Mike Robbins' Appreciation in Action

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Inspiration:

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

- Albert Einstein

For more quotes like this, click here.

September 17, 2008

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In This Issue

Featured Article: Being in Awe of Life

Audio Tip

Announcements

Speaking Schedule

Samantha's Corner

Greetings!

Welcome to another issue of Appreciation in Action. You may have noticed that I did not send out an issue of my e-zine two weeks ago. Well, I have a good excuse…we had a baby girl!

Please join me in welcoming Annarose Benoit Robbins to our family. She was born healthy and happy on August 22nd, at 7:00 PM in Walnut Creek, CA. Annarose was 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and 20 inches long at birth. She’s doing well…and mommy, daddy, and big sister Samantha are all very excited and grateful that she has joined us. See below for a family photo and scroll down for some more.

What a blessing our new baby girl is and such a wonderful reminder of the good stuff in life. I hope that you and those around you are doing well and appreciating all the wonders of life.

With Appreciation,

Being in Awe of Life

The birth of our new baby girl, Annarose, reminded me in a profound way of the miracle of life. What a magical, remarkable, and breathtaking experience it is to witness and participate in the birth of another human being.

As I have had a few weeks to digest this a bit, to connect with my beautiful new daughter and my family, and to experience the range of emotions that often accompany a life-altering event like this, I’ve been reminded of so many aspects of life that are truly miraculous.

As Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” There is so much for us to be in awe of in life if we stop and pay attention. From the most profound to the mere mundane, life is full of wonder. Too often we take people and things for granted, instead of being amazed, impressed, and excited about the beauty and synchronicity that exists all around us.

In addition to being in awe of my sweet little angel, here are a few examples of some other, “simple” things I’ve noticed and been in awe of in the past few weeks:

- Electricity
- The natural bond between human beings
- The internet
- Breast feeding
- Trees
- Laughter
- Automobiles
- Family and community support
- Video
- Breathing

Our ability to be grateful and to appreciate others, ourselves, and life in general has very little to do with the circumstances or situations we encounter…it has to do with us and our perspective.

When something “big” happens in life, like the birth of a child, a major accomplishment, an important milestone, or something else we consider to be really “good,” we often give ourselves permission, albeit sometimes for just a very short time, to stop and appreciate – ourselves, others, or certain aspects of life. This is wonderful!

However, what if we took the time to appreciate life, the

people around us, and ourselves all the time? If we focused on what we appreciated more regularly, do you think it would have a positive impact on our work, our relationships, and our lives? Of course it would. The good news is that appreciation is and always will be up to us. We have a choice in the moment-by-moment, day-by-day reality of life about what we focus on and how much gratitude we experience.

Take a minute right now and think of some of the people, things, and aspects of your life that you appreciate. Paying attention to these things and allowing yourself to be in awe of them is up to you! And, when we do this…it alters our experience of life, others, and ourselves instantly.

Share Your Thoughts / Feedback on this article at my blog.

For some additional ideas and specific tips, check out this week’s audio clip.

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Being in Awe of Life

Here are some additional thoughts and tips about how we can be in awe of life on a daily basis.

Click here to listen.

Book Recommendation:

Led By Faith, by Immaculée Ilibagiza's

Immaculée Ilibagiza's astonishing story of survival was documented in the bestseller Left To Tell. Now Immaculée's amazing journey continues in her new book Led By Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide. Through her simple and eloquent voice, we experience her hardships and heartache as she fights to survive and find meaning and purpose in the aftermath of the genocide. She struggles along with her homeland to heal from the wounds of war and to keep love, and forgiveness alive. Purchase Immaculée's miraculous and inspiring story, Led By Faith, and you'll receive free gifts from many authors and speakers, including me. For additional details, click here.

My Seminar at Agape in Los Angeles,

CA – October 5, 2008:
I'm delivering a workshop called "Transform Your Life With the Power of Appreciation" on Sunday, October 5th at Rev. Michael Beckwith's Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City, CA (in the LA area...not far from LAX). I'm so excited and honored to have been invited to speak at Agape. The workshop, based on my book Focus on the Good Stuff, is about understanding and practicing the magical power of appreciation in a life-altering way - for you and those around you. In this interactive seminar, people will learn how to harness appreciation and gratitude in a personal way that can transform their life and relationships. If you or anyone you know lives in the LA area – it would be great to have you or them attend. For more information and to register for the workshop, click here.

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

9/18/08 – San Francisco, CA

9/23/08 – South San Francisco, CA

9/25/08 – Los Angeles, CA

9/26/08 – Omaha, NE

10/4/08 – Cincinnati, OH

10/5/08 – Los Angeles, CA – public event (Agape)

10/6/08 – Los Angeles, CA

10/7/08 – Los Angeles, CA

10/8/08 – San Francisco, CA

10/14/08 – Martinez, CA

10/15/08 – San Francisco, CA

10/18/08 – Oakland, CA