March 25, 2010

In This Issue

Featured Article: Act As If

Announcements

Daddy's Little Girls

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

I hope you're doing well and having a great week.  I'm so happy that spring is here - lots to appreciate about this new season of life.  Time for renewal, rebirth, and awakening!

Last week's article, "The Power of No" got lots of great feedback on my blog and it was also published on the Huffington Post.

Thanks so much for being on my list.  Have a great day and rest of your week.

With Gratitude,

P.S. If you'd like to read my most recent article published on Oprah.com, "Love Your Flaws," click here.

Act As If

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

I first heard the phrase "act as if" about fifteen or twenty years ago.  I remember learning that if we "act as if" we already have something we want, "act as if" something is already occurring in our lives (even if it's not), or "act as if" we know how to do something (even if we don't) - we create the conditions for it to manifest in our life with greater easy and probability.

In recent years, this concept has been popularized and even mainstreamed by books, films, and teachers talking about the "law of attraction" (i.e. like attracts like, thoughts create things, we get what we focus on, etc.)

This past week, Michelle and I watched a wonderfully inspiring documentary film called Act As If which had a profound impact on me.  The film is about Kathy Delaney-Smith, the head women's basketball coach at Harvard University.  Kathy, who comes from a working class background and didn't have much basketball or coaching experience, used the power of "acting as if" to become a very successful coach at one of the most elite institutions in the world.  She has also used her "act as if" philosophy to teach, train, and inspire her players both on the off the court for the past thirty years.

Most poignantly, Kathy used the power of her mind and her thoughts to act as if she were healthy and strong as she successfully battled through a life-threatening bout of breast cancer.  Her story, strength, and attitude are inspiring and courageous.

The message of this film spoke to me on a few different levels.  First of all, it brought the worlds of sports and the power of our thoughts and intention together in a meaningful way, which I appreciated.  Second, Kathy's personal story and her approach with her players are both important things we can benefit from, learn from, and take to heart (in business, parenting, teamwork, relationships, and life in general).  And, finally, it reminded me how important it is to be conscious of my thoughts, my intentions, and my beliefs.

As I've been reflecting on it more, I realize that although I understand the concept of "acting as if" and I write, speak, and teach about how we have the power to create our own reality, in certain areas of my life - especially the ones that are most important to me or the ones where I feel the most cynical and resigned, I often pay "lip service" to acting as if, while simply hoping things will get better, worrying that they won't, or allowing the outcome to determine how optimistic or pessimistic my outlook and approach will be.

This has been a sobering, but important realization for me this week.  There is a big difference between knowing something and living it.

"Acting as if" is about believing in things that don't currently exist and that there may not be much evidence for.  This is about living a "faith-based" life, not an "evidence-based life."  The term "faith-based" often gets used in a political, social, or moral context when talking about initiatives or organizations that are connected with the church or some specific organized religion.  However, being a faith-based person, while it can and often does encompass our religious beliefs and our spiritual practices, is even broader than this.

When we choose to live with a strong faith in things not seen, not proven, and not guaranteed - we tap into the power of the possible and we supersede the literal and predicable.

Wayne Dyer wrote a great book a number of years ago called You’ll See it When You Believe it.  So many of us, myself included, live important aspect of our lives with the silent mantra of "I'll believe it when I see it" and in doing so we hold ourselves back, limit what's possible, and negate the power of our mind, imagination, and intention to allow and create things, situations, experiences, and outcomes that are new, unpredictable, and even miraculous.

For some of us, the idea of "acting as if" is basic and fundamental, for others of us it may be new and/or more difficult, and for still others it may seem out there and quite esoteric.  Regardless of how we relate to this idea, we've all experienced it in our lives in big and small ways.  Kathy Delaney-Smith demonstrates it in the Act as If film in a powerful way through her coaching, her battle with cancer, and how she lives life.

The question for us to ask ourselves is, "What am I acting as if will happen in the most important areas of my life right now?"

We often get exactly what we expect - which is a pretty powerful concept if we take time to let it in and live with that awareness.  Instead of waiting to see how things turn out, hoping that they will get better, or simply allowing the circumstances and situations in our lives determine how we feel - what if we acted as if we had everything within us and around us that we need to be successful, happy, and fulfilled already - which we do, by the way!

What can you do to "act as if" in your life right now in a way that will release stress, create peace, and help you attract what you want? Share your thoughts, action ideas, insights, and more on my blog here.

For this week’s audio message, including additional thoughts, ideas, and tips, click here.

Get a Free Copy of the film, Act As If

You can receive a free copy of the film, Act As If (the one I mentioned in the article above), when you sign up for a free trial of Spiritual Cinema Circle today.  Spiritual Cinema Circle is the home of uplifting stories that inspire love and compassion, films that connect us with the world around us. Now in their sixth year, Spiritual Cinema Circle is home for a community of conscious filmmakers and film-lovers in more than 80 countries. When you sign up for a free trial membership of Spiritual Cinema Circle today, you get a free DVD copy of this month's sections - including Act As If, Thomas and the Rainbow, and two shorts - you just pay shipping and handling.  For more information about this month's uplifting films and Spiritual Cinema Circle, and to start your free trial membership, click here.

Great Book – Be. Do. Live., by Rajeev Dewan

For millions of people worldwide who strive to lead outstanding lives, these are confusing times. We can learn from a dizzying array of historical and modern thinkers, but we're so bombarded by competing theories that it's hard to know what works and what doesn't.  That's the beauty of the great book Be. Do. Live., by Rajeev Dewan.  From a world of possibilities, this practical and powerful book identifies the few, critical ideas that have the power to transform your life. Be. Do. Live. synthesizes the best thinking on the subject of personal growth and achievement and provides you with a catalyst for taking action, along with a simple plan for getting immediate results.  For more information and to purchase copies today, click here.

Get Fit 4 Life

How are things going with your New Year's resolution to get fit and be healthy this year?  Now that we are almost at the end of March, many of us have "fallen off the wagon" in terms of staying in shape.  A few years ago I started working with a wonderful personal trainer named Dave Brown.  Dave really helped me take my fitness to a new level - he's an awesome guy and a great trainer.  He has a new training facility right here in Concord, CA (around the corner from our house) called Fit 4 Life. It's a state-of-the-art workout facility that offers a quaint training environment with a personal touch.  Fit4Life is a goal-oriented, results-driven, training studio that offers programs for all fitness levels. If you live here in the Bay Area and want to work with an experienced, knowledgeable, and supportive trainer to help you get and stay in shape, contact Dave Brown and visit http://www.dbfit4life.com/.  If you live elsewhere - look into similar facilities and trainers in your area to support you with your commitment to get and stay in shape!

"We act as if we're princesses all the time -
and daddy says we are."
- 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.