March 3, 2010

In This Issue

Featured Article: Who Do You Think You Are?

Announcements

Daddy's Little Girls

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

I hope all is well on your end!  It’s nice that is March here and that spring is getting closer, isn’t it?

Last week’s article about the Magic of the Olympics got a lot of great feedback, and also got picked up by Oprah.com and the Huffington Post.  Check it out if you didn’t get a chance.

I’m also super excited about the brand-new, four-week tele-course I’m offering that starts next week (March 8th).  We have people from all over the country and world signing up to be a part of this powerful course.  For more info or to sign yourself up, click on this link.  We also did a preview call for the course earlier this week; to listen to that call for free, click here.

Have a wonderful day and week.  Appreciate yourself!

With Gratitude,

Who Do You Think You Are?

(For this week’s audio message, click here.)

Sometimes when I’m about to take a big risk, go for something important, or “step out” in a bold way in my life, I notice the judgmental question, “Who do you think you are?, will pop up in my head.  Does this ever happen to you?

This is one of the many ways that the feelings of “not good enough” or “unworthy” show up in our lives and get in the way of our success, fulfillment, and authenticity.  Sadly, as most of us know, this question doesn’t come from our true self; it comes from our “Gremlin” – that little monster in our head whose only job is to keep us out of perceived danger.  The more we listen to our Gremlin, the more allow him or her to sabotage our life.

However, this question, “Who do you think you are?, while often asked in a negative, critical way and something that we allow to stop us from doing, saying, and going for important things in life - is also a very important question for us to ask and answer honestly.  When we look at it on deeper level, we see that our answer to this question has a lot to do with how we experience life, in general.

How life is for us has a lot less to do with our circumstances or situations, and much more to do with how we relate to them and ultimately the thoughts we have.  Some of the most powerful thoughts we think and the ones that have the most impact on us are the thoughts we have about ourselves (i.e. who we think we are).

Each of us has a “story” about ourselves and our lives.  These stories are often dramatic, funny, scary, inspiring, sad, intense, boring, enjoyable, tragic, and more (usually a combination of many of these things).  In most cases, the story we have about ourselves changes a bit – depending on how we’re feeling about life and ourselves at any given time.

One of the things we sometimes forget, however, is that we’re the author of the story of our life – not simply the main character.  We often think that our story has to do with all of the things that have “happened” to us, the qualities we were born with or have cultivated, the stuff we’ve done or haven’t done yet, etc.  But, when we remember that our story is a function of our thoughts, most specifically the thoughts we have about ourselves, we can be empowered to consciously transform not just our “story,” but our life as a whole.

Here are a few things to think about and do to enhance your thoughts about yourself, and therefore enhance your experience of life:

1)  Notice when your feelings of “not good enough” or “unworthy” show up – In other words, pay attention to when the question, “Who do you think you are?” stops you in your tracks and takes you out of the game of your life.  As we’re able to notice this, be honest about, and have some compassion for ourselves, we can take our power back from our Gremlin in those moments and step more fully into who we really are.

2)  Ask yourself more deeply, “Who do you think you are?” – Go deeper with this question, beyond the judgment and really inquiry into how you relate to yourself.  What’s your story?  The more honest we can be about the story we have about ourselves, the easier it is for us to acknowledge it, own it, and ultimately change it.  Remember, these stories are not “true,” they are simply our interpretations, judgments, and beliefs.  We created them, so we have the power to transform them at any time.

3)  Upgrade your “story” about yourself – In the specific areas of your life where your story is not empowering, inspiring, or fulfilling – see if you’re willing and able to “upgrade” it in an authentic way.  This basically means we change our thoughts, words, and feelings about it, genuinely.  Because we often get so attached to our stories and tend to defend them passionately, this “upgrading” process can be challenging for many of us.  It sometimes takes support, feedback, and coaching from others in order for us to move beyond our story and remember that we have the power to upgrade it whenever we’re ready.

Who we think we are is one of the most foundational aspects of how we relate to life and ourselves.  As Henry Ford said in his famous quote, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”   This simple quote is so wise and profound.  And, whether we think we’re great or we’re not, we’re always “right” – it’s a function of who we truly think we are.

Who do you think you are?  How can you “upgrade” the story you have about yourself in a way that will inspire and empower you? Share your thoughts, action ideas, insights, and more on my blog here.

Tele-Course with Me – March 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th

I’m excited to announce that I am offering a brand-new, four-week teleclass – Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken: Transform Your Life and Work with the Power of Authenticity! This tele-class is an interactive, inspiring, and practical course on how to move beyond fear and limitation, and step into who you truly are in an authentic way. The ideas, principles, and exercises laid out in this powerful teleclass will allow you to:

• Express yourself fully and with confidence
• Confront and transform fear
• Take risks and go for what you truly want
• Have more freedom and confidence in your work, your relationships, and your life

We will be using the MaestroConference tele-seminar technology, which will allow you to have an interactive experience and participate fully in all of the exercises and activities.  You will also be able to get some personal and valuable coaching and feedback from me throughout the course.  For more information and to register for this course, click here.  To listen to the preview call we did earlier this week about the course, click on this link.

New Books

The Shift– by Wayne Dyer

In The Shift—a companion book to the movie of the same name which Michelle and I loved—New York Times best-selling author Dr. Wayne W. Dyer illustrates how and why to make the move in your life from ambition to meaning. Such a shift eliminates our feelings of separateness, illuminates our spiritual connectedness, and involves moving from the ego-directed morning into the afternoon of life where everything is primarily influenced by purpose. Purchase The Shift and watch the movie online for free.  For more info, click here.

Second Sight– by Judith Orloff

Dr. Orloff has just released a new book Second Sight: An Intuitive Psychiatrist Tells Her Extraordinary Story and Shows You How To Tap Your Own Inner Wisdom.  It is a riveting story of her exile between two worlds--intuition and mainstream medicine.  This book reveals Dr. Orloff's journey from an intuitive child, alone with confusing abilities, to an esteemed psychiatrist who comes out of the "intuitive closet" to defy medical taboos. She also teaches you empowering, practical techniques to awaken your own intuitive powers to transform your health and life!  For more information about this book and the bonus gifts you will receive when you purchase copies today, click on this link.

Hay Houses’ Movers and Shakers Event: March 12th – 14th, San Francisco

If you’re an author or speaker (or an aspiring author and speaker) there is a great event taking place in San Francisco the weekend of March 12th.  Hay House, the top self-help/personal development publishing house in the world is hosting an event called “Movers and Shakers,” designed to help authors and speakers expand their platforms and reach people through various forms of media, marketing, and outreach.  Bestselling author and well-known life coach Cheryl Richardson and Reid Tracy, President and CEO of Hay House, will be leading this event.  I will be attending the entire thing myself and am so excited about it.  If you want to take your message and your impact to the next level, this event is perfect for you.  For more info and to register, click on this link.

“We think we are beautiful, powerful, and brilliant!”
- Samantha and Annarose Robbins

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

For some new and very special photos of us, click here.