May 26, 2010

In This Issue

Featured Article: Be Flexible

Announcements

Daddy's Little Girls

How's it going today?  I hope all is well on your end and that you're counting your many blessings!

Last week's article, "Appreciate the Simple Things," was all about counting our blessings.  If you missed it or want to re-read it, you can check it out on my blog or on The Huffington Post.

We continue to get a great response about my new audio-course that we launched a few weeks ago.  For more information about it, click here.

Have a great rest of your day and week.  Thank you so much for being on my email list - I'm honored to connect with you like this each week!

With Appreciation,





Be Flexible

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

How flexible are you?  For me, it depends - on my mood, how much fear or resistance I have about something, how attached I am to a particular outcome, and various other situations.

However, as I look throughout my life (now and in the past), I realize that the situations, relationships, and experiences that cause me the greatest stress and frustration, are almost always the places where I'm not being flexible.  And, on the flip side, the more flexible I am - the more peace, ease, and fulfillment become available.

Today, more than ever, we are challenged to be flexible - in our work, our relationships, and in every other important aspect of our lives. However, due to our own fear, arrogance, resistance, stress, and obsession with being right, we often end up being inflexible to our own detriment and to the frustration of those around us (or so I've been told).

Being flexible is not about being weak, wimpy, or passive.  Flexibility is a conscious choice, a powerful skill, and a valuable approach to the ever-changing, always-evolving world we live in.  We can be firm in our convictions, passionate about our beliefs, and clear about our intentions, and at the same time be flexible enough to make significant changes and be open to new ideas along the way.

Here are some key elements to expanding your own capacity for flexibility in your life - which will lead you to greater peace, joy, and fulfillment:

1)  Let Go of Your Attachment - Whenever we get attached to something - a specific outcome, a particular way of doing things, a rigid opinion, etc. - we are, by definition, inflexible. Letting go of our attachment to something doesn't mean we negate our desire or intention, it simply means we let go of controlling every aspect of it, forcing the action, and our fixation on it being exactly the way we think it should be. This is a process of conscious "non-attachment" (letting go), as opposed to detachment (not caring).

2)  Be Willing to Be Wrong - Most of us love to be right and will do and say just about anything to avoid being wrong.  Our obsession with "rightness" and fear of "wrongness" often gets in the way of going for what we want, saying what's on our mind, and letting go of our fixed ideas about how things are supposed to be.  When we're willing to be wrong (not necessarily interested in or intending to be wrong), we free ourselves up and give ourselves permission to take risks, try new things, and approach things (even really important things) with a creative, innovative, and flexible perspective.

3)  Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously - Taking ourselves too seriously (something which I know a thing or two about), creates unnecessary stress, pressure, and worry.  When we're able to laugh at ourselves (in a kind way), keep things in perspective, and remember that most of what we deal with on a daily basis in life is not life or death - we can take ourselves less seriously and thus have a more balanced, peaceful, and creative way of relating to things.

4)  Go with the Flow - If we pay attention to life, there is a natural flow that exists (although it may not always look like it or feel like it).  The more we're able to tap into the natural flow of life, trust ourselves and others, and believe that things will work out - the more likely we are to allow things to roll off our backs and manifest with ease.  As Esther Hicks says, "Most people are rowing against the current of life.  Instead of turning the boat around, all they need to do it let go of the oars."

5)  Get Support and Feedback From Others - The support and feedback of others is invaluable in so many aspects of our life and growth, especially as it relates to us being more flexible.  We can learn from and model others who are more flexible than we are.  We can also give people in our life permission to remind us (with kindness) when we get rigid, uptight, over-attached, and start taking ourselves too seriously.

Being flexible is something that's often easier said than done for many of us.  However, just as with our physical bodies, the more attention we place on expanding our flexibility the more likely we are to do it.  As we enhance our ability to be flexible, our life can and will expand exponentially.

How can you practice being more flexible in your life right now?  Share your thoughts, action ideas, insights, and more on my blog here.

To listen to this week's audio message, including additional thoughts, ideas, and tips, click here.




Audio Course - Be Yourself

As I've mentioned the past few weeks, we recently launched my four-part audio class, Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken: Transform Your Life and Work with the Power of Authenticity.  This course, recorded live with a group of participants who went through my telecourse program in March, is an engaging, inspiring, and practical journey which teaches you 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 audio-class will allow you to: Express yourself fully and with confidence, Confront and transform fear, Take risks and go for what you truly want, and Have more freedom and confidence in your work, relationships, and life!  For more information about this powerful course and to purchase it at a discount, click here.

Great New Book - Soup, by Jon Gordon

Have you ever had a great bowl of soup? It didn't happen by accident. Someone invested their time and energy to prepare it and add the finest ingredients to it.  Building a winning team works the same way. It requires time, energy, leadership, teamwork and a recipe for creating a culture of greatness. Now this recipe is available to anyone willing to lead by their example, stir the pot and improve their team and organization.  That's exactly what you'll find in the latest book, SOUP: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture,from my friend and bestselling author Jon Gordon.  Jon’s insights and wisdom are simple and profound – he writes in a way that inspires you and your team to new heights.  For more information and to purchase copies of this book for you and those you work with today, click on this link.

"We're both pretty flexible!"
- Samantha and Annarose Robbins

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