Regardless of the circumstances we face in our lives – our will, determination, and spirit are always bigger than what happens to us. Check out this short inspirational video and poem reminding us to not quit and never give up.

Have a great day and week…

With Inspiration,

-Mike | www.Mike-Robbins.com  

Below is a short inspirational video that I found on You Tube. We have so much around us that we can use as inspiration. The key is getting in touch with it, remembering it, and taping into it – even when we don’t feel like it.

Today, be inspired – it’s up to you!

With Inspiration,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

How well do you listen to the people around you? For many of us, myself included, listening can be challenging at times. We’re often busy, focused on ourselves and what we want to say, evaluating the person speaking and what they’re saying, distracted with all the other things we think we “should” be doing instead of listening to them, and more. With this and others things getting in our way, it’s amazing that we ever hear anything that anyone says at all.

However, listening is not only the most important aspect of communication – it can make or break our relationships. Our ability to appreciate, respond to, and empower others is based on our ability to listen to them in an empowering and open way.

There are three levels of listening and some important things we can do to become more effective in our ability to listen to others:

1) Be Present – Give the person your full attention (stop typing, watching TV, or doing anything else). Multi-tasking doesn’t work when you’re listening to others. When we’re present, we’re able to actually hear what they’re saying, get the information, and pay attention to them in a way that has them feel acknowledged and important.

2) Make an Emotional Connection – Once we’re present and actually hear what they’re saying, we have the ability to listen between the words. This allows us to hear and feel what they truly mean, understand where they’re coming from, and know what they want. When we connect with the person emotionally, it’s much easier to resolve a conflict, understand them, or figure out how to support them.

3) Listen in an Empowering Way – Pay attention to the opinion you have about the person or what they’re saying. If your opinion is empowering (i.e. positive), great. If not, see if you can “upgrade” it (i.e. find the good stuff). This is not about agreeing with or liking everyone, it’s about taking responsibility for our judgments and realizing that our opinions color what we hear and how we hear it. It’s difficult to have an empowering or positive conversation with someone whom we judge in a negative way. It may take some work on our part to find the good stuff or work through our issues with the person, but if we’re committed to having healthy communications and relationships, identifying our judgments and doing whatever we can to move through them will allow us to listen to others in an empowering way.

When we’re able to do the internal work it takes to become a better listener (slow down, pay attention, be present, connect with people, be honest, let go of our self righteous judgments, and more) we can enhance our relationships in a profound way.

With the rushed and judgmental nature of life, business, and culture today, being someone who has the ability to really listen to others is such a vital skill and such a blessing to all of those around you. It’s not always easy, it takes some practice and humility, and is an on-going, moment-by-moment phenomenon. However, listening to others can allow for so many positive things:

- Improved communication
- Resolved conflicts
- Deeper connections
- Greater appreciation
- Enhanced understanding
- Increased learning
- Profound awareness

Have fun with it as you practice. See if you can put some attention today and the rest of this week on taking time to really listen to the people around you. I bet they will love it and you’ll be amazed at what happens.

Share Your Thoughts / Feedback on this article here.

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

Forward this to a friend with the “Share This” link below.

With Appreciation,
-Mike | www.Mike-Robbins.com  

Here are some additional thoughts and tips about how we can become better listeners ourselves and benefit from listening to others. Click the play button below to listen.

To download this audio as an MP3 file, right click here and select “Save Target As” to begin download.

With Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

This week’s audio post is about politics and our current presidential campaign. We can participate in this process in a conscious, open way…and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow, not just be “right” about our positions and opinions.

To download this audio as an MP3 file, right click here and select “Save Target As” to begin download.

With Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

When we come together, work together, and let go of our divisions – miracles can happen. Check out this inspiring two minute video that exemplifies this:

With Inspiration,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

Below is a funny short video of two babies laughing. I share with you for a few reasons.

First of all, with the birth of our new baby girl Annarose last month, I am a little obsessed with babies at the moment.

Second of all, there is nothing quite as cute and sweet as the laughter of a baby.

Third of all, this will make you smile and laugh yourself.

And finally, the power of laughter is healing and rejuvenating for all of us.

Let’s laugh more often!

With Appreciation and Fun,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

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

To download this audio as an MP3 file, right click here and select “Save Target As” to begin download.

With Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

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.

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

Share Your Thoughts / Feedback on this article here.

In Appreciation,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com

[article posted from newsletter - view full newsletter here]

For the second time in my life I had the profound, glorious, and wondrous experience of witnessing and participating in the miracle of life up close. Our second daughter, Annarose Benoit Robbins was born on Friday, August 22nd at 7:00 PM PDT. She is healthy, happy, and such a pure expression of love, joy, and spirit.

I am blown away by my feelings of love and connection with her, in awe of my wife Michelle for carrying her and giving birth (naturally), and in deep gratitude and appreciation for the miraculous nature of life. As I felt when Samantha, our two and half year old was born, it boggles my mind to think that we all come in this way and that most of us are fortunate enough to be healthy.

Anyone who has experienced the birth process up close like this knows what a remarkable feeling it is. And, even if you have not been in the room when a baby has come in – we all came in this way, and therefore have experienced it first hand.

It amazes me how easily we forget about the miracle of our own births and the births of every other person on the planet. We take so much for granted and don’t pay attention to the miracles that exist all around us all the time.

I’m so grateful for the birth of our little “Rosie” and look forward to the growth, learning, love, pain, adventure, challenge, and excitement of being her daddy. I’m also grateful that through her birth I am once again reminded of how sacred, important, and miraculous life is. Like most people, I often forget and get caught up in the day to day stuff of life.

Take a moment today and pay attention to the miracle of your own life, the lives of others, and of life itself. When we do this, it alters everything.

With Appreciation, Excitement, and Awe,

Mike
www.Mike-Robbins.com