Send to KindleRemember I told you about Mike Robbins and how I dared to ask him for an interview? Well, the day is finally here. I’m so glad to be able to introduce him to you. I’ve always been struck by the simplicity and profundity of his writing and you will see that for yourself in this interview.
It was only recently that I realized that you used to be a professional baseball player, Mike. I believe that every experience teaches us something about life. What did you learn from playing the game that you use in your life now?
Many things – both good and bad. On the light side, baseball taught me a lot about how to deal with failure and pressure…it also taught me the importance of focus, commitment, determination, and teamwork. On the “dark” side, it taught me to worry about my results, compare myself to others, and always feel like I wasn’t quite good enough – very stressful way to live and the “you’re only as good as your last game (and/or your results)” really messed with me…and is something I’m still working on “un-learning” these days.
I did love playing baseball (most of the time) and still love the game (even though it has been 15 years since I played competitively). I work with some professional baseball teams these days – the San Francisco Giants, the Atlanta Braves, and the Arizona Diamondbacks…which is fun and keeps me connected to baseball in a neat way.
Mike, in your book Focus On The Good Stuff, you talk of the power of appreciation. Can you share why you think appreciation is so powerful?
Appreciation is about recognizing the value in something – another person, a situation, an experience, or ourselves. It isn’t about the “inherent value” of something or someone, it is about our ability to appreciate it…which is a powerful skill and ability to have in life. When we expand our capacity to appreciate, our world changes in fundamental ways. As the saying goes, “The more gratitude we have, the more there is to be grateful for.” This is what makes the power of appreciation so important in all aspects of life.
How can we bring appreciation in to our day to day life and in our relationships?
We always find what we look for. The best way for us to bring more appreciation into our lives and relationships is to look for it. Here are a few specific things we can do to enhance our capacity for appreciation:
- Use a gratitude/appreciation journal – write down 5 or more things each day that we’re grateful for/appreciate. I have been doing this for years, and have re-committed to this daily practice over the past few months and it has been life-altering
- Ask people what they are grateful for. We have this on our outgoing voice mail messages – at home, in our office, and on our cell phones – it is wonderful and we get the best voice mail messages when people answer the question
- Pick three things each day that you appreciate about your spouse or significant other and let them know.
We all struggle from time to time to accept some part of ourselves that we feel is flawed. What do you think causes us to think that we’re not good enough?
Feeling “not good enough” is one of the core negative ego beliefs that we carry as human beings…it often runs our life and messes with us in a deep and profound way (as I have learned so many times). We also see, hear, and get lots of messages from outside of ourselves – the media, friends/family, and others – that reinforce the idea that we aren’t smart, beautiful, or successful enough…and we believe that crap, sadly.
In your second book Be Yourself Everyone Else Is Already Taken you focus on authenticity? What made you so passionate about the subject of authenticity?
My passion for authenticity comes from my own desire to be authentic and have others be authentic (with me and in general). It also comes from my own struggle to know myself, be myself, and express myself. I always write about and teach about the things I both struggle with and desire to embody and embrace at a deeper level (i.e. “we teach best what we most need to learn”) Authenticity is about accepting, expressing, and loving all of who we are – both light and dark…it is essential on our personal and spiritual journey and it also can be quite scary at times…much easier to be phony in many ways. But, what I believe most of us what in our lives, relationships, work, and more – is a true sense of authenticity.
As crazy as this sounds, sometimes it’s so difficult to be ourselves. What steps do you suggest a person take to move towards being authentic?
Being ourselves can be difficult for a number of reasons. First of all, we aren’t taught/trained to be ourselves in a real way. Second of all, we don’t have a lot of good/healthy models for authenticity growing up – most of our parents, teachers, and those around us in society don’t really embody authenticity. And third, it can be difficulty or scary to be ourselves – either because we don’t really know who we are or because we’re afraid people won’t love or accept us if we really show them our “true colors.”
There are lots of things people can do to move towards more authenticity – it is a lifelong journey. As the saying goes, “There is no way to peace, peace is the way.” The same could be said about authenticity. The first step in deepening our own personal authenticity is actually confronting the ways in which we aren’t authentic. In other words, as we start to tell the truth about how we really feel and what makes it hard for us to be authentic, we enhance our authenticity right there.
I know that you like to introduce yourself first as a Dad (to your two lovely girls). Has fatherhood changed the way you look at life? Thank you Mike for a fantastic interview.
