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Articles from Mike Robbins | Selfgrowth.com
- Are You Bringing Your Whole Self to Work? - by Submitted on Apr 30, 2018 from Mike RobbinsFor us to truly succeed, especially in today’s business world, we must be willing to bring our whole selves to the work that we do. And for the teams and organizations that we’re a part of to thrive, it’s also essential to create an environment where people feel safe enough to bring all of who ...
Views: 1328 - It Takes Courage to Put Ourselves Out There - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2018 from Mike RobbinsIn the past few weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about the courage it takes to step out, take risks, and put ourselves out there. Even though I know how important this is for growth, in business, and for life – I still find it tricky, scary, and challenging at times. I also realize it’s one thing ...
Views: 1214 - Expand Your Capacity for Trust - by Submitted on May 23, 2017 from Mike RobbinsTrust can be tricky for many of us, myself included. It can be scary, seem naïve, and feel vulnerable. We often spend a lot of time and energy shielding ourselves from failure, being taken advantage of, or having our trust violated. What are we really protecting ourselves from? As someone ...
Views: 1133 - We’re All In This Together - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2016 from Mike RobbinsLike so many people here in the United State and around the world, I've had a very strong reaction to our election. Given the pre-election polls, I was shocked by the outcome, and given how I voted, I was disappointed by it. As I've ridden the roller coaster of intense emotions over the past ...
Views: 1994 - An open letter to my fellow straight white men... - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2016 from Mike RobbinsNovember 13, 2016 It's time for us to step up straight white men! This campaign and this election have exposed many issues in our country and our world...issues that have been there for a very long time, and although we've made progress on them through the years, it's time for real change and ...
Views: 1668(2 votes) - Embracing Change Without Suffering - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2016 from Mike RobbinsI've been reflecting on change quite a bit recently. This year has been full of changes for me and my family. The two most significant and emotional changes have been the loss of my sister Lori back in January and the purchase of our new house a few months ago. While these two experiences ...
Views: 833 - Embrace the Gift of Life - by Submitted on Jul 07, 2016 from Mike RobbinsOn January 7th, 2016, my big sister, Lori Dempsey Robbins, passed away after an almost four year journey with ovarian cancer. Lori was 45 and the single mom of our 11 year old niece. She was my first friend and one of my greatest teachers. Being with her through her illness and her death ...
Views: 1576 - The Power of Letting Go - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2015 from Mike RobbinsMy wife Michelle read the bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and has transformed our house over the past few months. I’ve enjoyed and appreciated all that she has shared with me about the book, and especially all that she has done to de-clutter and tidy up. However, until ...
Views: 1181 - Take Care of Your Animal - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2015 from Mike RobbinsThis video blog post (http://mike-robbins.com/take-care-of-your-animal/) is inspired by an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert and my friend Jonathan Fields on his podcast, The Good Life Project. Elizabeth talks about the importance of taking care of her “animal” (aka her physical body) so that ...
Views: 1143 - Making the Shift from Ambition to Meaning - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2015 from Mike RobbinsSeptember 3, 2015 The unexpected passing of Dr. Wayne Dyer has had a big impact on me. He was an amazing teacher who inspired me (and millions of others) for many years. He was also someone I was honored to have met a few times in the past few years when we both spoke at events for our ...
Views: 1096 - How Do You Handle Criticism? - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2015 from Mike RobbinsI've received some criticism in the past couple of weeks in a few different situations. This has caused me to step back and reflect on how I handle criticism. Although I tend to get quite defensive when people criticize me, I've actually been pleasantly surprised by how I've reacted. In ...
Views: 1032 - Can You Survive Without Your Phone? - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2015 from Mike RobbinsAs we were rushing around to get out the door for our 4th of July weekend trip to the lake, I misplaced my iPhone and was forced to leave without it...for 4 days! What at first seemed like a curse, ended up being a blessing! After the initial panic wore off, I actually felt free and ...
Views: 1312 - Remember How Strong Your Are - by Submitted on May 14, 2015 from Mike RobbinsIn early March of 2011, I was sitting in my car in the parking lot of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay, California, where I was scheduled to speak later that morning. Although it was a pretty big event, I wasn't feeling all that nervous about it-I had other things on my mind. I called one ...
