Focus on the Good Stuff: The Power of Appreciation by: Mike Robbins Have you ever had something taken away from you only to realize how much you appreciated it after it was gone? Most of us have taken someone or something for granted and only truly realized how much that person or situation meant to us after the fact such as our health, an important relationship, or business success. For me, at the age of 23 my professional baseball career ended abruptly when I blew out my pitching arm. I was in my third season in the minor leagues with the Kansas City Royals, and just like that my childhood dream was over. I realized looking back on my eighteen years in competitive baseball that I had only one major regret; I‘d pushed myself so hard that I’d forgotten to enjoy the game. Being so focused on “making it” and on overcoming my weaknesses, I had not taken much time to appreciate what I was doing along the way. We often waste our time and energy focusing on what we don’t like, what we’re worried about, or what we think needs to be fixed, changed, or enhanced. We live in a culture obsessed with “bad stuff,” – just turn on the news, listen to the conversations of the people around you, or pay attention to the thoughts in your own head. And, those of us in sales or who own our own businesses are often the worst offenders of this type of negativity. The Power of Appreciation on your life and business What if we stopped this negative obsession and started paying more attention to what and whom we appreciate, right now? Imagine how this simple but profound shift could transform our lives, our families, our relationships, our careers, our work groups, our results, and more. Our experience is a function of what we focus on. Each moment we have a choice as to where we place our attention. I’m not advocating that we deny, avoid, or run from our challenges or sugar coat anything. It’s important that we’re able to confront, face, and deal with the stressful and difficult aspects of life and work. However, we don’t have to obsess about the bad stuff, complain about it, and let it run us. We each can consciously choose to focus on the good stuff in our lives, with others, and most importantly towards ourselves. There are great things happening in your life, your business, and around you all the time - if you look for and find them. Five Principles for Living a Life Filled with Appreciation In order to utilize the power of appreciation in your life as a way to enhance your relationships, improve your results, and empower yourself, here are five key principles: 1) Be Grateful – Focus on the many blessings in your life and all that you have to be grateful for. 2) Choose Positive Thoughts and Feelings – Make a conscious decision to transform your negative thoughts and feelings into ones that empower you. 3) Use Positive Words – Pay attention to the words you use with others, about things, and in speaking about yourself. Speak with the most positive words possible – our words have the power to create, not just describe. 4) Acknowledge Others – Focus on what you appreciate about the people around you and let them know. Be genuine and let others know the positive impact they have on you and your life. 5) Appreciate Yourself – Celebrate who you are, what you do, and the gifts and talents that you have. Self-appreciation is not arrogance; it’s an awareness of your own power and it’s the key to self confidence, success, and fulfillment. When we truly focus on this good stuff, our world transforms and we’re able to see and experience the GREAT FULLNESS of our lives. We don’t have to wait until everything is handled, we get it all perfect, or people do things exactly as we want them to. We can just start appreciating life, others, and ourselves exactly as we are, right now. Don’t wait ‘til it’s too late! Mike Robbins is an expert in peak performance and life-fulfillment. He is a sought after keynote speaker and coach, as well as the author of the brand new book Focus on the Good Stuff: The Power of Appreciation (Jossey-Bass/Wiley).