Being a father has altered my life in a profound way. It has been one of the challenging and rewarding experiences of my life so far – and we are still in the early stages of parenting (our girls are just 6 and 3). I am humbled almost every day by fatherhood. I look at life very differently now – knowing that there are two human beings walking on the planet who look to me for guidance and as a model in a way no other human beings ever have (or probably ever will). As the father of two girls, I also have a special perspective and insight into the importance of loving, supporting, and empowering young girls (and ultimately women). I am in awe of my girls and my wife (especially as I got to experience pregnancy, birth, nursing, and more first hand). Fatherhood has helped me get in touch with a deeper level of compassion, awareness, and connection – both with my family, but also with the human family. And, it has been very hard at times…although it does seem to be getting a bit easier these days, which is nice!
Thank you Mike for a fantastic interview.
Mike Robbins delivers dynamic keynotes, seminars, and coaching programs that empower people and organizations to be more successful, appreciative, and authentic. He’s the author of the bestselling books, Focus on the Good Stuff and Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken. To learn more about Mike please visit www.Mike-Robbins.com
About Corinne Rodrigues
I write because I hope that my words will bring pleasure, inspire or make you question something, just as the words of so many writers do to me. I don't profess to have any answers, I just share from my own experiences and often bring you my own struggles with thoughts, ideas and situations. Today I seek to live life of that is simple, authentic and holistic. I write at Everyday Gyaan and share a blog called From 7Eight with my husband, José and our boxer dog, Pablo.
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wow, that’s cool that you got this interview! And good questions!
Sandra Tyler recently posted..I am so behind with my reading and commenting, but…
Thanks, Sandra. Yes, I dared to ask for it and Mike graciously said ‘yes’.
Thanks a bunch for the post. I hope my comment will go through. Have a great day.
Sigrid Rogowski recently posted..http://docakilah.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/19-herbs-for-vision-and-eye-health/
Glad you liked it, Sigrid.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..In Conversation With Mike Robbins
Amazing interview….very insightful.
Thanks, Janaki.
Great interview! I especially like the suggestion about consciously thinking of things you appreciate about someone and letting them know. Once I kept a gratitude journal for a whole year about a close friend. Every day I would write one brief thing I appreciated about her. I gave her the journal at the end of the year for a Christmas present.
Galen Pearl recently posted..Ever Smaller
Wow, Galen. I love that idea, what a beautiful gift. Thank you for sharing.
In appreciation,
Mike
That’s a present I would treasure all my life, Galen!
Nice read, I always think that you can tell a good interview or online write up when after you finish reading it, you feel like you know the person a little who you have just read about. I took that feeling away after reading this.
Laura recently posted..Cats vs dogs
Thank you so much, Laura. I’m glad you’ve got to know Mike better. I love his writing!
Excellent interview! I hadn’t heard of Mike before, but now I really want to go get his books. I think I can really relate to how he says playing baseball also made him compare himself to others and to always feel ‘not good enough’, but in a different sense. Any mother, if she’s speaking honestly, will tell you about the troubles that come with comparing your abilities as a parent with others you know. We look at other families and are somehow sure that they aren’t dealing with any of the issues we are, but only see it that way because we don’t know all of their business. People can easily look so perfect to those outside the family. It’s when you really get to know them that you realize every family has issues that they are dealing with.
Thanks so much for sharing! I’m going to go share this post on FB and twitter!
Brandina recently posted..The Garden Project: Week Unknown
Brandina , I think comparisons happen to all people. I think moms tend not only to compare themselves with other parents but also subconsciously compare their kids too and this leads to a lot of problems. You are so right, we shouldn’t compare because we just don’t know what is going on in someone else’s life. More importantly, it takes away our appreciation of all we have. Thank you for commenting and sharing. I really appreciate it. ♥
Very inspiring, I have not heard about this author before, but I am glad read this post, and also happy to learn the importance of appreciation, which I do, but not consistently – you have motivated me to re commit my self to gratitude, thanks for that, I appreciate your authenticity. I am looking forward to read your books, thanks corinne for sharing this interview !
Glad you liked the interview, Janet. Mike has acknowledged all the comments further down this thread.
Beautiful Interview!!
The point of telling everyday three things we love about a person is the best idea. I will teach this to my children. I will encourage them to do this with each other and I can already see how much that will improve the atmosphere at home!!!
nikky44 recently posted..I Miss You
I think that Mike’s suggestion is wonderful, Nikky and it would be fantastic to teach this to children. Do tell me how that works for your family.
Lovely interview. Specially loved the fatherhood portion – becoming parents truly changes our life with so much to learn from our children each day as they grow up.
Me recently posted..My Happiness List
Glad you liked that, Me. Children do teach us so much about ourselves.
Fantastic interview! Mike Robbins is one fascinating, inspiring man. I love that he said “we teach best what we need to learn” – so very true. I also like the idea of the gratitude journal – I’m all about gratitude attitudes!
Great job, Corinne!
Martha Orlando recently posted.."Somehow I Know I’ll Jump Up and Go if Ever He Calls my Name . . ."
