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Articles by Mike Robbins

Browse published articles attributed to Mike Robbins, with full-archive search.

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By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

When You Fall Down, Get Back Up

Have you ever seen a small child learn how to walk? If you have, you know what a remarkable experience it is. I'd heard about this, but had never witnessed it first hand until Samantha, our (almost) five year old, took her first real steps when she was just over a year. She and I were playing in our family room one night and although she'd taken a step or two here and there, and could get around okay while holding onto an adult or a piece of furniture, she hadn't really "walked" yet.

Primary topic: Empowerment

3,937 views4.7/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

The Importance of Celebrating

How do you feel about celebrating? If you're anything like me and most of the people I know, you probably enjoy it. However, I notice that as much as I like to celebrate, I sometimes find it challenging as well. Here are some of the reasons that I use not to do it: - I don't have the time or money to celebrate right now, there's work that needs to get done - Things aren't yet as good as they "should" be for me to stop and celebrate - People will think I'm weird, naive, or obnoxious if I celebrate too much

Primary topic: Empowerment

5,205 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Want What You Have

Recently someone said to me, "Mike, I read the best book of my life a few years ago. It only had four words in it, 'want what you have'." As simple of a concept as this is, I was struck by its wisdom and began to think about it in my own life. Sadly, as I thought about it more deeply, I realized that I put more of my attention and energy tha I'd like to admit on either wanting things I don't yet have or thinking that some of what I have isn't quite good enough the way it is. Can you relate?

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,656 views5/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Stop Apologizing for Who You Are

Apologizing can be a bit tricky for me. While I pride myself on being someone who is able to look within, take responsibility, and resolve conflicts directly - I also know that my own arrogance and insecurity cause me to sometimes stubbornly refuse to apologize or, often more damaging, over apologize, which can include apologizing for who I am.

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,632 views5/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Act As If

I first heard the phrase “act as if” about fifteen or twenty years ago. I remember learning that if we “act as if” we already have something we want, “act as if” something is already occurring in our lives (even if it’s not), or “act as if” we know how to do something (even if we don’t) – we create the conditions for it to manifest in our life with greater easy and probability. In recent years, this concept has been popularized and even mainstreamed by books, films, and teachers talking about the “law of attraction” (i.e.

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,462 views4.2/5 (5)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Gratitude and Victimhood Can't Co-Exist

How often to you feel like a victim? If you're anything like me, probably more often than you'd like to admit. Although I usually pretend to be too "evolved" to play the role of victim in my life, I do catch myself at times feeling, thinking, and talking in that old, familiar, "oh poor me" kind of way. Can you relate? I remember one of my mentors telling me years ago, "Mike, you can't simultaneously be grateful and victimized."

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,399 views5/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Love Your "Flaws"

If you’re anything like me you’ve probably spent more time than you’d like to admit trying to “fix” your various “flaws.” Although I may pretend otherwise, many of my own goals, desires, and even my motivation to “grow” has often come from a deep place of insecurity within me - thinking that if I could just fix what was wrong with me, then everything would be okay.

Primary topic: Empowerment

5,685 views3/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Do You Have Healthy Boundaries?

How 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, especially in the context of parenting, relationships, and work, but the idea of having clear and specific boundaries had sometimes seemed limiting or restrictive to me.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,768 views4.7/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

It's Not the Circumstances, It's Us

I recently read a great quote from Ben Franklin that I hadn’t seen before. He said, “Joy doesn’t exist in the world, it exists in us.” While the quote was new to me, the concept wasn’t.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,612 views4.2/5 (5)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Go For It - The Power of Boldness

Do you consider yourself bold or someone who goes for it with passion in life? Some of us do, but most people I know and work with, myself included, admit that they don't often think of themselves as a bold person. Or, if we've done or said bold things in our lives, they seem to be few and far between...and they also seem to scare us half to death. Hence, we often don't find ourselves going for it in our work and our life - or not nearly as much as we'd like (especially these past few years).

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,728 views5/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Lessons in Teamwork from the SF Giants

I have been so excited and inspired by this year's baseball post-season and the big World Series victory by the San Francisco Giants. As a Bay Area native, a lifelong baseball fan, and someone who has been fortunate enough to have the Giants as a client this year, of course I was rooting for them with passion. The fact that the Giants had not won a World Series since moving from New York to San Francisco (in 1958) and that we haven't had a major sport championship here in the Bay Area since the 49ers won the Super Bowl in 1994, made it that much more exciting and meaningful.

