Michael Thomas Sunnarborg's Blog, page 5

Looking for Work? Stop! And Do This One Critical Step

I’ve got good news and bad news.

First, the bad news: If you’re currently looking for work, you’ve got homework to do.

Homework? Seriously? I know, I know. Nobody likes to do homework.

But here’s the good news: This homework is something you already know well. This homework is on yourself. And the benefits of doing this now will become permanent.

In fact, doing this work will not only affect your career, but every other aspect of your life. It’s that powerful.

So, what is the homework, exactly?

...

Looking for Work? Stop! And Do This One Critical Step.

I’ve got good news and bad news.

First, the bad news: If you’re currently looking for work, you’ve got homework to do.

Homework? Seriously? I know, I know. Nobody likes to do homework.

But here’s the good news: This homework is something you already know well. This homework is on yourself. And the benefits of doing this now will become permanent.

In fact, doing this work will not only affect your career, but every other aspect of your life. It’s that powerful.

So, what is the homework, exactly?

...

The Biggest Gift of COVID-19

In every situation there are a multitude of perspectives, and COVID-19 is no exception.

On the one hand, weve got a global viral pandemic that the world hasnt seen since the outbreak of the Spanish Flu in 1918. On the other, we have society coming together in displays of solidarity, kindness, and support for one another.

As my friend and colleague Sayre Darling so poignantly says, It only took a pandemic

While you may label any of our present conditions bad or good depending on your...

How Do We Live Now? One Day at a Time

Ive been pondering lately about what to write. Usually, Im full of new ideas and spontaneous potential blog postssometimes on a daily basis. But not lately.

And then I realized why. Im grievingand Im not alone.

The entire world is grieving due to COVID-19. And its overwhelming. Naturally, Im sad about my own disappointments, but Im also sensitive to the experiences of others.

The heartbreak that so many other people must be feelingthe loss of loved ones, the rights of passage for high school...

You Really Do Get More Flies with Honey

“Hello. Thank you for calling. Please hold while we retrieve your account information.”

Waiting …

“Please hold while we connect you with customer service.”

Waiting …

“Your call is important to us. Please hold and your call will be answered in the order received.”

Waiting …

(Loud, looping Muzak)

Then finally, if you’re lucky, a human being answers. Perhaps now you can justify the 16 minutes and 23 seconds that you’ve been waiting on hold.

But who’s counting?

Has this happened to you recently?...

Whose Voice is That Anyway?

Think your beliefs are static?Think again.

The other day I caught myself saying something I didn’t believe, “Money is hard to make and even more difficult to save.”

Whereas that belief may have been true for me in the past, I no longer believe it. And to be completely honest, it was never my belief to being with.

I picked it up from somebody else.And, over time, it can cause me tolose trust in myself.

We are all sponges—big, porous, and highly-absorbent sponges. Everything that we see, hear,...

Feeling Stuck? Try Stepping Back

We all havefrustrating moments—times when we really want something to happen and it just won’t budge.

So we keep trying. But when it still feels like nothing is happening, the more we try; and then when things don’t change, we just feel worse—especially when we’ve been patient… or at least thinking we’ve been patient.

It’s like getting your car stuck in wet, thick mud. The more you try to get out, the more your wheels spin and dig you deeper in the ground.

Sometimes life feels like that.We...

Want Peace? Then Be The Peace

“Be the change you wish to see in the world,”has been attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. Although that’s not literally what Gandhi said, the spirit was just the same.

Regardless of the words, the quote isn’t simply a suggestion—it is an instruction. Gandhi is telling us that we have the power to change the world by changing ourselves.

Especially during the holiday seasons, I’ve chosen to take that inspiration to heart by deliberately focusing on where I can affect change in a positive way. How? By...

What? How Can You Be Grateful for Being Laid-off?!

It was another busy afternoon at my favorite local Panera Bread, where a handful of other fellow entrepreneurs, side-giggers, and I hold our “office hours” during the week.

Then while glancing at the front door, I spotted the former CEO of a company I’d worked for in the recent past. I hadn’t seen him for a few years—not since the day he reluctantly announced to a group of us that the company was changing direction and we weren’t included.

That was my first experience of being laid-off. And...

Feeling Doubt? Trusting Yourself Is the First Step

“I should’ve jumped at the chance when I had it.”

“I can’t believe I messed the whole thing up.”

“It should’ve never happened. I wish I would’ve known better.”

Ever say these to yourself? So have I.

In the past when I was disappointed about a decision I’d made, I’d quickly blame myself for not choosing differently.

But how could I? If I didn’t have the same level of knowledge that I have now when I made that decision then, how could I have made any other choice?

I couldn’t. And I didn’t.

Then why start the blame game? What’s up with the stinkin’ t...