Michael Thomas Sunnarborg's Blog, page 13

The Worry List

What are you worried about right now?

Do you have a “Worry List”—you know, a virtual list of the things that you are most worried about? And when one of the items on your worry list is resolved, does another one immediately take its place?

According to Dictionary.com, to worry is “to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts.”

Torment oneself? Ouch.

So why do we worry?

According to research, negative thinking is natural. In his book, The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, Dr. Chri...

The Helpful Handful Diet

Part of finding and maintaining better balance is finding simple healthy habits that we can pick up quickly. Some of the most important habits involve our commitment to healthy eating and exercise—two things we should do every day.

Speaking of food, are you bored with your current eating plan? Then here’s something fun and practical to try: Try the Helpful Handful Diet.

How does it work? One simple rule: Keep your portion sizes no bigger than your palm or fist. Need an example? Here’s the dai...

Omm. Umm. Huh?

“Follow my instructions. Close your eyes. Sit still. Don’t talk. Take a deep breathe. Exhale slowly. Drop your shoulders, and just breathe. How do you feel?”

“Umm… better…?”

Okay, so meditation. Right. Got it. It helps people to relax. That doesn’t seem so difficult. You just sit down and breathe for a few minutes, right? Or what do you do, exactly… and why are people saying it’s so important?

First, let’s get one thing clear. If you don’t think you’re meditating because you don’t sit on a yo...

My Fitbit Coach

“Why do you keep walking up and down the stairs and all around the house? It’s after 11:00pm,” my Mom asked as I briskly passed by her on my third pass through the kitchen.

“I gotta get in my 10,000 steps,” I replied as if it would be obvious to anyone else.

I’d spent another weekend at my parents’ house–only four hours away—and each time I go home, something new and fun happens. So what was this activity all about?

A little less than a month ago, I wouldn’t have been marching through the hou...

Do The Work

After writing my Intentions for 2016, I wondered what to focus on first to kick-off this new year. The nudge I received in response was, “Do your inner work.”

Inner work? You say. Uh-huh… so what is that, exactly? I’m glad you asked. Inner work means focusing on your spiritual and emotional self—your thoughts, feelings, intuition—the energy that fuels your whole human being.

Think of yourself like a piece of technology: your body is the hardware and your energy is the software. Doing the oute...

Start Here. Start Now.

Thinking about 2016 and what the next year might bring? Making a list of “new year’s resolutions”?

This past weekend I was reading a social media post by a young man explaining how New Year’s Eve was the time to mentally delete all of his bad habits from the previous year. He felt that by erasing his mistakes, he might be freed of them. Though I understood his perspective, I didn’t quite agree with his philosophy.

A few years ago I made the decision to stop creating new year’s resolutions and...

30 Second Balance Tune-up

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season upon us, taking a moment to pause and bring ourselves back into alignment can have immediate and lasting benefits.

So, care to join me for a 30-second tune-up? Great! Let’s do this.

Read through this short process before you begin:

Find a place, space, and moment. Remember: this will only take 30 seconds. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose or mouth while thinking the word relax. Hold the breathe for 3 seconds. Exhale slow...

What’s Happening

The other day I was asked, “Since you write books about balance, you must be happy and balanced all the time, right?” I paused and replied, “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?”

The person looked bewildered. I continued, “Let me just say this: we all have good days and ‘not so good’ days. I just focus on appreciating the good days, and then try my hardest to pay attention to what the not-so-good days are teaching me. In the long run, that feels more natural—more balanced.”

That, in its essence, is...

New Book Arrival!

In honor of my new book being available on November 6, I am pleased to share with you the press release going out next week. I hope that you or any of your loved ones going through a career transition will find this book to be filled with validation and inspiration as you/they navigate through this life-changing event.

Laid Off? Unemployed? Career Transition? Help Is Here!

With the growing number of corporations and small businesses adjusting to changes in a rapidly changing marketplace, mor...

Making Lemonade

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible
things before breakfast. – Lewis Carroll

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 looking fo...