Michael Thomas Sunnarborg's Blog, page 7

Square Peg; Round Hole. Story of My Life.

I’ve never been normal. Thank goodness.

From an early age, it was clear that I didn’t fit in with the usual crowd. I talked differently, dressed differently, and acted in my own way.

To many others, however, I seemed to be too much of something—too noisy; too energetic; too talkative; too silly. And throughout the years, I have been called many things: Problematic; Delinquent; Weirdo; Nonconformist; Misfit; Crazy; [you-insert-any-nontraditional-adjective-here].

In 1982, CBS premiered Square P...

Want More Connections? Harness the Power of Likes, Comments & Shares

Online networking is now the norm.

Sure, we will never replace F2F, or face-to-face (where the real connection occurs), but to reach more people, we need to hit social media—and now it’s where a majority of our first connections will occur.

The benefits of virtual networking go beyond traditional connections: We can reconnect with our current or former relationships (think: friends, coworkers) and meet new colleagues and potential employers or clients, and we can preview people before we reac...

5 Tips for Building Healthy Relationships

Our personal relationships are an essential part of life. We are naturally wired to connect and collaborate with others.

Healthy relationships contain core essential elements including respect, appreciation, and freedom. In balanced relationships, each person contributes thoughts and feelings while remaining responsible for his or her own behavior.

Healthy relationships are equitable; both people contribute equally — or at least balance out in the long run. Lack of balance in a relationship c...

How To Nail That “Communication” Thing

Effective communication is the cornerstone of all healthy relationships. Regardless of whether the relationship is with a family member, significant other, coworker, friend, or acquaintance, each person is responsible for their own behavior including their communication skills.

A helpful way to communicate with others in healthy and balanced ways is to pay attention to how we feel as we send or receive information. Becoming aware of our emotions helps us sort through our thoughts and feelings...

Your Job. Your Identity?

How many times have you attended a networking event and the opening question from someone you just met is, “So, what do you do?”

Of course you have. And I bet you’ve asked the same question in return. Not that there’s anything wrong with the question, but if you pause and think about it for a moment, it’s rather impersonal.

But then again, so are we.

Western culture has trained us to demonstrate a strong work ethic. And in our devotion to production, we’ve been taught to place more emphasis o...

Want To Feel Purpose? Just Show Up

A sense of purpose is something we all strive to feel. But how often do we succeed at finding it?

Good question. Sometimes our purpose is clear—sometimes not.

Purpose appears to be circumstantial. For example, we might feel a sense of purpose when we’re contributing to a major project and feeling recognized for our efforts. Or we may feel purposeful when we were given an important responsibility and were able to successfully follow through on it. Purpose is easier to feel when our role is cle...

Work Is Changing, So Why Not Our Words?

As we observe continuous shifts in our society, we also see rapid changes in the landscape of work. We’re moving from brick and mortar stores to online shopping carts; from hiring co-workers to engaging co-creators; and from managing by control to leading with support.

But not everyone is on the same page.

In the sphere of management and leadership, we’re evolving in some areas—but not all. Whereas the post-war industrial age of the 20th century thrived on top-down leadership in order to get...

Lost Your Edge? 6 Ways to Get Your Inspiration Back

Ever have those days where you’re just not feeling it? Perhaps you’ve overslept; maybe the sky is gray; or it could just be a down day.

Regardless of the reason, it is what it is. But that doesn’t mean you need to stay down for long.

Feeling blasé every now and then is normal. But after a day or two of feeling off kilter, most of us will bounce back. After all, to be at peace is a natural state—and our happiness comes naturally to us when we’re aligned with our innate human nature.

So then wh...

Meditation? You’re Already Doing It.

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 that it’s so important?

First, let’s get one thing straight. If you don’t think you’re meditating because you are not sitting on a yoga mat with your legs crossed chanting Sanskrit, I’ve got news for you: You’re already doing it.

Do you ever sit down, take a deep breath, and calm your thought...

Do We Really Need Valentine’s Day?

While at breakfast last week, I overheard a table of guys talking about Valentine’s Day.

“What are you getting your wife this year?”

“Oh, you know, the usual—flowers and a card.”

“Yeah, I’m still working on it. But I’d better do something special this year or I’ll end up in the doghouse again. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal. I mean—she knows I love her. Why do I have to jump through these hoops every year just to prove it?”

Good point. But if I asked his wife, she might have a differen...