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Thank you for subscribing to my almost monthly email newsletter, Appreciation in Action. I am grateful to have this opportunity to connect with you each month. Welcome to those of you who have recently signed up…thanks for joining! I hope you are doing well…

With Gratitude and APPRECIATION,

Appreciating “Difficult” People

Are there people in your life, on your team, and/or with whom you interact regularly that get on your nerves? Have you ever found yourself wanting to yell at the top of your lungs, “Knock it off, I can’t stand you?” If so, you are not alone…welcome to being human! One of most challenging aspects of being human, living and working with others, creating personal success, and developing a championship team around us is dealing with the people we consider “difficult” (or other, less polite adjectives).

Have you ever stopped to think about what you appreciate about these difficult people? Most often, we don’t. We spend a good amount of time thinking about, talking about, and gathering more “evidence” for why someone is a “jerk” and/or what we don’t like about him or her. However, these “difficult” people in our lives are actually great teachers and reminders for us. They often teach us important lessons about life and about ourselves. They also remind us to be more patient and accepting, and they force us to live true to the principles many of us say are most important – kindness, love, acceptance, forgiveness, respect, and others.

It is easy to appreciate people we like, the ones who agree with us and do things the way we do. The bigger challenge is being able to appreciate those who are different than we are, who disagree with us, and even those who get on our nerves or annoy us. Think about it for minute, don’t you often learn a great deal from some of those “difficult” people? Also, do you think your chances of success and fulfillment would be enhanced if you were able to more effectively deal with “difficult” people? For most of us, the answer both of these questions is YES!

When we take the time to appreciate the “difficult” people around us, some amazing things happen. First of all, we find that there are actually many things we do appreciate about them. (Remember, we always find what we look for). Second, we allow ourselves to be open to the lessons these people have to teach us. Third, we let go of the unnecessary stress and frustration that comes along with constantly being irritated by another person. When we are willing to look for good stuff, even in these “difficult” people, we tap into the amazing power of appreciation. Appreciation allows us to greatly increase our own personal success and fulfillment, and it dramatically improves the environment around us as well.

Think of the three most “difficult” people in your life. Write their names down on a piece of paper. Next to each name, write at least three things you appreciate about them. For some, it may take a while, for others it will be much easier. You may find that once you start, there are lots of things you appreciate about them.

Next time you think about, talk about and/or interact with these people, see if you can put more of your attention on the things you appreciate about them (what you wrote on your list and more), and less attention on the things that you don’t like.

If you are up to it and you are ready to have a real “breakthrough” in your relationship with these “difficult” people, I CHALLENGE you to let each of them know what you appreciate about them. Give them a call, write them a note, or talk to them face-to-face and acknowledge them. When you have the courage to genuinely communicate your appreciation, especially to these specific people, I promise you it will have powerful results – for them and for you.

Have fun with this…and, if you want, let me know how it goes. I look forward to hearing the good news!

1) Story by Mike Robbins in the new Chicken Soup Book:
I have a story in the new Chicken Soup for the Single Parent’s Soul. I am very excited and honored to be published in the newest Chicken Soup book (released February 1st). My story, entitled “Mom Taught Me to Play Baseball,” is on page 294. For more information and/or to order a copy of this book visit here.
http://www.mike-robbins.com/chickensoupforsoul.htm

2) Empowering Audio Messages by Mike Robbins and other speakers/authors:
Would you like to listen to free, short, motivational audio messages recorded by me and other well-known authors and speakers? If so, visit http://www.empoweringmessages.com and click on the message you would like to hear. This site and these messages are great!

3) New Book – The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield
My colleague Jack Canfield has just released a new, powerful book called The Success Principles. I just saw Jack speak at a conference in Burbank, CA and he was fantastic. The book is great and it is a wonderful tool for you to use to create even more success in your life. To purchase this new book, click the link below to get it at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060594888/mikerobbspeaa-20

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, 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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Mike Robbins
1735 Glazier Drive
Concord, CA 94521
Phone: (925) 825-2319