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,212 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Are You Willing to Be Uncomfortable?

How comfortable are you with being uncomfortable? I know this may seem like a paradoxical question, but it's not. In fact, Michelle and I took a workshop this past weekend where they emphasized the importance of being uncomfortable - related to expanding our growth, success, fulfillment, and more. Over the past few days I've been taking some real inventory of my own life and looking at how willing (or unwilling) I am to be uncomfortable myself. I notice that in certain areas of my life, I'm quite willing to be uncomfortable; while in others, not so much.r

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,142 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

An open letter to my fellow straight white men...

November 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 we're a big part of that.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,884 views4.5/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

The Importance of Receiving Appreciation

My 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 appreciatio I got, I also noticed there were moments when it was challenging for me to fully receive the appreciation and let it in.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,978 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Let Go of Blame

Michelle and I were having dinner with some friends a few months ago and our friend Joel said, "I'm practicing giving up blame completely." As he said this, I found myself simultaneously inspired and confronted. As I've explored the idea of letting go of blame in recent months, I've been quite humbled and surprised to realize how pervasive blame is in our culture, my community, and in my own life. How often do you find yourself blaming other people or circumstances for your stress, frustration, or for things "not being the way they 'should' be?"

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,823 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Worry Never Works

I was talking to a friend of mine last week and she said, “If worrying worked, I’d weigh 115 pounds and be a millionaire by now.” I laughed out loud – appreciating her humor and insight. Worrying, which is something I’ve spent and wasted a lot of time and energy on throughout my life, never seems to work, does it? Worry is actually detrimental to our health, well-being, and our ability to manifest both the things and feelings we truly want in life.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,428 views4.3/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

We Don't Solve Our Problems, We Outgrow Them

I was recently reminded of a great quote from psychologist Carl Jung, he said, “We don’t solve our problems, we outgrow them.” As I’ve been thinking about this the past few days, I realize how often my attention is actually on solving my problems, instead of outgrowing them. No wonder the ones I obsess about the most seem to linger. However, we’ve all experienced this outgrowing process many times.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,960 views4/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

The Importance of Unplugging

What percentage of your waking hours are you "plugged in" (i.e. checking things on the internet, doing email, texting, playing with your wireless device, watching TV, posting to Facebook or Twitter, and more)? If you're anything like me and most of the people I know and work with, probably more than you'd like to admit.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,823 views3.7/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently publishedTopic pending

It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

I 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 and drama, I was able to get myself on another flight, which would get me to Ireland on time for my event – although it did cost me quite a bit of money and forced my wife Michelle to have to drop what she was doing and rush to the airport with my passport.

Primary topic: Recently published

Recently published

1,647 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Do You Embrace Change?

How 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.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,641 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Embrace Death, Live Life

My mom, Lois Dempsey Robbins, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in early March. The disease spread very quickly and on June 13th, she passed away. I was honored and grateful to be with her through her dying process. It was both horrible and beautiful at the same time.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,557 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

The Power of Acceptance

For much of my life I've struggled to accept certain things about myself, others, and life that I don't like. Being someone who is committed to change and transformation, the idea of "acceptance" has often seemed weak, wimpy, or like an admission of failure or powerlessness to me - although I have pretended to understand, believe in, and even teach the power of acceptance for a long time.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,353 views3.8/5 (4)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Ask For What You Want

One of my favorite quotes is this one from Tony Robbins: “The answer is always ‘no’ if you don’t ask.” Isn’t that the truth?! So often we know exactly what we want, but for a myriad of reasons we are unwilling to ask for it. Usually we’re scared we’ll get rejected or we’re worried about what ...

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,034 views3.8/5 (6)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Be Flexible

How flexible are you? For me, it depends - on my mood, how much fear or resistance I have about something, how attached I am to a particular outcome, and various other factors. However, as I look throughout my life (now and in the past), I realize that the situations, relationships, and experiences that cause me the greatest stress and frustration, are almost always the places where I'm not being flexible.

