September 1, 2010

In This Issue

Featured Article: It's Okay for Things to Be Easy

Announcements

Daddy's Little Girls

Hey there - Happy September!  With the start of this new month, we're moving into a whole new phase of the year with lots to appreciate (if we choose to, of course).

Last week's article, "The Trap of Comparison" seemed to resonate with lots of people based on the emails I received and the messages posted to my blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you'd like to re-read that piece, feel free to check it out on my blog or on the Huffington Post.  Also, if you'd like to listen to the audio podcast about this topic, click here.

Have a wonderful day.  Thanks for being on my list!

With Gratitude,






It's Okay for Things to Be Easy

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

A friend of mine called me out on something important last week.  He said, "Mike, this 'story' you have about things being 'hard' for you isn't really true.  It seems to me that things come pretty easy, you just make them hard by saying they are.  What if you started saying and owning that certain things come easy to you?"

As I heard him say this, I had a mixture of emotions and reactions.  First of all, I felt grateful (I love having people in my life who are willing to call me out, even if my ego gets a little bent out of shape in the process).  Second of all, I felt defensive and noticed that I wanted to justify myself against his challenge.  Third of all, I felt a sense of fear and resistance to the idea of things coming "easy" to me.

As I've thought about it more over this past week ,I realize that this resistance to having things be easy runs deep within me (as it does for so many people I know and work with).   Here are some of the main "reasons" I've used and beliefs I've held for many years to resist the notion of things being easy for me:

• Easy means lazy

• If things come easy to me, other people will get jealous, won't like me, and/or won't respect me

• It doesn't really "count" or mean much if it comes easy

• It's not fair for things to come easy to me - especially with so many people having such a hard time these days

• I actually get off on struggling and suffering - I'm quite familiar with it and I've used it as motivation to change and "succeed" for much of my life

• My ability to work hard, overcome adversity, and rise above challenges are all things my ego uses to feel superior to others

• If I admit that something is easy for me, it will seem arrogant and then people will root for me to fail

Can you relate to any of these?

Getting in touch with some of these reasons and beliefs has been both painful and liberating at the same time.  As I think, talk, and write about them - I realize how ridiculous some of them are and how much of my life's energy I've been giving to them in the process.

It's almost like I'm walking around worried that someone's going to say me, "Mike, you have it so easy," and I'm preparing my defensive responses, "Oh yeah, well let me tell you how hard I work, how challenging things are for me, and how much stuff I've had to overcome along the way.”  What's up with this?  It's like I'm preparing for a fight that doesn't even exist.  Do you ever do that?

While working hard, overcoming challenges and adversity, and being passionately committed to important and complex things in our lives aren't inherently bad - resisting ease and being attached to struggle causes me and so many of us a great deal of stress, worry, and pain.  And, in many cases this difficulty is totally self-induced and unnecessary.

What if we allowed things to be easier?  What if we started to speak about and own the aspects of our lives that are actually easy to us and stated to expect things to get even easier?  Easy doesn't mean lazy, that we aren't willing to work in a passionate way, or that we expect a "free ride" - it means that we're willing to have things work out, trust that all is well, and allow life to flow in a positive and elegant way for us.

Our desire and ability to embrace ease in our life isn't selfish, arrogant, or unrealistic - it's profoundly optimistic (in an authentic way) and can actually enhance our ability to impact others.  The more energy and attention we place on surviving, getting by, or even "striving" for success - the less available we are to give, serve, and make a difference for other people.  Although it may seem counter-intuitive to us, having things be easy is one of the best ways we can show up for those around us - both by our example and with our freed up positive energy.

As Richard Bach famously stated, "Argue for your limitations and they're yours." What if we stopped arguing on behalf of how "hard" things are, and started to allow our life to be filled with peace and ease? While the idea of things being easy may not be, ironically, the easiest thing for you to embrace - I challenge you (as I challenge myself) to take this on in your life and become more comfortable with it...maybe it could actually be easier than you think!

How do you feel about things being easy?  How can you make things easier in your life and work in a conscious and positive way?  Share your thoughts, action ideas, insights, and more on my blog here.

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




Healing with the Masters – Teleseminar Series

You are invited to "Healing with the Masters" a teleseminar series hosted by acclaimed author, healer and speaker, Jennifer McLean. This 12-week series provides you exclusive access to 25 of the world's leading experts in spirituality, wellness and healing. Renowned leaders such as, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Carolyn Myss, Dan Millman, Neale Donald Walsch, Gary Zukav, plus 20 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. This intensive will be one of the most talked about online events of 2010 -- Lock in your F.R.E.E access right now while remaining open spots for the calls last.  The first call is on September 7th.  For more information and to register for free, click here.

Dream Boogie with SARK - Telecourse

Dream Boogie with SARK is an eight-week focused and fun dream productivity program designed and delivered to help you finally make your dreams and great ideas really happen! It takes place on the phone and online, making it easy for you to commit to your dream in a highly focused, deeply joyful, and wonderfully integrated way. Based on incredible feedback and high demand, this is the third time SARK is offering this interactive telecourse.  And now is the perfect time to re-launch, begin fresh, and manifest your great business ideas, creative intentions, or inspiring projects. It really doesn't matter how many times you've tried to make your dream real before; what matters is that this time is now, and now is finally the time to take your dreams from "thinking about them" to doing them and living them now. SARK is incredible, inspiring, and such a great teacher - you will love this program.  The course begins September 22nd.  For more information, details, and videos about this exciting program, click here.  And, SARK is doing a free teleclass session with Marney Makridakis on September 16th.  To sign up for that free call, click on this link.

GratOodle – Counter for your Blessings

I'm excited to share something simple, unique, and inspiring that I just got sent to me – it’s called a "GratOodle." A GratOodle is a simple, mechanical counter with the potential to change your life in ways you can only imagine! What does it do? It counts! It counts all the things that you have to be grateful for throughout your day. Well, not on its own...because it needs you!  When you notice moments that give you pleasure, you experience joy, which improves health and increases optimism. It brings you into the present moment one 'now' at a time!  For more information about this cool device that helps you count your blessings, click here.

"We love it when things are easy!"
- Samantha and Annarose Robbins

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

And, if you’d like to see some new,
special photos of us, click here.