For some additional ideas and specific tips about how to become even more hopeful and optimistic, check out this week’s audio clip.

To download this audio as an MP3 file, right click here and select “Save Target As” to begin download.

With Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

As someone who is very interested in current events, politics, sports, and more - I pay a lot of attention to the news (sometimes more than is probably healthy for me). I read newspapers, check the Internet, watch TV, and listen to the radio. With all of this news and information, I am often struck by how little of it is “good news,” especially these days.

While there is probably a certain amount of negative stuff that is important for us to know about, if we spend time checking in with most of the “mainstream” press, it’s easy to get the impression that life is really scary, negative, and that there are lots of terrible things are happening all over the place.

In recent months with all that is happening around the world and in our economy, there have been some genuinely negative things happening. These things do have real impact on real people – and on many of us personally. However, what about all the good news? There are literally billions of positive things happening all over the planet at this moment…most of them we will never hear about or know about. Think of how much good stuff goes unnoticed, unacknowledged, and un-communicated even in our own personal lives on a regular basis.

What has been happening in our country, our culture, and our world is a reflection of what is going on within each of us. We can get caught up in the “doom and gloom” of the moment, obsess about all of the issues and challenges facing us today, and allow the bad news coming at us from every angle get to us on a personal level…or we can choose something else.

While I am not advocating that we bury our heads in the sand, pretend everything is “fine,” and just ignore what’s happening…I do believe that now more than ever, we must be conscious about what we watch, read, and listen to. Nobody forces us to read the paper or the Internet, turn on the TV or radio, or get caught up in the mass hysteria of how “awful” things are. We each do that in our own personal way.

Here are a few things you can do to focus on more good news and not let the negative news get to you so much:

1) Limit the amount of news you consume. If you’re honest about it, you don’t need to watch, read, or listen to as much as you do in order to stay informed. If this is an issue for you, create a specific time limit per day and have others in your life support you and hold you accountable.

2) Choose news sources that you respect and at some level make you feel good. In other words, notice how you feel personally and emotionally when you watch a particular news show, listen to a someone on the radio, or read a newspaper, magazine, or website. If you notice that after watching, listening, or reading you don’t feel so good – maybe you can find another source for your news. This is about honoring yourself!

3) Seek out good news. Whether it’s in the media or in your life personally, now more than ever we must look for and find things to be grateful for, happy about, and excited about. There’s lots of good news out there; it’s up to us to find the good stuff and also to talk about it to others.

What are you doing or will you do to focus on more good news these days?
Share your thoughts on my blog here.

For some additional ideas and specific tips about how to become even more hopeful and optimistic, check out this week’s audio clip.

To download this audio as an MP3 file, right click here and select “Save Target As” to begin download.

With Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

These three words, “yes we can,” became the manta for Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaign. Whether you voted for, support, or agree with President Obama or not, these three words are powerful and important for each of us in our lives, especially in the face of the challenges that many of us are facing these days.

When we believe in ourselves in an authentic way, we allow ourselves to trust that we can do whatever it is we desire and that no matter what our current circumstance may be, we always have the power within us to overcome, accomplish, or manifest anything. As Henry Ford famously stated, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”

Being optimistic is and always will be a personal choice. And, it’s not always the easiest choice to make. Some of us are more predisposed to be negative, while others of us are more predisposed to be positive – based on a variety of factors (personality, beliefs, family background, environment, focus, and much more). However, all of us can practice and enhance our ability to be optimistic in our daily lives. It’s both a choice and a skill.

Being hopeful and positive doesn’t mean we avoid the challenges of our lives or pretend that there aren’t problems around us, it’s that we choose to focus on the good stuff, find what’s working, and trust that things will work out. This does take a certain amount of faith and it challenges us to let go of our need to control, explain, and understand everything at all times.