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,519 views3/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

What We CAN Change

My friend Rich came over to my office last week and we had a wonderful and authentic conversation about what's going on in each of our lives right now. I'm so grateful to have people in my life like Rich whom I can talk to and get real. Authenticity creates freedom and having people around us we can truly be ourselves with is so important. Rich and I talked vulnerably about our relationships, our challenges, the things we're most excited about, and some stuff we'd both like to change about ourselves and our lives.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,392 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Your Feelings Matter

I 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, over the years, I’ve gotten quite a bit of feedback from people close to me about talking too much, dominating situations or conversations, and being selfish – unde eath all of this is a deep fear that my feelings and desires aren’t as important as other people’s.

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,045 views4/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

The Magic of the Olympics

The Winter Olympics in Vancouver have captured the attention of the world. As a former college and professional baseball player (and a lifelong sports fan), I’ve always loved the Olympics and appreciated the incredible athleticism, competition, and passion of the athletes and teams, from a pure sports perspective.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,316 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

We Are Not Our Bodies

I shaved my head again last week. This is the fourth time in the past five years I've done this. As has been the case for me before - it feels both liberating and vulnerable. My hair has been thinning for about ten years (most significantly in the past two or three) and, as I've written about a few times previously, this has caused me a great deal of fear, insecurity, and self criticism. These feelings are not new and aren't specifically related to my thinning hair (although it is definitely something that triggers them for me in an intense way).

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,621 views3.3/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Appreciate the Simple Things

Last week my left ear got plugged up and it was difficult for me to hear out of it for about 48 hours. It was scary and challenging. Thankfully everything was okay, it's all clear now, and I'm able to hear just fine out of both ears. Having this happen was yet another example of how easy it is for me to take something simple, but very important (like hearing), for granted. Sadly, we often don't appreciate the simple things in life until they're threatened, impacted, or taken away from us in some way. What if we did appreciate the simple things all the time, in an authentic way?

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,911 views3/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Why is This Happening FOR Me?

Do you ever ask yourself the question, "Why is this happening to me?" Most of us do, especially when things aren't going the way we want them to or we're dealing with something that's difficult or painful. A few years ago I was talking to my friend Brian about this and he said, "If you change the word 'to' to the word 'for' in that question, it can change your life." When Brian said this, it really resonated with me and I never forgot it.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,892 views4/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

It’s Okay to Disappoint People

How do you feel about disappointing others? How about being disappointed yourself? I’ve recently noticed how much of my conscious and unconscious attention is focused on not disappointing others, while at the same time protecting myself against being disappointed.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,884 views4/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

A Bad Day for Ego is a Good Day for Soul

A few weeks ago I listened to a radio interview with Michael Beckwith, author of Spiritual Liberation, and he said, "A bad day for the ego is a good day for the soul." When I heard this I laughed out loud. The wisdom of his statement resonated with me deeply. I thought about a number of experiences in my life which have been quite "bad" for my ego (i.e. embarrassing, disappointing, and even painful), but in hindsight have been great for my own growth and development.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,745 views4/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Let Go of Control

I had a simple, but profound experience in the swimming pool last week - I floated on my back for the first time in my life. I do know how to swim and enjoy being in the water, but for some reaso I never was able to figure out how to float on my back when I learned to swim as a kid and as an adult it hasn't really been something that has come up as an issue in my life (although it has always been something that I wanted to learn, felt a bit embarrassed about not being able to do, and also didn't quite understand).

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,711 views4/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

How to Stay Grounded During the Holidays

The holiday season is now in full swing. If you’re anything like me you probably have mixed feelings about the holidays. I love the excitement, parties, decorations, rituals, music, gifts, connections, and more. However, even these fun things can wear on me.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,468 views3/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Our Insatiable Desire for Fame

I’ve been fascinated by the recent sensationalized stories in the media about “Balloon Boy,” the White House party crashers, and the various alleged mistresses of Tiger Woods coming out to tell their tales.

Primary topic: Empowerment

2,132 views2.5/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Live Like You're Going to Die (Because You Are)

You're going to die. I'm going to die. Everyone around us is going to die. The reality of death is, of course, both obvious and daunting for most of us. With the recent tragic events in Japan and some very serious health news I received from someone close to me, I've been thinking about life and death a lot this past week. I was on a run a few days ago and thought to myself, "I wonder what it's like to know you're going to die?" Then I thought, "Wait a minute, we're all going to die - we just don't act like it."

