October 15, 2008
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In This Issue
Featured Article: Stay Positive in the Midst of Adversity
Audio Tip
Announcements
Speaking Schedule
Daddy's Little Girls
Greetings!
Welcome to another issue of Appreciation in Action. I hope you and those around you are taking time to appreciate each other and all of the good stuff in your life. Even in the midst of uncertainty, challenge, and external negativity, which many of us are facing right now, it is so important and powerful for us to focus on what we’re grateful for. We each have so much to appreciate – all the time!
Thanks for being on my e-zine list. Have a wonderful day and rest of your week!
With Appreciation,
Stay Positive in the Midst of Adversity
Recently I’ve noticed that it has been challenging for me and many people I talk to and work with to stay positive. With the volatility of the economy, the negativity of the upcoming election, and fear of the unknown, it seems easy to get stuck in the “doom and gloom” of the world around us.
At this moment, even though it may be difficult, it’s important that we stay positive for the well being of our families, companies, relationships, communities, and especially for our own peace of mind. But, given all that has been going on recently, how can we stay positive genuine way?
While there’s no “quick fix” and we want to make sure we’re not avoiding what’s going on around us and within us, there are three things I believe we can do to help us stay positive in the mist of this current adversity, and adversity in general.
1) Be Honest – Whenever we’re facing challenges, obstacles, or “difficult” circumstances, it’s important for us to be honest about how we truly feel. The most common feelings that we experience at these times are anger, fear, and shame. We get angry that something “bad” has happened or because we feel powerless. We get scared that it may get worse or that other people or circumstances may continue to perpetuate the issue in a way we can’t control. And, we feel shame that maybe we did something “wrong” or could have done something to avoid the situation all together. These three emotions are ones we often don’t like to admit or express. However, like all emotions, when we acknowledge them, own them, and express them – they have a way of dissipating and in the process we can free ourselves from their negative impact.
2) Be Conscious – Pay attention to what you’re feeling, how you’re thinking, what you’re saying, and the actions you’re taking. Without judgment, see if you can be very aware of everything that is going on within you and how you’re reacting to what’s happening. In the midst of stress and adversity we have a tendency to think, say, and do things that don’t actually make things better and in many cases we make things worse. We complain, we worry, we speak negatively about life, others, and ourselves, we watch too much TV, we over eat, we drink too much, or we do various other things in an unconscious way that don’t serve us. The more conscious we can be about our feelings, thoughts, words, and actions – the more likely we are to stay positive and to move through the adversity in a way that we can actually learn and grow from, not just survive.
3) Be Grateful – Although it’s often counter-intuitive to be grateful in the face of adversity, it’s often the most important time for us to focus on what we appreciate – about ourselves, others, and life in general. Even and especially when things go “bad,” we’re often given an opportunity to take inventory of the good stuff in our life that we may not have been paying attention to as we were rushing our way through things. Take some time right now to think about some of the things you’re grateful for. Adversity can remind us that while things may be tough, we have so many blessings – health, a job, a place to live, people who love us, and much more. And, there are also many things we can appreciate about the difficulty itself – we may realize we’re stronger than we thought we were, we have more support around us than we knew, or we’re able to learn some important lessons about ourselves and life. There is always a lot for us to be grateful for, if we choose to pay attention. We can’t feel grateful and victimized at the same time!
Without trivializing the impact of current state of the economy or other things going on around you, it is possible for each of us to remain open, optimistic, and positive in the face of any and all adversity or uncertainty. This doesn’t mean we’re somehow super human or always happy. It does mean, however, that we choose to be honest, conscious, and grateful in the midst of what’s going on. And, if we choose to do so, we can have this be a time of reflection, rejuvenation, and transformation for us and those around us.
Be kind to yourself and see if you can be present in as many moments as possible. And, it’s important that we always remember, “this too, shall pass.
Share Your Thoughts / Feedback on this article at my blog.
For some additional ideas and tips on staying positive in the midst of adversity, check out this week’s audio clip.
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Stay Positive
Here are some additional thoughts and tips about how to stay positive in the midst of adversity.
Click here to listen.
Book Recommendation:
Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper,
by SARK
Do you have a book in you? Do you have ideas, thoughts, feelings, stories, and insights you want to share with others through writing, but for whatever reason never get around to putting them down on paper? For most of us, the answer to these questions is “YES.” And, if so and you want to do something about it, this new book by SARK, Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories, and Creating the Time and Energy to Actually Do It, is for you! If you’ve read other SARK books in the past, you know how creative, inspiring, and fun they are and she is. If not, you’ll love her and her perspective. This newest book gives you insights, ideas, and action steps for how to be kind to yourself, appreciate the process, and get yourself writing. If you have something in you that wants to come out, use this beautiful, creative, and powerful book to ignite your inspiration and help you make it real. For more information and purchase the book, click on this link.
I’m Speaking at Unity in Palo Alto, CA
October 26, 2008:
I am honored and excited to have been invited to speak at Unity in Palo Alto, CA (here in the Bay Area) a week from Sunday, 10/26/08. I will be delivering the sermons at both the 8:45 and 11:00 AM services and an afternoon workshop from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. Both sermons and my workshop are on the transformative power of appreciation, based on my book, Focus on the Good Stuff. If you or anyone you know would like to attend either service or the workshop, it would be great to have you there. The services are free and the workshop is done on a “love offering” basis (i.e. you are asked to make a donation of whatever size feels right to you). For more information, details, directions, address, etc., feel free to visit their website: www.unitypaloalto.org/home/index.html
Below is a list of where I’m speaking for the next few months. Most of these events are for my corporate or organizational clients (i.e. not open to the public). The events listed in bold text below are at bookstores, churches, and other public venues which anyone can attend. I would love to see you or people you know at one of my public events. And, 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. Thanks! For more detailed information about my public events, feel free to visit: www.focusonthegoodstuff.com/publicevents.html
10/15/08 – San Francisco, CA
10/17/08 – Los Angeles, CA
10/18/08 – Emeryville, CA
10/21/08 – South San Francisco, CA
10/23/08 – San Francisco, CA
10/26/08 – Palo Alto, CA – public event (Unity Palo Alto)
10/30/08 – San Francisco, CA
11/5/08 – Walnut Creek, CA
11/10/08 – Kenosha, WI
11/12/08 – South San Francisco, CA
11/13/08 – Scottsdale, AZ
11/14/08 – Mill Valley, CA
11/15/08 – Yosemite, CA
11/17/08 – San Francisco, CA
11/18/08 – San Francisco, CA
11/19/08 – San Francisco, CA
11/20/08 – San Francisco, CA
11/21/08 – Monterey, CA
12/9/08 – Concord, CA
Again, for more detailed information about my public events, feel free to visit:
www.focusonthegoodstuff.com/publicevents.html
“Life is Good!”
– Samantha and Annarose Robbins
For additional photos of baby Annarose, via snapfish.com, click here.
For more photos of Samantha, click here.
