Michael Thomas Sunnarborg's Blog, page 10

Do These Skinny Jeans Make My Knees Look Fat?

That was the snippet I heard as I was passing by.

On the surface, the hot topic at work that morning seemed to be about skinny jeans. But it wasn’t really about jeans—it was about fat knees.

Fat knees? Seriously?

So, I looked it up. And yes, a preoccupation over fat knees is, indeed, a thing. But what isn’t a thing to somebody on the planet. And judging from a recent post about jeans with windows, the appearance of our knees must be important—well, at least to some people.

Now I don’t claim t...

6 Simple Tips To Spring Ahead This Spring

Spring is here. And as always, this time of year brings us rebirth and renewal.

While plants and trees are going through their own cycles of new physical growth, the start of spring can influence us both physically and psychologically—affecting our bodies and minds.

Besides cleaning and clearing out physical spaces that have been lying dormant during the winter months, we can also replace old, stale ideas with new, fresh perspectives. In the words of musician Henry Rollins, “In winter, I plot...

Finding Balance For The Sensitive Soul

Everyone is sensitive. We are all multi-sensory beings who experience energies through our senses—what we see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. Our brains interpret this sensory information and we respond to it according to our understanding of what the stimuli means (something is good or bad, harmful or helpful) and use our feelings as a feedback mechanism to choose our responses.

Most people are accustomed to having stimuli in their immediate environment and are able to navigate throughout li...

We Create Our Own Fake News

Meeting with a client over lunch last week, I couldn’t help but notice his frustrations about feeling stuck in his job search. As he fleshed out the details of his career exploration process, each story turned difficult, tedious, or impossible. And as the conversation progressed, I could observe him slipping deeper and deeper into his own doubts and fears, fueled by his assumptions and limiting beliefs.

Although my client has lofty career goals—many of which are realistic considering his skil...

How To Survive Heated Conversations With Friends And Family

Last week, my buddy and I were talking about life and the changing world around us. And with all the recent shifts in social, economic, and political climates, we had plenty to talk about.

One of the best things about our 20-year friendship is that although we share many core beliefs, we approach life from very different perspectives—sometimes polar opposite positions.

Normally, our discussions tend to be on the lighter side. We compare our views on current events and give each other the “ben...

Think You Don’t Have A Choice? Think Again.

With the recent changes in political and social climates in the past few months, many of us might feel that our choices are being reduced. Are they?

Instead of being restricted, perhaps our choices are being clarified. After all, when the contrast of what is not wanted is brought into the light, there’s a swift movement into clarity of what is wanted.

That is the role of constant change.

But isn’t that what life is about: Questioning? Answering? Deciding? And when we are faced with contrastin...

Busy? How To Work Smarter, Not Harder

Back to work, back to busy. The beginning of the year can be both exciting and exhausting. Having a substantial break from our normal workflow over the holiday season has its benefits—finding our motivation to jump back into the stream may not be one of them.

Once we get back to business—back to work, school, or normal routine—we find ourselves busy. After all, “busy” is the root of the word busyness (or as the word evolved: business).

However, just because we’re busy doesn’t necessarily mean...

The Benefits Of Winter Hibernation

In 1992, I moved to Hawaii because Honolulu is 85 and sunny year round. In 2013, I moved back to Minnesota because Honolulu is 85 and sunny year round.

Fickle? Not really. I just missed the change of seasons. Growing up in Minnesota with four distinct seasons gives you something to look forward to. And in Minnesota, each season brings forth different clothing, activities, and foods—even conversations.

“How ‘bout that snow out there—and cold enough fer ya at 20 below?” “Ya sure, it’s cold, you...

Feeling Stifled? 4 Ways To Turn It Around

In life, we can’t always control what happens to us, but we can always choose our response to it.

It was apparent at an early age that I was gifted with an abundance of energy. During my first years of elementary school, my teachers enjoyed my creativity and enthusiasm. However, my third grade teacher found my gregarious nature to be a bit challenging—so she tried something different.

When my Mom and Dad came to the parent teacher conferences that fall, they walked around the classroom l...

A New Year. Really?

New Year’s Resolutions. New eating plans. New rules. New gym membership. New morning routine. New attitude. New job. New relationship. A new start.

Or is it?

Whether we realize or not, the New Year always brings about a shift in our perspective. And that shift is simply due to one reason: a calendar date.

But pause and think about it for one moment. Does the universe really know what day, month, or year it is?

As human beings, we are “chronologically impaired”—we rely on clock and calendar to...