Michael Thomas Sunnarborg's Blog, page 15

The White Box Club

"I've called you together this morning to make an important announcement. We're taking a new direction with the company and all of you in this room are not included. You are being let go immediately. You will be given a severance package—including any unused vacation—and HR will be contacting you to follow-up. There are boxes out front for you to take back to your desks, pack up your things, and leave the premises within the hour. We are sorry to do this, but it was a necessary step."
That wa...

It's Spring. Go Green!

If you stop and think about how much waste is created on a daily basis, you will notice how fast it adds up: more garbage + more pollution = higher expenses = less money, not to mention our abuse of the planet. It's not a pretty picture. 
Perhaps you've heard my favorite muppet Kermit the Frog crooning in his song, "It's not easy being green..." I've been thinking about the green movement lately, and even though it may be challenging for Kermit, being green is rather easy for us once we...

The Universal Mirror

Mirror [mir-er] Noun. A reflecting surface, originally of polished metal but now usually of glass with a silvery, metallic, or amalgam backing (dictionary.com)

Mirrors are a part of our daily lives. Mirrors reflect visual data back to us, giving us more information. A plane (flat) mirror not only allows us to view what is behind us, but provides a virtual opposite of what we are perceiving before us. We have learned to accept the information from mirrors as valid and trustworthy.

Likewis...

Losing Your Religion?

 
Religion. Spirituality. God. The Universe. Source Energy. Life. Death.

What does it all mean? Nobody knows. Let me repeat that. NOBODY KNOWS.

Not a single person on this planet knows what any of those things really mean. Oh, we certainly have an abundance of theories, ideas, and beliefs, but ultimately, none of us really knows the meaning behind it all.

But we spend a lifetime trying to figure it out.

Isn't that what our lives are all about: Questioning? Answering? Creating? Believing? And...

The Nudge

 We are not human beings on a spiritual journey.
We are spiritual beings on a human journey.
Stephen R. Covey
Ever get a "nudge" to do or say something? 

Something I learned early-on in my writing and coaching work was to give my thoughts, feelings, and intuition a voice—a way to better understand the language of my mind, body, and spirit. We all perceive information through our senses and this information is being filtered and translated into our thoughts, feelings, and intuition. We c...

Our Chronic Thoughts

Thoughts are extremely powerful. In fact, our thoughts create our reality as we experience it. Much like a captain navigating the sea, our thoughts command the wheel of our ship and point us toward a destination.

I asked one of my coaching clients last week about a potential employment opportunity to which he replied, “I can't do that. I've never done that before." As we continued, I could see a pattern unfolding. His perspectives about everything in his life—his career, relationships, choice...

Favorite Things

Last evening during the 2015 Oscars celebration, Lady Gaga sang a 50th anniversary tribute to the movie The Sound of Music , a 1965 American musical film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

Thinking back to the first time I saw the stage version of that musical (which I'd actually auditioned for and didn't get... *sigh), I remember one song that always made me smile: My Favorite Things. I liked the song because it was about remembering those things which bring us happiness. Sometime...

Simplify Your Life

Many people are looking for better balance and happiness in life. Through my writing and coaching, I help guide people towards those goals by providing them with options. One of my favorite lines of questioning includes challenging the complexity of people's lives.

Some questions include: What things are you currently experiencing in your life that you no longer want? How are complex or difficult relationships helping or hurting you? In what ways can you simplify areas of your life to bring yo...

A New Year. Really?

New year's resolutions. New eating plans. New goals and objectives. New rules. New gym membership. New morning routine. New attitude. New job. New enthusiasm. 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 it's simply due to one fact: a calendar date.
Does the universe really know what day, month, or year it is? As human beings, we are inherently "chronologically impaired": we rely on the clock and calendar to...

Mom Was Right

Ah, the simple things. In our busy lives, the small things—like finding your keys or keeping a clean kitchen—can make a world of difference. Simple habits practiced over time can have a profound effect on your sense of balance—especially when you develop healthy and consistent habits for yourself.

As an adult, I still hear my Mom's voice giving me practical nuggets of advice—in fact, sometimes I hear them several times a day!

Let's admit it. Mom was right about a lot of stuff. Simple things do,...