Views: 2098 - Have the Courage to Be Vulnerable - by Submitted on May 06, 2015 from Mike RobbinsGiven the focus of my work, especially in the past five years since the release of my book Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken, which is all about authenticity and vulnerability, I’m constantly in situations where I’m talking about, encouraging, and seeing the positive impact of ...
Views: 1166 - Bring Your Whole Self to Work - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2015 from Mike RobbinsI recently gave a TEDx talk in which I reflected on what I've seen and learned over the past fifteen years - researching, writing, and speaking about essential human experiences in the workplace. As I addressed in this talk, I believe that for us to thrive professionally, especially in today's ...
Views: 2088 - Be Careful of Monday Morning Quarterbacking - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2015 from Mike RobbinsWow... that was quite an exciting ending to the Super Bowl, wasn’t it? If you happened to have missed it, the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. The Seahawks had the ball on the one yard line with less than a minute to go in the game and a few downs to work with. It looked ...
Views: 1150 - Culture and Chemistry Matter - by Submitted on Oct 30, 2014 from Mike RobbinsWow… that was an unbelievable World Series! If you watched it passionately as I did, you know what I’m talking about. Even if you didn’t and you don’t know or care that much about baseball or sports, there are a number of things that made this World Series remarkable and also some important ...
Views: 1087 - Think Big - by Submitted on Aug 08, 2014 from Mike RobbinsI've had a number of experiences in the past few months which have both inspired me and challenged me to think big (and also to look at the ways in which I don't.) All too often we let our egos, our fears, our perceived limitations, or our selfish motivations get in our way from thinking ...
Views: 1701 - Are You Addicted to Your Device? - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2014 from Mike RobbinsThis past weekend, while we were away for the 4th of July holiday, I had a profound realization of how addicted I've become to my iPhone. While I love many aspects of how technology enhances our lives and allows us to connect with one another in some very cool ways, I'm also aware of the ...
Views: 1538 - If You’re Trying To Prove It, You Don’t Believe It - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2014 from Mike RobbinsMy counselor Eleanor recently said to me, “Mike, if you’re trying to prove something, it means you don’t actually believe it yet.” Her words hit me right between the eyes, as they often do. She was right and as I reflect on certain aspects of my life, I can see that where I’m overly attached to ...
Views: 1122 - Remember How Precious Life Is - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2014 from Mike RobbinsI was deeply saddened to learn about the recent death of Hall of Fame baseball player Tony Gwynn. Tony was a star for the San Diego Padres in the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to being an incredibly talented and accomplished athlete, he had an infectious smile and personality. I didn’t know ...
Views: 1407 - Be Real and Compassionate About Money - by Submitted on May 30, 2014 from Mike Robbins2009 was an extremely challenging year for both Michelle and me. Among the many issues we faced that year, one of the most painful was the difficult financial situation we’d put ourselves into: we were $105,000 in debt and about $300,000 upside down on our house by the end of that year. There ...
Views: 1231 - Swing Hard (Just in Case You Hit It) - by Submitted on May 23, 2014 from Mike RobbinsIn July of 1992, the summer between my senior year in high school and my freshman year at Stanford, I got invited to play in the U.S. Junior National Baseball Championship tournament in Boise, Idaho. It was a pretty big deal. Some of the top high school players in the country were there, ...
Views: 1448 - Testing is Not Trusting - by Submitted on May 16, 2014 from Mike RobbinsIn a session I had with my counselor Eleanor last week she said to me, "Testing is not trusting." I realized in talking to her that much of what I've been calling "trust" is actually me simply "testing" new attitudes, techniques, and approaches... hoping they will work out, but fearing that they ...
Views: 1267 - Life’s Easy... It’s Dealing With Ourselves That’s Hard - by Submitted on May 08, 2014 from Mike RobbinsWith my new book, Nothing Changes Until You Do, just released I’ve been reflecting a bit on the whole experience of writing this new book and now putting it out into the world. As with my previous two book writing and launching experiences, it has been exciting, challenging, fun, vulnerable, ...
