as Werner Erhard said, “In every human being there is both garbage and gold, it is up to us to choose what we pay attention to.” I believe we find exactly what we look for. If we look for “gold” in others, we always find an abundance of treasures within them. Then, when we have the courage to honor and acknowledge their gold in a heartfelt way, we give them one of the most powerful and meaningful gifts of all…appreciation!

Pay it Forward

This year at your holiday gatherings at work or at home, one of the greatest holiday “gift exchange” games you can play is something I call “Pay it Forward.” Someone starts by publicly acknowledging another person in the group (i.e. they tell that person what they love, appreciate, admire, respect, adore about them). The person who gets acknowledged says, “Thank you,” and then “pays it forward” by publicly appreciating someone else in the group. You keep “paying” compliments forward until everyone in the group has had a chance to acknowledge someone and to be acknowledged. It is a great game and it leaves everyone feeling loved, celebrated, and appreciated.

There are different ways you can set this game up logistically so that it flows easily. One simple way is to have everyone pick names out of a hat. The person whose name they pick is the person who they will acknowledge. Another way is to simply have the group stand or sit in a circle and just go around the circle in order. However you set up or organize your group, here are the key elements necessary to have this game work: # 1) The acknowledgements must be genuine and heart felt. # 2) When people get acknowledged they have to truly let it in and say “thank you,” (no jokes, self-deprecating humor, etc.). And, # 3), people must take the game seriously and allow it to be fun, safe, and sacred.

This game can truly be a transformational experience for every individual involved and for your group or family. Imagine what your holiday gatherings will be like when you “Pay it Forward” with appreciation!

Would you like recommendations about great books, workshops, and other resources? If so, visit the “success resources” section of my website. In this section, I have included a great deal of information about some of the best teachers, authors, books, workshops, organizations, and coaches out there. Enjoy!
http://www.mike-robbins.com/success-resources.htm

For more information about my speaking and coaching programs, feel free to visit my newly updated website: http://www.mike-robbins.com

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"In every human being there is both garbage and gold, it is up to us to chose what we pay attention to."