Here are a few simple things you can do to enhance your own ability to be optimistic in life:

1) Tell the truth – Admit to yourself and to others your own fear, worry, and negativity. While we don’t want to complain or dwell on things in a detrimental way, so often we deny or avoid our true negativity or pessimism, which keeps it stuck. When we admit it and own it, we have a chance to move through it and to let it go consciously.

2) Practice looking for the good stuff – This is an art and a skill that we can practice all the time. It can be challenging to find the good stuff in the midst of adversity, but that is the most important time to do it and the most valuable way to practice. The more you do it the easier it gets. This is all about us giving up our desire, need, and right to be a victim in life!

3) Surround yourself with authentically optimistic people – Choose to be around people who are genuinely positive and hopeful. This doesn’t mean that they’re happy all the time or always super upbeat (although they often will be, most likely). Seek out people who choose to appreciate life and to focus on what’s working. Doing this will not only be more fun and empowering for you, but it will also support you in your desire to be more optimistic in your own life.

Optimism is essential to our happiness, fulfillment, and our ability to overcome and persevere in life. It takes courage, boldness, and trust – things that as we all know are important, but not always easy in life. As you look at your own work, relationships, and life in general, where can you say “Yes I can?” and allow that statement to empower you in an optimistic way? The more we say “yes” to ourselves and to life, the more life and others say “yes” back to us.

I say to you, me, and everyone around us – YES WE CAN!

How will you enhance your ability to be optimistic in life? Share your thoughts on my blog here.

With Appreciation,
- Mike Robbins
www.Mike-Robbins.com  

Following up on my blog post from two days ago, this week’s audio message builds on the idea of extreme self care and gives you some specific action tips for what you can to do take even better care of yourself. Enjoy!

To download this audio as an MP3 file, right click here and select “Save Target As” to begin download.

With Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

With the new year just getting started, many of us are focused on our goals, intentions, and resolutions for 2009. While this is a wonderful and exciting aspect of every new year, one of the most important things we can focus on this year is appreciating ourselves – first!

If you’re anything like me and most of the people I know and work with, you probably have a tendency to be hard on yourself, or at least to think you have to achieve your goals or do something “good” in order to pat yourself on the back and appreciate yourself. What if we started with self appreciation, instead of waiting until we think we deserved it or had time to do it?

When we take a deeper look at most of our goals or intentions, for 2009 or in general, what we’re really after is a sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, and, most importantly, self appreciation. We think that if we achieve our goals, we’ll be happy and feel good about ourselves. However, as you may have noticed throughout your life – not only is this not true, it creates a great deal of stress for us in the process.

While I am a big advocate of creating healthy, empowering, and bold goals this new year and in our lives as we grow and evolve, what we have to remember is that without appreciating ourselves our goals are meaningless. And, when we do take the time to appreciate ourselves – regardless of what’s happening on the outside – three incredible things happen. First of all, we put ourselves in the best possible position for the fulfillment of our goals. Second, we give ourselves first what we’re going after ultimately – a positive sense of who we are and what’s valuable about us, right now. And third, we make ourselves available in a genuine way to be there for others and appreciate the people around us.

Here are a few suggestions for ways you can take care of yourself and appreciate who you are as we move into this new year.

Suggestions:

1) Create a regular self appreciation practice. Write in a journal, talk to a friend, meditate/pray, or do anything else that speaks to you with a specific focus on what you appreciate about yourself. Do this as often as possible – make it habit.

2) Schedule time for yourself. Regardless of how busy you are, how many people depend on you, and all the things you think “need” to get done – one of the most important things you can do to honor and appreciate yourself, is to take time just for you. It doesn’t matter what you do – read, take a bath, go for a walk, sit, participate in an activity you love, or anything else (as long as it is enjoyable to you and makes you feel good). The most important thing is for you to take time for just you.

3) Ask for support. One of the best ways we can honor and appreciate ourselves is to reach out and ask other people for support. For many of us, this can be scary and difficult. However, when we do it we allow others to be of service (which most people love), we remind ourselves that we are worthy of people’s support, and we remember that we are not alone. One of my favorite sayings is, “the answer is always ‘no’ if we don’t ask.”