Views: 1847 - Make Peace with Your Body and Appearance - by Submitted on May 05, 2014 from Mike RobbinsThis is an excerpt from my new book Nothing Changes Until You Do, posted with permission. Published by Hay House and available online or in bookstores. I was in the bathroom one morning a number of years ago getting ready for my day. As I was shaving and taking care of my morning routine, my ...
Views: 1695 - Forgive Yourself - by Submitted on May 02, 2014 from Mike RobbinsIn December of 2011, I decided to head up to Calistoga for a few days. Calistoga is a small town in Napa Valley, about an hour from where we live. For the past few years, Michelle and I have each gone up there occasionally by ourselves for some personal retreat time. It’s been a great self-care ...
Views: 1695 - Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously - by Submitted on Apr 25, 2014 from Mike RobbinsI have a tendency to take myself a bit too seriously at times, especially when I get stressed, irritated, or scared. I’ve noticed that sometimes these feelings not only make me less effective in dealing with a difficult situation, they actually cause the difficulty itself, or at the very least ...
Views: 1166 - Watch More Sunsets - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2014 from Mike RobbinsA few weeks ago I led a weekend workshop at Esalen. It was wonderful! On Saturday evening after our dinner break, one of the workshop participants suggested that we delay the start of our evening session so we could walk out on the deck and watch the sun go down over the Pacific Ocean. We did ...
Views: 1572 - Create Miracles Now - by Submitted on Apr 11, 2014 from Mike RobbinsMy friend Gabrielle Bernstein's new book, Miracles Now, has had me stop and think more deeply about my own relationship to "miracles" and also how to create more of them in my life on a daily basis. As Albert Einstein said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is ...
Views: 1481 - You Are Enough - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2014 from Mike RobbinsI had a powerful conversation with my counselor Eleanor a while back about insecurity. She said to me, "Mike when you're feeling insecure, it's important to understand which aspect of yourself is feeling insecure. The child within you is asking, 'Am I getting enough?' The adolescent within you ...
Views: 1380 - Let Success Chase You - by Submitted on Mar 28, 2014 from Mike RobbinsMarch 27, 2014 I recently read Wayne Dyer's new book I Can See Clearly Now, in which he said something that had a profound impact on me, "I've never chased success...success has always chased me." As I've thought about this over the past few weeks, I realize that not only have I spent much ...
Views: 1337 - Trusting the Synchronicity of Life - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2014 from Mike RobbinsI just finished Wayne Dyer’s new book I Can See Clearly Now, in which he recounts many of the pivotal moments of his life, the lessons he learned, and how he “can see clearly now” the meaning, purpose, and synchronicity of it all. I loved the book and got so much out of it. With my 40th ...
Views: 1266 - Are You Living Your Resume or Eulogy? - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2014 from Mike RobbinsI had the honor of both attending and speaking at the annual Wisdom 2.0 conference in San Francisco recently. The event was great, and one of the highlights for me was listening to an inspiring talk given by Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post. In her talk she asked us a ...
Views: 1330 - The Importance of Receiving Appreciation - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2014 from Mike RobbinsMy 40th birthday was amazing! I received such beautiful blessings from so many people in my life - it was exciting, wonderful, humbling, and a bit overwhelming. As touched and honored as I was (and still am) by all of the appreciation I got, I also noticed there were moments when it was ...
Views: 1787(1 vote) - Do You Have Healthy Boundaries? - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2013 from Mike RobbinsHow healthy are your boundaries? Maybe you think about this directly and often, maybe not. Boundaries weren’t something I personally spent much time thinking about for many years. I’ve often related to the concept of boundaries in a negative way. Of course I’ve known they’re important, ...
Views: 1597(3 votes) - The Power of Authenticity - by Submitted on May 31, 2013 from Mike RobbinsI was recently talking to my counselor Eleanor, asking her for some guidance on both an important meeting I had coming up and on the approach I was taking in some writing I was planning. She said to me, “Mike, get out of your head and into your heart. Remember, the truth can’t be ...
Views: 1040 - Are You Threatened By Other People’s Success? - by Submitted on May 17, 2013 from Mike RobbinsMay 16, 2013 (For this week’s audio podcast, click here.) How do you feel when you see or hear about the success of others? While it may depend on who it is, what they’ve accomplished, and how you’re feeling about your own life at the time – if you’re anything like me, you may have some ...
