June 18, 2009

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In This Issue

Featured Article: Be Real Not Right

Announcements

Speaking Schedule

Daddy's Little Girls

Welcome to this week’s issue of Appreciation (and Authenticity) in Action.

I hope you’re experiencing the full richness of life and that you’re able to appreciate each step of your journey, wherever you may find yourself at this present moment. Whether you’re “up” or “down” right now, remember that “this too shall pass.”

Thanks for being on my email list!

With Gratitude,

P.S. If you’d like to hear a recent radio interview I did about my new book and the importance of authenticity on a great show called Inside Personal Growth, click here.

Be Real Not Right

Do you like to be right? If you’re anything like me, I bet you do. I’ve spent much of my life being obsessed with “rightness;” having the “right” answer, doing the “right” thing, acting the “right” way, winning arguments to prove how “right” I am and more.

As I’ve learned and you’ve probably noticed as well, it’s not only impossible to be right all the time, it’s exhausting, stressful, and no fun (for us or others). The great saying, “you can either be right or happy, not both,” is so true!

On our journey of growth, fulfillment, and authenticity, one of the best things we can do when we notice ourselves focusing on being “right,” is to take a step back, take a deep breath, and ask ourselves, “what’s real?” When we look within, there’s always something much deeper going on when we want to be right. Maybe we’re feeling scared, passionate, angry, excited, helpless, joyful, embarrassed, or something else.

When we focus on being right we’re fixed in our thinking, we’re often self righteous in our approach (which is almost always annoying and ineffective), and we’re usually covering up our real emotions (because it’s easier and more comfortable for us to be right than to be real and vulnerable).

Take a moment to reflect on the important areas, aspects, and relationships in your life right now. Are there places where you know your overly focused on being right? If so, you’re not alone! With honesty and compassion, ask yourself the following questions:

Asking and answering these and other honest questions can lead us to deeper place of authenticity within ourselves and with the other people involved in the situations in our lives that may cause us stress, worry, or pain (i.e. the ones where we’re obsessed with being right).

We live in a culture that has trained us to be “right” at almost all costs. While I’m not advocating that we give up on our passions, beliefs, and values – I’m challenging us to tell the truth and get underneath our righteous opinions to a place of deep truth, realness, and vulnerability.

From this place of authenticity we can have real power, freedom, and connection in our lives. If we stay focused on being right all the time, we’ll “win some and lose some” on the surface, but ultimately won’t have the kind of life, work, and relationships we truly desire.

How does this relate to you, your life, your relationships and more? Share your thoughts, action more on my blog here.   

New Book – Ask and You Will Succeed,
by Ken Foster
Most of us spend our lives asking the wrong questions and getting nowhere. Ask and You Will Succeed gives you a new perspective on what you can accomplish when you ask the right questions. When you change the questions you ask, there's no limit to what you can do. To find out more about this powerful new book from Ken Foster and to gain access to lots of free bonus material, check out this link.

Great Movie Club – Spiritual Cinema Circle
With so much “doom and gloom” on TV and in films these days, I am so grateful for the Spiritual Cinema Circle (SCC) - a movie club that specializes in films about love, compassion, growth, and positive messages. This month’s SCC film selection is called 2012: Science or Superstition. It’s an entertaining and informative documentary that explores the many perspectives on this interesting and fascinating topic – the Mayan calendar and the significance of the year 2012. You can receive 2012: Science or Superstition plus 3 short films for free when you sign up for a trial membership with Spiritual Cinema Circle. For more info and to sign up, click here.

Connect with me on and
I’m really getting into Facebook and Twitter these days. If you’d like to become friends with me on Facebook, click here. If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, check here.

Where I’m Speaking:
Below is a list of where and when I’m speaking for the next few months. Most of these events are for my corporate or organizational clients (i.e. not open to the public). The ones in bold, however, are public events. I hope to see you at one of these!

For all my upcoming public events, check out this link. And, if you live in any of the cities where I’ll be traveling and want to contact me about setting up a speaking engagement for your group or company while I’m in town, feel free to contact me.

6/23/08 – Walnut Creek, CA

6/25/09 – Palo Alto, CA

7/22/09 – Tempe, AZ (Changing Hands Books)

7/15/09 – Mountain View, CA

8/7/09 – Columbus, OH

8/28/09 – Walnut Creek, CA

8/30/09 – San Diego, CA

9/10/09 – Concord, CA

9/12/09 – Sonoma, CA

9/13/09 – Walnut Creek, CA (Unity Center)

9/22/09 – Salt Lake City, UT

9/26/09 – Kansas City, MO

Again, for a full list of my upcoming public events, check out: http://www.beyourselfbook.com/events.htm.

“We’re so excited about our new baby cousin, Brody...isn’t he cute?”

- Samantha and Annarose Robbins

To see more photos of us and
our mommy and daddy, click here.