I wish you the very best as you step into this new year. What a wonderful opportunity we each have to create 2009 to be a fun, growth-filled, exciting, and rewarding new year. If we put appreciating ourselves at the top of our list of intentions, we’ll set ourselves up for true success and real fulfillment.

How will you appreciate yourself in 2009?
Share your thoughts here.

With Appreciation,
-Mike Robbins
www.Mike-Robbins.com

With the holiday season now in full swing, it’s easy for us to get caught up in the stress of getting everything on our “list” crossed off, preparing for parties and events, and rushing around to buy gifts. And, with money tight for some this year, there’s added stress for many of us as we think about what to get for our family members, friends, co-workers, and others.

Instead of just giving “stuff” for the holidays, what if we gave the people in our life the best gift of all; our appreciation? Let the people around you know why you appreciate them. What do you value about your best friend? What is it about your kids that you really appreciate? What do you love most about your spouse? How does your co-worker or your boss make your job easier and more fun.

This year, our holiday gifts can be expressions of true appreciation which will have real impact on our relationships and make our holiday season one to remember. As we know, greater appreciation leads to improved communication, less stress, and more overall fulfillment.

And, with things the way they are financially for many people these days, taking time to appreciate others and life is so important this year.

Here are three simple suggestions to make your holiday gifts and your holiday season special:

Suggestions:

1) In addition to (or instead of) giving gifts, take time to write heartfelt thank you cards. Write cards letting the people around you know what you appreciate about them and how they have impacted your life in a positive way.

2) Ask people what they really want. Giving something specific that someone really wants will have them feel appreciated and valued. It doesn’t have to be expensive, as long as it’s personal to them. And, if you ask them directly you may find out that what they really want is something simple that can’t be bought or doesn’t cost money.

3) Give the gift of your time or service - Make a list of a few important people in your life and instead of buying them something, call and ask each them if there is some project they’ve been putting off or procrastinating that you might be able to help them with. Schedule time to come over to their house or support them specifically in getting that task or project accomplished.

Remember what most people want, more than anything else, is to know that they are loved, valued, and appreciated…that’s the best gift we can give to them – for the holidays and at any time of the year. Enjoy these next few weeks. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

How will you appreciate others during this holiday season? Share your thoughts here on my blog here.

With Appreciation,
- Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

Today marks the second anniversary of the sudden death of my friend and mentor Richard Carlson, author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.

It’s still hard for me to believe that he is no longer here with us in physical form. I feel his warm and loving presence around me all the time. I still feel guided by his mentorship, love, and appreciation.

I learned so much from Richard through his work and through our relationship. He taught me about peace, mindfulness, integrity, and commitment to family. I still talk to him in my dreams and meditations – and I’m grateful for the feedback and guidance. I do wish I could pick up the phone or have breakfast with him…I’m sure he would have lots to share about life, fatherhood, books, and more with me these days.

He was such a gift to all of us who knew him, but also to millions around the world who were touched by his simple and powerful message of “not sweating the small stuff.”

His beautiful wife Kris has continued on his message, his work, and legacy…through her own writing and speaking. What an inspiration she has been and continues to be to me, all of us who know her, and to the people who are touched by her work. I know Richard is proud of her.

On this day I feel sad that he is not here for me to hug or for us to receive new aspects of his inspirational work. And, I feel grateful that I was able to be his friend, learn from him, and that he walked the planet for the forty five years he did, made the impact that he did on me and so many others, and that his voice, message, wisdom, and legacy live on in so many beautiful ways.

Thank you Richard! I miss you buddy!

For more information about Richard Carlson, his life, and his work, visit:

http://www.richardcarlson.com/

And, in honor of Richard you can focus on two things today:

1) Don’t sweat the small stuff

2) Hug the people close to you and tell them how much you love them in a heartfelt way.

With Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

With Thanksgiving upon us and the holiday season kicking into gear, it’s easy for us to get caught up in the activities, preparations, and stress that come along with this time of year - especially given some of the today’s challenges. Sadly, in the midst of all of this commotion, fear, and negativity, it will be easy for many of us to forget the most important aspects of Thanksgiving this year - to be grateful for what we do have, express our appreciation to those around us, and appreciate ourselves.

This year Thanksgiving can be more than just a nice holiday, it can be a time of reflection, connection, and transformation – even and especially in the midst of the current adversity. Greater appreciation leads to improved communication and relationships, less stress and enhanced health, and more overall fulfillment.

Here are three simple reminders and three powerful action ideas for making this Thanksgiving one to remember for you and those close to you:

Reminders:

1) Be grateful - focus on the good stuff and count your blessings

2) Acknowledge the people around you - let the people in your life know what you appreciate about them

3) Appreciate yourself - pat yourself on the back and focus on what you are doing well

Action ideas:

1) When you sit down at the table for Thanksgiving, go around the table and have everyone share things they’re grateful for.

2) Before, during, or after your meal, pick someone to acknowledge, let them know how they’ve positively impacted your life, and then ask them to “pay it forward” and acknowledge someone else in the group. Keep going until everyone has been appreciated.

3) Take some time to reflect on yourself and your life. Ask yourself, “What do I appreciate about myself?” Think about, write down, and/or share your answers to this question with others.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend. I am thankful for you!

With Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

Sometimes we think that appreciation is all about being “nice.” That’s not the case. Appreciation, in my opinion, is about recognizing the value of someone or something and about being able to empower ourselves and others. It is, however, also about coming from a place of gratitude, respect, and truth in our relationships with the people around us. Giving people honest feedback can be one of the best ways to appreciate them and let them know we that we care about them. This, however, isn’t always easy.

First of all, to give someone honest feedback you must have a foundation of trust and appreciation in your relationship with them. It’s also important to ask their permission and make sure it’s okay with them before you launch into your feedback.

Often we wait until it’s too late or we don’t say something because we’re scared about how they might react. It’s easy to say nothing or to just “blow smoke.” However, it takes real courage to speak your truth to another person.

The key is your intention. If your intention is to make a difference for that person, “clear” something that might be in your way with them, or help them see something they may not be able to see – you’re coming from a place that can empower and ultimately support that person. If your intention is to be superior, to show them how wrong they are and how right you are, or some version of either of these two things – you’re coming from your ego and your “truth” will most likely push them away.

I’ve recently been confronted with a number of situations like this in my own life. I’ve handled some of them very poorly - either by not speaking up or doing so in a self-righteous or ineffective way. There have been a handful of situations, however, where I’ve had the courage to speak up and say what was on my mind and in doing so something wonderful happened. Regardless of how we go about this, in the end it’s almost always better for us to speak up than not. We learn more about ourselves, get closer to the other person, and grow in the process.

When someone speaks a “hard truth” to me, I know that have a tendency to push back and defend myself initially. Once that happens, however, I’m usually able to hear their feedback and learn from it. Most importantly, I always appreciate their willingness and courage to say something honest and potentially vulnerable to me.

Look at your relationships - especially the most important ones. Where are you not telling the truth, not giving feedback, or worried to say something honest? What would it take for you to be willing to tell them the truth? What are you afraid of? What would be possible in your relationship with them if you spoke up?

I challenge to you to pick a few important people in your life that you’ve been afraid to speak your truth to and just do it. Remember that speaking your truth (with appreciation, honesty, and kindness) is a great gift for the people in your life and is one of the best ways you can acknowledge them and strengthen your relationship.

How will you speak the truth with appreciation and honesty? Share your thoughts, click here.

With Appreciation,
Mike Robbins
www.Mike-Robbins.com