Views: 1933 - Life is “Brutiful” - by Submitted on May 01, 2013 from Mike RobbinsMy wife Michelle and I recently went to see Glennon Melton speak about her new book, Carry On Warrior. Glennon is a blogger from Florida who has a very successful blog called Momastery.com. Her posts are read by tens of thousands of moms like Michelle (and others) around the world. I thought ...
Views: 1203 - Self Improvement vs. Self Acceptance - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2013 from Mike RobbinsI had the honor of meeting author Robert Holden recently when we both spoke at the Hay House IGNITE event in San Jose, CA (which was an amazing experience, by the way). Robert is someone whom I’ve admired for quite some time. It was wonderful to get a chance to meet him in person and hear him ...
Views: 1623 - Who Are You Trying to Impress? - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2013 from Mike RobbinsAs I prepare to speak at the Hay House I CAN DO IT event, I’m experiencing a myriad of emotions – excitement, nervousness, gratitude, pressure, curiosity, confusion, peace, and more. It’s thrilling and humbling to be invited to speak at an event like this with such powerful teachers and authors ...
Views: 1248 - There’s No Right Track - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2013 from Mike RobbinsI was talking to a mentor of mine a few weeks ago and I asked him, “Do you think I’m on the right track?” He said to me, “Mike, the issue isn’t whether or not you’re on the ‘right’ track; it’s that you think there’s a ‘right’ track to begin with.” As we talked about this more and I began to ...
Views: 1242 - Are You Living on Purpose? - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2013 from Mike RobbinsI was recently invited to be a speaker for an upcoming online telesummit called The Power of Purpose. While I’m honored to be a part of this program, the invitation had me pause and reflect a bit about my own life and work, and specifically ask myself the question, “Am I living on purpose?” My ...
Views: 1336(2 votes) - Nothing Changes Until You Do - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2013 from Mike RobbinsIn a recent session with my counselor Eleanor, she said something simple, but profound to me; “Nothing changes until you do.” She went on to say, “Mike, you keep trying to control and manipulate the situations, relationships, and outcomes in your life – thinking that if they changed in the way ...
Views: 1771 - It’s Okay to Make Mistakes - by Submitted on Dec 18, 2012 from Mike RobbinsI was scheduled to fly to Dublin, Ireland a few weeks ago for a speaking engagement and when I got to the airport I realized I’d forgotten my passport at home. I felt mortified and embarrassed – and then angry when I realized I wouldn’t be able to get on my flight. After a few hours of stress ...
Views: 1451(1 vote) - Do You Embrace Change? - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2012 from Mike RobbinsHow do you feel about change? If you’re anything like me, you probably have mixed feelings about it. While it often depends on our perception of the type of change – big or small, good or bad, needed or unnecessary, easy or hard, etc. – most of us seek and fear change simultaneously. I’ve ...
Views: 1446(1 vote) - Stop "Should-ing" On Yourself - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2012 from Mike RobbinsA few months ago one of my mentors said to me, "Mike, it sounds like you're 'should-ing' all over yourself." I laughed when she said this, as I've heard this saying many times before (and have even given this same feedback to others). However, something about her saying this to me at that ...
Views: 1670(2 votes) - Your Feelings Matter - by Submitted on Jun 28, 2012 from Mike RobbinsI sometimes find it challenging to honor my own feelings – especially if what I want or feel seems to be at odds with other people, or my emotions don’t seem to be “appropriate” to the situation. While I’m not someone who tends to hold back sharing my honest opinions, desires, and feelings and, ...
Views: 1857(1 vote) - Embracing Powerlessness - by Submitted on Jun 14, 2012 from Mike RobbinsIn a recent session I had with my new counselor Eleanor, she said to me, "Mike, it sounds like embracing powerlessness is something that would benefit you right now." When she said this, a chill went down my spine and my body tightened up. "What do you mean, 'embrace powerlessness'?'" I ...
Views: 2561 - Just Because You're You - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2012 from Mike RobbinsAbout a year or so ago I started playing a game with my two girls, Samantha (our six year old) and Rosie (our three and a half year old). The game goes like this; I ask each one of them, “How much does daddy love you?” They respond by putting one or both of their arms up into the air as high ...
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