Self Improvement Site
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Articles from Mike Robbins | Selfgrowth.com
- Are You Addicted to Struggle? - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2012 from Mike RobbinsDuring a session I was having with my new coach last week it became clear to me that I’ve been addicted to struggle for much of my life. While I wasn’t super excited to admit this, it has actually been quite liberating to address my struggle addiction directly and to see how it impacts just ...
Views: 1585 - Step Out of Your Box - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Mike RobbinsOne 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 ...
Views: 1572(1 vote) - Let Go of Negative Comparison - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2011 from Mike RobbinsI'm heading to my 15-year class reunion at Stanford this weekend. I'm excited to see some old friends, spend time on campus, and attend the various parties, sporting events, and fun stuff planned for the weekend. At the same time, I'm feeling quite anxious about the whole experience - knowing ...
Views: 1567 - 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: 1549(1 vote) - 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: 1548(1 vote) - Vulnerable Leadership - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2010 from Mike RobbinsVulnerable 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 ...
Views: 1536(3 votes) - Appreciating Failure - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2007 from Mike RobbinsFailure! Just the word “failure” can send shivers up and down our spine. If you’re like me and many of my clients, you’re probably not a big fan of failing. However, if you think about some of your biggest failures in life, haven’t they taught you a great deal and been extremely valuable to ...
Views: 1532 - We Are Not Our Bodies - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2010 from Mike RobbinsI 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 ...
Views: 1517(3 votes) - 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: 1513 - We're All Doing the Best We Can - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2011 from Mike RobbinsI'm sometimes amazed and embarrassed by how critical I can be - both of other people and of myself. Even though I both teach and practice the power of appreciation (as well as acceptance, compassion, and more) when I find myself feeling scared, threatened, or insecure (which happens more often ...
Views: 1512 - 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: 1511 - It's Not the Circumstances, It's Us - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2010 from Mike RobbinsI 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. However, as I began to think it more, I realized that even though I “understand” this wisdom and do my best ...
Views: 1505(5 votes) - What Baseball Can Teach Us About Life - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2010 from Mike RobbinsWith 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 ...
Views: 1483(1 vote) - Embracing Change - by Submitted on May 28, 2011 from Mike RobbinsWe recently went into escrow on our house, but don't yet have a new house to move into. As excited as we are about our move (just across the San Francisco Bay from Concord to Marin County), it feels pretty scary to not yet know exactly where we’ll be living next month. With this big change ...
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: 1474 - Embrace Death, Live Life - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2011 from Mike RobbinsMy 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. My mom's ...
Views: 1464(1 vote) - 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 ...
Views: 1449 - 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: 1447 - Appreciation: The Most Meaningful Gift - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2010 from Mike RobbinsDuring 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 ...
Views: 1443 - 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: 1441 - 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: 1422 - How to Move Through Your Fear - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2010 from Mike RobbinsFear is something that we all experience, especially on our journey toward deeper authenticity, fulfillment, and success in life. Being who we really are, expressing ourselves boldly, and going for what we want in life can cause a great deal of fear in us. I get scared all the time - ...
Views: 1409(1 vote) - 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: 1405(2 votes) - 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: 1401 - It's Okay for Things to Be Easy - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2010 from Mike RobbinsA 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 ...
Views: 1391(1 vote) - How to Stay Grounded During the Holidays - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2009 from Mike RobbinsThe 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. And, the stress, drama, consumption, ...
Views: 1377(3 votes) - 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: 1370 - 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: 1369 - The Trap of Comparison - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2010 from Mike RobbinsHow 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? Last ...
Views: 1368(1 vote) - Live Like You're Going to Die (Because You Are) - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Mike RobbinsYou'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 ...
Views: 1362(1 vote) - Creating the New Year with Intention - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2010 from Mike RobbinsAs 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. Similar to last week, there is a magical quality to this first ...
Views: 1346(1 vote) - 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: 1344 - 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: 1339 - Be a Fan and a Critic - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2009 from Mike RobbinsI 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 ...
Views: 1335(1 vote) - It's About Appreciation, Not Achievement - by Submitted on May 12, 2006 from Mike RobbinsIt's about Appreciation, not Achievement Have you ever found yourself waiting for something “good” to happen so that you could be happy? “When I get that promotion, lose those ten pounds, fall in love, graduate from school, pay off my debt, have a baby, buy a house, accomplish that big goal, ...
Views: 1335 - Worry Never Works - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2009 from Mike RobbinsI 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 ...
Views: 1330(3 votes) - The Best Gift of All - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2009 from Mike RobbinsDuring 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 ...
Views: 1325(2 votes) - Are You Choosing Unhappy Over Uncertain? - by Submitted on Aug 18, 2010 from Mike RobbinsI've been re-reading Tim Ferriss' great book The Four Hour Workweek, which has been expanding my mind and giving me lots of great ideas. In the book, Ferriss states that "most people choose to be unhappy rather than uncertain." As I began to reflect on this bold and somewhat critical ...
Views: 1317 - 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: 1315 - 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: 1309 - How to Appreciate Your Challenges - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2011 from Mike RobbinsAre you facing challenges in your life or your business right now? These days, there are some real challenges facing many of us - at work, at home, in relationships, with money, with family, with housing situations, and much more. The challenges themselves, even the most difficult ones, ...
Views: 1305 - The Triangle of Truth - by Submitted on Jan 20, 2010 from Mike RobbinsI have a love-hate relationship to conflict. I love it when things “work out,” but hate it when they don’t. My fear of things not working out, of people’s feelings getting hurt, or of me losing something important are usually high on my list of justifications for not saying certain things, not ...
Views: 1299 - What We CAN Change - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2010 from Mike RobbinsMy 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 ...
Views: 1297(1 vote) - 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: 1292 - 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: 1280 - 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: 1279 - Completing the Year with Power - by Submitted on Dec 30, 2009 from Mike RobbinsThese 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 ...
Views: 1278(2 votes) - Complete the Year Consciously - by Submitted on Jan 07, 2011 from Mike RobbinsThese 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 ...
Views: 1272 - The Power of Desire Without Attachment - by Submitted on May 04, 2010 from Mike RobbinsFor many years I've had mixed feelings about my wants and have been a bit confused about the true power of desire. While I know that desire is an essential piece of the manifestation process, I also know that focusing a lot of my attention and energy on what I want has caused a great deal of ...
Views: 1266 - 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: 1262