An Extraordinary Life is Meant to be Shared

The Gift of Giving BackN

ow, more than ever, it is important to examine the values that shape our lives.

Tony Robbins, the father of life coaching and one of the world’s leading peak

performance speakers, understands the importance of living according to your

beliefs. This is what he had to say about giving back.

by Steven Marshall

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TONy: AN EXTRAORDI-nary life doesn’t just happen. Visualization is one of the most powerful tools you can incor-porate into your everyday life to help maintain the competitive edge you enjoy now or to take you to an even higher plane.

Like watching a movie of your life, it’s “seeing” you living out your dreams, your purpose, your values, and your emotions — and it’s all in the present, as if it’s happening now. Just as an extraordinary body requires a ritual in optimal diet and exercise, an extraordinary spirit demands a rit-ual in optimal emotion. My emotion is gratitude and my ritual is spending an hour each day to expand my capabilities to not only more fully enjoy my life, but to help others to do so as well.

When you devote yourself to practicing this form of visualiza-tion daily, you will see your life begin to change in the ways you envisioned. Your visions will become your reality. You will con-nect more deeply with people and you will take on the challenges that each day may bring with clarity, faith and resolve. You will

begin to visualize your best life as you condition your mind, body and spirit for daily success.

TONy: PAIN—PERsONAl pain! Lots of us have been in a position when the kindness of a friend or even a stranger lifted and nurtured us out of a challenging situation. Sometimes this simple

act of kindness inspires us to do more and to reciprocate the magi-cal gift that was given to us.

I had an experience like that when I was 11 years old and fac-ing a bleak Thanksgiving. We weren’t starving, we always found a way, but we certainly weren’t going to have a real holiday din-ner with all the trimmings. Then a miracle happened — there was a knock at our door and when I opened it there was this HUGE man standing there with a giant box of food in his arms that was crammed full of everything — stuffing, pies, sweet potatoes — he even had an uncooked turkey in a pan on the ground next to him. Someone knew my family was in trouble and wanted to help. This stranger wasn’t looking for appreciation or adoration for this good deed.

That day I had a revelation that changed the course of my entire life. Up until then I’d always believed that no one really cared.

But that day I decided that if a stranger cared enough about me to make sure I had a Thanksgiving feast, then I would return the gift. Someday I would do well enough to give another family in need a Thanksgiving feast.

When I was 17, I took the little money I had in my pocket and filled two baskets with enough food to give two fami-lies a great Thanksgiving. At the first house, a tiny Latina woman answered the door, her five kids peering wide-eyed from behind her. Her husband had just left her two days before with no food. She looked at me in total disbelief, then she burst into tears and pulled me down to her, kissing me all over my face. And while I was reeling from that, her kids tackled me, hugging my legs. She pulled back just enough to look into my eyes and said, “Gift from God. Gift from God.” It was such a powerful moment of pure, undiluted joy and it made me real-ize that my life had come full circle — a recipient had been blessed enough to become a giver.

The next year I fed four families, then I fed eight families the year after that. When I founded The Anthony Robbins Foundation 20 years ago, our Thanksgiving gifts became the International Basket Bri-gade. Last year between Thanksgiving and Christmas we fed nearly two million people in 35 countries.

I invite you to give yourself the gift of giving back. Find something that ignites your passion and give to others with no strings attached. When we give like that we step outside of ourselves and contribut-ing to those who can’t give us anything in return is the way we experience the ulti-mate reward. We remember how small our problems really are and from that place of strength and gratitude, we are able to expe-rience a different quality of life and touch the lives of others. Contribution makes us remember why we were made. ■

Q:How do you use

visualization in your everyday life?

Q:What inspired

you to create the Basket Brigade?

Tony Robbins

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