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,449 views4/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Creating the New Year with Intention

As we embark on another new year of life, I find myself experiencing a mixture of emotions about 2010. I’m excited about the possibilities of this New Year and inspired by the energy of creation that exists at this special time.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,436 views4/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

The Importance of Live Conversations

Have you ever had a conversation, disagreement, or conflict escalate over email? Do you sometimes find yourself engaging in difficult or emotional conversations electronically because it seems "easier," only to regret it later on? If you're anything like me and most of the people I know and work with, you can probably answer "yes" to both of these questions.

Primary topic: Empowerment

894 views5/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Stop "Should-ing" On Yourself

A 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 particular moment caught my attention and struck me deeply.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,853 views2.5/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Love Yourself, and the Rest Will Follow

How do you feel about self love? More importantly, how well do you love yourself? For most of us, loving ourselves is something we may know is important, but often have difficulty actually feeling, expressing, and embodying. For me, I’ve spent much of my life – as a student, an athlete, in business, in relationships, and in general – demanding perfection of myself, and of course, falling short and then feeling inadequate on a regular basis.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,877 views3/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

The Best Gift of All

During one of her shows a few years back, Oprah Winfrey made a profound and beautiful statement that I appreciated very much. She said, “We do shows about lots of ‘stuff’ and my ‘favorite things,’ but what people want more than anything else is to know that they’re appreciated...that’s the best gift of all.” At this time of year it's easy for us to get caught up in the stress of getting everything on our “list” crossed off, preparing for parties and events, and rushing around to buy gifts.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,419 views3/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Who Do You Think You Are?

Sometimes when I’m about to take a big risk, go for something important, or “step out” in a bold way in my life, I notice the judgmental question, “Who do you think you are?, will pop up in my head. Does this ever happen to you? This is one of the many ways that the feelings of “not good enough” or “unworthy” show up in our lives and get in the way of our success, fulfillment, and authenticity.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,211 views4/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Completing the Year with Power

These few days before the start of the new year have a magical and sacred quality to them. I appreciate the lull in activity that often takes place this week and the opportunity we have to reflect back on the year that is ending, as well as to create new possibilities and intentions for the year that’s about to start. It often seems more exciting to focus on our “resolutions” for the coming year than it does to look back.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,371 views3/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Step Out of Your Box

One of our greatest sources of authentic power in life comes from our willingness and ability to act - especially in the face of obstacles and fear. To be truly successful and fulfilled, we must challenge ourselves to take bold and courageous actions and to go for what we want. Legendary author Ray Bradbury said, "First you jump off the cliff and then you build your wings on the way down."

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,665 views3/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Are You Living on Purpose?

I 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 initial answer was, “Yes, of course I am.” However, as I thought about it more deeply, I could see that there are many aspects of my life and my work that aren’t “on purpose” at all.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,506 views2.5/5 (2)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

What Baseball Can Teach Us About Life

With all the excitement of the playoffs and the World Series (which, thanks to the success of the San Francisco Giants, we get to experience directly here in the Bay Area), I've been thinking about, watching, and appreciating the great game baseball a lot these past few weeks. As someone who spent eighteen years of my life (from the age of seven until the age of twenty five) playing organized baseball and who has been a huge fan all my life, the game has taught me a great deal.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,585 views3/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

It's Okay for Things to Be Easy

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?"

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,486 views3/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Vulnerable Leadership

Vulnerable and leadership are not usually two words or concepts we put together. Most of us, myself included, have been taught that to be a "good leader" we have to be strong, convicted, and confident. "Never let 'em see you sweat," we've been told. However, I believe it's time for those of us who want to inspire, motivate, and lead others to step into our role as a leader with transparency, honesty, and vulnerability. As Mother Teresa said, "Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway."

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,627 views1.7/5 (3)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

The Trap of Comparison

How often do you compare yourself to others? If you're anything like me and most of the people I know and work with, probably more than you'd like to admit. And, as you may have noticed (like I have), this comparison process never seems to feel very good or work very well, does it?

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,476 views3/5 (1)

By Mike RobbinsRecently published1 topic

Be a Fan and a Critic

I saw Rev. Michael Beckwith perform a re-commitment ceremony for a married couple a few years back and it blew me away. He looked at the husband and said, “Your job is to be her biggest fan and her greatest critic for the purpose of her spiritual development.” He then turned to the wife and said the same thing to her about him. As simple of a concept as this was for me to understand, I’d never heard anyone say it quite like that before. As what he said fully registered with me, I was moved deeply and began to cry.

Primary topic: Empowerment

1,423 views3/5 (1)

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