November 17, 2009

In This Issue

Featured Article: Have a Great Thanksgiving

Announcements

Speaking Schedule

Daddy's Little Girls

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

As we get closer to Thanksgiving and into the holiday season, I hope you’re able to take some time to focus on the many blessings in your life and all of the good stuff.

If you didn’t get a chance to read the piece that I wrote for Oprah.com about our own Thanksgiving family traditions, you can read it by clicking here.

I appreciate you being on my email list and always feel honored to be able to connect with you each week this week.  Have a good one!

With Gratitude,



P.S. I will be a guest on Montel Williams’ nationally syndicated radio show (Montel Across America) this Friday, 11/20, at 8:30 AM PT. His show airs on Air America radio throughout the country and online. To listen on Friday, click here.



Have a Great Thanksgiving

(For the audio of this week's article, click here.)

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’ve been thinking about my own love/hate relationship to this great holiday.  It can be a wonderful celebration of gratitude, appreciation, and family connection.  Unfortunately, Thanksgiving also tends to be about feeling obligated to spend time with the people we’re “supposed” to, eating too much food and feeling guilty about it, and pretending to be grateful when we’re actually annoyed and stressed out.

What if we could make this Thanksgiving less stressful, more fun, and actually be able to enjoy ourselves, appreciate our family and friends (even the ones who drive us nuts), and focus on what we’re grateful for in a genuine way?

Here are some important tips you can use to make this year’s Thanksgiving one you truly enjoy and remember (in a good way):

1)  Be you – Instead of trying to be who you think you “should” be with your family, friends, in-laws, or guests – just relax and be yourself!  So often we put undue pressure on ourselves to be a certain way, impress people (even those we know well), or do or say the things we think others want us to.  When we let go of trying to please everyone and we’re able to be true to ourselves, we create a genuine sense of freedom and peace.  This also means that we think about what would be fun for us and our immediate family to do for Thanksgiving and communicate this to everyone else (in-laws, extended family, etc.), even if it may upset or disappoint some of the people involved.

2)  Look for the good – Make a commitment to focus on the things you like and appreciate about your friends and family members, instead of obsessing about the things that annoy or upset you about them.  We almost always find what we look for in others and in situations.  When we let go of past resentments, we’re able to see people with new eyes.  As the saying goes, “holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”  Whatever we choose to do on Thanksgiving and whomever we choose to spend our holiday with, if we make a conscious decision to enjoy ourselves and to look for the good stuff in an authentic way, we dramatically increase our chances of having a positive and pleasurable experience.

3)  Make it fun and easy – Do whatever you can for yourself and those around you to make the planning, food preparation, clean up, and the whole Thanksgiving experience as easy, fun, and stress-free as possible.  This means we keep it light, share the responsibilities, ask others for help, and do the things that we enjoy doing – instead of burdening ourselves and feeling like a victim about it all.  Too often we spend and waste our time and energy being uptight, doing things we don’t truly want to do, feeling resentful towards others, and creating a lot of unnecessary stress and frustration.  Thanksgiving can be lots of fun, if we’re willing to go with the flow and make it easy on ourselves and for others.

4)  Express your appreciation for others – One of best things we can do for other people (on Thanksgiving or at any time) is to let them know what we appreciate about them in a genuine way.  Acknowledging others is a true “win-win,” as we always get to keep what we give away to others when we appreciate them (i.e. the good feelings are shared by us and those we acknowledge).  There are many ways we can appreciate people on Thanksgiving:

- Write “I’m thankful for you” cards and give them out on Thanksgiving (or mail them beforehand)

- Pick someone at the dinner table to acknowledge, and then ask them to "pay it forward" and appreciate someone else in the group – go around until everyone has been appreciated

- Pull people aside on Thanksgiving (or give them a call) and let them know what you appreciate about them specifically and genuinely

5)  Count your blessings – Remember that in the midst of all the commotion, stress, and activity of the holiday season, Thanksgiving really is a time for us to reflect on what we’re grateful for – in life, about others, and especially about ourselves.  Take some time on Thanksgiving to focus on what you’re grateful for, the many blessings in your life, and the things you appreciate about yourself.  A great way for us to remember and to celebrate the many blessings in our life, especially on Thanksgiving, is to take some time during our meal and allow each person at the table to talk about what they’re grateful for in a genuine, specific, and personal way.

This year, especially given all that has been going on in the world, the economy, and our personal lives, let’s challenge ourselves to make Thanksgiving more than just something we get through or even simply a nice holiday; let’s have it be a time of reflection, connection, and a celebration of the great fullness of life.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?  Are you willing to do what it takes to make it a fun, meaningful, and positive experience?  If so, what will that take? Share your thoughts, action ideas, insights, and more on my blog here.



For this week's audio message (including additional tips and suggestions) - click here.

Two Great New Books

The 7 Day Total Cleanse, by Mary McGuire-Wien

Many of us want a slimmer, more healthy body, but you may not realize that a balanced mind and soul are the bedrock of true health and beauty.  Mary McGuire-Wein’s brand new book, The Seven-Day Total Cleanse, is a revolutionary seven-day juice fast that helps you shed weight and eliminate harmful toxins-all while restoring your emotional and spiritual wellness. There are plenty of fad diets that help you quickly drop a few pounds--only to gain them back as soon as you start eating normally. But The Seven-Day Total Cleanse not only jump-starts weight loss but also fosters a mind-body connection, offering benefits far beyond the physical changes you experience when you stop eating.  For more information about this book, to get copies of it today, and to learn about the great bonuses you can receive, click here.

The Reactor Factor, by Marsha Petrie Sue

My friend and colleague, Marsha Petrie Sue offers up a guide to make smart moves in tough times in her new book The Reactor Factor: How to Handle Difficult Work Situations Without Going Nuclear.  Marsha conducted more than 45 interviews with successful leaders of small and large organizations in writing this new book.  In her signature no-nonsense style, The Reactor Factor shows readers how to take control of their role within the company to position themselves for success even during the toughest of times—from pink slips to office conflict. Marsha reminds us that it's how we respond in times of trouble that ultimately makes the difference between success and failure.  For more info and to get copies of this new book today, click here.

Healing with the Masters – Free Teleseminar Series

You are invited to "Healing with the Masters" a free teleseminar series hosted by acclaimed author, healer and speaker, Jennifer McLean. This 13-week series provides you exclusive access to 24 of the world's leading experts in spirituality, wellness and healing (I am also one of the featured speakers!). Renowned leaders such as Neale Donald Walsch, Marci Shimoff, Gregg Braden, Gay Hendricks, plus 19 more, are providing an intimate portrait of how they achieved success in their respective fields as well as giving you personal insights on how you can easily accelerate your own consciousness and evolution.  The series has been going for a while, but you can still join.  My session takes place on 12/1.  For more info and to sign up for this free teleseminar series today, click here.

My Radio Show – “Let’s Get Real”

As you probably know, my radio show, “Let’s Get Real with Mike Robbins,” airs on Energy Talk Radio!  It airs daily online at 7:00 AM ET and 5:00 PM PT (as well as each Friday at noon PT) via the live stream.  You can also listen to any of my previously aired shows on-demand, at any time by clicking here.  Feel free to listen live or on-demand, and let others know about it.  I’ve recently had some great guests on my show like Gay Hendricks, Fred Luskin, SARK, Arielle Ford, Debbie Ford, and others.  I’m loving this!  I hope you enjoy the show and email in questions or ideas for future shows.

Connect with me on Facebook and Twitter

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