March 04, 2009
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In This Issue
Featured Article: This Too Shall Pass
Announcements
Speaking Schedule
Daddy's Little Girls
Welcome to another issue of Appreciation in Action. I hope you are doing well and having fun. Take a moment right now and think about some of the “good stuff” around you and within you at this moment – I bet there’s a lot to acknowledge, as there always is, if you focus on it!
Thanks for being on my email list. I’m excited to get to connect with you this way!
With gratitude,
This Too Shall Pass
Do you ever find yourself stuck in a negative place, worrying that things won’t get any better (or even that they will get worse)? Or, have you ever had things going so well in your life that you just knew it wouldn’t last? If you’re anything like me and most of the people I know and work with, your answer to both of these questions is, of course, “yes.”
Many of us seem to forget that there is a natural ebb and flow to life, especially when things get challenging, stressful, or scary. Right now, there is a lot of agreement in our world about how “bad” things are – particularly in relation to the economy. And while I do believe it is essential for us to confront things in life directly and not put our heads in the sand, it seems that many of us (myself included at times) tend to forget an important truth about life…this too shall pass.
Ironically, this same phenomenon is also true when things are “good.” Life constantly evolves and changes…nothing stays constant. We waste so much of our precious time and energy worrying about things, instead of appreciating and embracing them in the moment. Worrying that bad times won’t pass (which they almost always do) or that good times won’t last (which they almost never do) takes us out of the present moment and causes us to suffer, miss out, or both.
You or some of the people around you may be experiencing significant pain or challenge right now – based on the economic situation or other factors. Or, you may currently be experiencing a great deal of success, opportunity, and joy in your life. At some level, most of us experience a certain amount of real joy and real pain all the time, simultaneously.
Whatever our current experience of life may be, it always serves us to remember that things are in a constant state of flux and that whatever is going on in our lives right now, will pass. As difficult as this is for each of us to remember, especially when we’re scared, it can be a powerful reminder and an important mantra that we hold onto and share with others as a way to keep things in perspective.
Here are a few things you can do to enhance your ability to stay present, grounded, and grateful – regardless of the external circumstances in your life.
1) Count Your Blessings – Whatever is going on in your life - no matter how “good” or “bad” things may seem; there are always many things for us to be grateful for. Take some time right now to think about or write down some of the many blessings in your life. And, as a bonus – share them with others today and this week.
2) Support Others – Reminding others that things can and will get better (if they’re tough) and that it’s important to appreciate and enjoy what is happening (if things are going well), is a great way to remind ourselves, get out of our own head, and be in service. When we support others, we also support ourselves in a healthy and generous way. And, our authentic support of other people helps make sure we don’t spend and waste time feeling sorry for ourselves or getting too caught up in our own narcissism.
3) Reflect on Your Past in a Positive Way – Think back to times in your own life when you’ve overcome challenges and/or created great success and fulfillment. Remembering that we’ve had tough times and risen above them and that we’ve been able to appreciate ourselves, our lives, and our success – can help us remember how strong and capable we are in the present moment. Allow your past to empower you!
What can you do embrace life as it is and remember, in a healthy and empowering way, that whatever you are experiencing right now will pass? Share your thoughts on my blog here.
Two Great Books I Highly Recommend:
Emotional Freedom, by Dr. Judith Orloff
Judith Orloff MD, bestselling author and UCLA psychiatrist, has written another remarkable book called Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life. In this wonderful new book, Judith describes how to stay centered in the midst of the challenging times we are currently facing and with the ups and downs of life in general. Reading this book will take you on a journey where you can embrace more happiness and mastery over negativity. For more information about the book and the free gifts you can receive from Judith and others such as Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Michael Beckwith, me and many others, click on this link:
http://drjudithorloff.com/emotional-freedom-promotion/
Happy for No Reason (paperback), by Marci Shimoff
Marci Shimoff, bestselling author and featured teacher in The Secret, has just released a paperback version of her powerful book, Happy for No Reason. The ideas and principles that Marci teaches give us all simple, but powerful techniques for creating a genuine sense of fulfillment in our lives – regardless of the external circumstances. She teaches us how to be happy from the inside out. For more information about this book and to learn about the exciting launch campaign (free bonus gifts from dozens of authors and speakers), check out the link below:
http://www.happyfornoreason.com/MyBook
Connect with me on Facebook and Twitter
Like many people, I have recently gotten involved in Facebook and Twitter. I have been active on Facebook for a number of months and love it. Twitter is still a bit of a mystery to me, but I am getting up to speed with it. 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. Many 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….many of which are connected with the launch of my new book, Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken, in April. I hope to see you at one of these events!
For all upcoming public events, check out http://www.focusonthegoodstuff.com/publicevents.html.
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.
3/6/09 – Walnut Creek, CA
3/8/09 – San Francisco, CA (Unity Christ Church)
3/10/09 – San Francisco, CA
3/11/09 – San Francisco, CA
3/13/09 – San Francisco, CA
3/20/09 – Tucson, AZ
3/21/09 – Tucson, AZ
3/23/09 – Washington, DC
3/25/09 – Mountain View, CA
4/3/09 – Lake Tahoe, CA
4/8/09 – San Ramon, CA
4/13/09 – Walnut Creek, CA (Book Launch Event)
4/15/09 – San Francisco, CA (Books Inc.)
4/16/09 – Corte Madera, CA (Book Passage)
4/17/09 – Oakland, CA (A Great Good Place for Books)
4/19/09 – Clayton, CA (Clayton Books)
4/21/09 – San Diego, CA (Barnes & Noble)
4/27/09 – Mountain View, CA (East West Books)
4/30/09 – Salt Lake City, UT
5/4/09 – Los Angeles, CA (Bodhi Tree Bookstore)
5/7/09 – Riverside, CA
5/9/09 – San Mateo, CA
5/15/09 – Santa Rosa, CA
5/18/09 – Richmond, CA
Again, for a full list of my upcoming public events, check out: http://www.focusonthegoodstuff.com/publicevents.html.
“We try not to get too worked up about things and to remember that, this too shall pass. Thanks for being on daddy’s e-zine list.”
- Samantha and Annarose Robbins