Thanks so much, Martha. Yes, I loved that line too – and I can see it playing out in my life. Gratitude is high on my list too. ♥
What a terrific interview!! He does seem so inspiring–and you know–he’s on to something with learning appreciation. It is a journey for me as well–to learn to value people, places, events, etc., and I’m learning that the more I am appreciative the more appreciative I become, just like he said!! Wonderful job with the interview–and thank you for sharing this!!
Cheers, Jenn.
Jenn recently posted..The Last Straw
Thanks, Jenn. Yes, I have learnt in recent years too to become more grateful for all I have and my gratitude list keeps increasing!
Mike has so much insight. And I love how he is so passionate about appreciation and authenticity.
Great interview, Corinne!
Irene recently posted..Meet A Blogger And An Online Shop Owner Friday!
Absolutely agree, Irene. I’m glad you liked it!
Wow, I’m humbled. Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I so appreciate reading these and your thoughtful words.
In Gratitude,
Mike Robbins
Mike, you’re the one we’ve got to thank for being an inspiration! ♥
What a wonderful interview Corinne, and thank you Mike for such honest answers. I think ‘authenticity’ is so very important in every aspect of our lives. I’m happy to see that you have regarded this in your interview.
Mary Hudak-Colllins recently posted..{this moment}
Thank you, Mary. More and more I’m seeking to be authentic – not always easy but so worth it. I’m glad that I asked Mike to talk about it.
A great interview. I so believe that gratitude is the key to happiness. thanks for sharing.
Suzy recently posted..GBE2 – Pick a line from a book
Thanks, Suzy. I believe the exact same thing too.
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Giving A Friend The Pink Slip
Thank you Corinne and Mike for this very interesting and informative interview. Loved your view on authenticity and appreciation in life.
Thanks, Sulekha. I loved it too which I why I was so keen on Mike sharing here.
What a wonderful post! All of the points made are things that we struggle with on a daily basis. I really liked when you guys touched on authenticity. That to me, is one of the most important things that we as humans should focus on. it’s very true that we aren’t taught to be ourselves. We grow up wanting to emulate our parents, siblings and public figures and we often lose what is special about ourselves in the process. Mike, I enjoyed what you had to say and will definitely look to read your work. Corinne, girl, you rock as usual. Great interview!
Tameka (BloggerPoet) ( recently posted..Shades of Green and Gray: Embracing Challenges to Become a Better Artist
Thank you so much, Tameka. Trying to be authentic is something I have been learning in the past few years. As you rightly said, before this, it was all about imitating and pleasing others. Your writing shows a lot of your authenticity and I’m proud to be your friend. ♥
Corinne Rodrigues recently posted..Giving A Friend The Pink Slip
We struggle with not being good enough comes from culture, too, not just our ego. Operations of Modern Power–how we have created these standards on what is good. Less individualistic cultures have less self judgment, mostly since the self is not singular. And it doesn’t feel separate. This makes a huge difference to our egos.
That’s true, Jodi. In the Indian culture, parents are afraid to praise their children for fear that they’ll get too full of themselves. And individuals are not encouraged to praise themselves as it’s considered false pride. So you can see how one would have problems with self-image here.
Inspiring interview. Interesting that baseball taught him such important lessons. Ah well, we can learn from any and every experience we face, can’t we! Cannot wait to get my hands on his Be Yourself book.
Thanks for stopping by, Kate. As you very rightly said, we can learn from every experience. I’d like to add ‘if we’re willing and open’. Enjoy ‘Be Yourself’!
I really enjoyed reading this. It’s wonderful to approach life from such a positive perspective. I like Galen’s idea too. I think I’ll do that for my husband.
Very nice interview Corinne. Good job.
Myrna that sounds like a fantastic idea. Do let me know how it works out. ♥
How wonderful it would be if our children and young adults were learning these values at an early age! It would cut through so much unnecessary angst and pain. I especially appreciate the first step toward authenticity: telling the truth about how we feel. At least to ourselves! Thank you for this great interview.
Sandra / Always Well Within recently posted..Heaven and Hell: A Zen Parable
Telling the truth about how we feel is something we all have to learn and to do it with gentleness takes even more time. I’m learning – everyday, Sandra. Thank you for stopping by.
I could even feel his authenticity from the way he writes. It’s so inspiring to meet people like him
I’m very glad you’ve shared him with us here BS 
melissa recently posted..Young at Heart
Yes, I’ve felt it too, Melissa and that’s why I wanted to interview him here. Glad you like it.
Dear Corinne (and all of her wonderful readers),
I’m so inspired reading these comments.
Thank you, Corinne, for doing this interview. And thank you to all of Corinne’s readers for your thoughtful responses and replies. I’m honored.
In appreciation,
Mike Robbins
Great interview, Corinne! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Warmest regards,
Mary