Something extraordinary happened at Candlestick Park in San Francisco two Saturdays ago, Jan. 14. Sure, it was an amazing ending to an NFL playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints (which the Niners won in dramatic fashion, making all of us fans here in the...

I'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...

I'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...

I'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...

I had a painful, but poignant phone conversation earlier this week with my wife Michelle. She shared some challenges with me in a vulnerable and passionate way. As I started to give her some of my "helpful advice" (as I often do -- being a man, as well as an...

Over the past few months, I've been looking at the phenomenon of approval seeking that exists in my life and my relationships. My mother's death has brought up an intense mix of emotions and reflections. Like most people, my mom was a fundamental source of love for me, especially early...

Over the past few months, I've been thinking a lot about what truly matters. My mom's diagnosis, illness and death have caused me to stop, question and look more deeply at the things and people in my life that are important. Through the pain and challenge of this experience, I've...

My mom, Lois Dempsey Robbins, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in early March. The disease spread very quickly and on June 13, 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.

We 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...

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...

I had a powerful conversation recently with my good friend Theo.  I was telling him about some of the intense challenges I've been facing and my underlying fear that I simply can't handle all that is going on (and what I fear may unfold in the coming days, weeks, and...

Michelle and I were having dinner with some friends a few months ago when 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...

Sometimes I feel like I'm all alone.  Even though my relationship with my wife Michelle is amazing, the love I feel for and from my girls is profound, and there are so many incredible people in my life (family, friends and clients), I still find that in my darkest moments,...

As someone who is very interested in current events, sports, politics, the state of our economy and world, and more -- I pay a lot of attention to the news (sometimes more than is probably healthy for me). I read newspapers, check out various news sites/blogs, watch TV and listen...

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...

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....

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...

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...

How often do you catch yourself worrying?

When I was a kid my mom used to say to me, "95 percent of what you worry about never happens." I think she recognized that I was the "worrying type" and was trying to help ease my mind. Although this rarely worked,...

How do you feel about asking other people for help?

I've noticed that many of us, myself included, get a little funny about requesting support. While we're all different and we each have our own unique perspective, reaction, and process as it relates to reaching out to others, it seems...