Michael Thomas Sunnarborg's Blog

Have you ever noticed how often you ask questions in your conversations? Or do you find yourself mostly speaking in declarative sentences?

Reflecting on my own conversations, I’ve realized that I tend to ask a lot of questions. Is it because I’m a coach or simply because I’m genuinely curious? That’s a good question.

Questions are a catalyst for connections. Are you asking enough questions, or are you primarily making statements?

When you are genuinely interested in someone or what they have to ...

Subscriptions.

What used to be saved for magazines and book clubs has quickly become a model for products and services. Why?

Subscriptions can be automated and renewed on a regular basis, making purchases and memberships easy.

Subscriptions come in a variety of forms:

Temporary subscriptions: One-time events that don’t require follow-up. For example, a concert, sporting event, or show. You can opt-in to receive updates on future events.Limited subscriptions: AKA trial subscriptions or offers. ...

It’s never too late

… to forgive yourself for mistakes you’ve made.

… to give yourself the benefit of the doubt.

… to do more kind and loving things for yourself.

… to say more kind and loving words to yourself.

… to forgive yourself for thinking you’re wrong for who you are.

… to forgive others for mistakes they’ve made.

… to give others the benefit of the doubt.

… to do more kind and loving things for others.

… to say more kind and loving words to others.

… to forgive others for thinking they’...

Think about the last time you gave advice or feedback. Or perhaps you were just making a “simple observation” about someone.

How did it go? Was it well-received?

Maybe. Or maybe not.

The desire to share our thoughts and feelings is natural—especially with those we care about.

But there’s a big difference between sharing perspectives versus telling people what to do—especially if they didn’t ask for input.

Even if someone asks for advice, you can still miss the mark.

Why is that?

The difference i...

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

Ah, kindness. My favorite friend.

Especially during the holidays, I’ve chosen to take that quote to heart by deliberately focusing on where I can practice more kindness in my everyday life.

Originally, my first instinct was to brainstorm deliberate acts of kindness: donate to a food shelf, sign-up for another Habitat for Humanity, or volunteer at a local soup kitchen.

But then I got the nudge to do something more spontaneous—real...

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

Ah, kindness. My favorite friend.

Especially during the holidays, I’ve chosen to take that quote to heart by deliberately focusing on where I can practice more kindness in my everyday life.

Originally, my first instinct was to brainstorm deliberate acts of kindness: donate to a food shelf, sign-up for another Habitat for Humanity, or volunteer at a local soup kitchen.

But then I got the nudge to do something more spontaneous—real...

We author books, produce films, write songs, paint murals, design jewelry, and create poetry about love—the most natural and abundant emotion in our human experience.

So why is love sometimes so accessible while other times so elusive?

Let me take a moment to answer a client’s question about this mysterious and powerful emotion.

“I’ve been in many relationships over the years, and I’m still confused about love. When you ‘fall in love’ with someone, what does that really mean? What is love anyway...

Yesterday I celebrated my 57th birthday.

“What? You’re 57?!” Shouted my inner (forever) younger self.

Yep. And it’s a good thing. In fact, it’s not just good—it’s fantastic.

Fantastic because it’s taken this long to learn one of life’s biggest lessons: it’s okay to slow down and enjoy life.

Did you hear that? Just in case you missed it, I’m going to state it again with emphasis:

It’s okay to slow down and enjoy life.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Now this time, personalize it and say it out loud:

“It...

A couple of years ago, I had an interesting dream.

I was in a fast food restaurant, had just finished placing my order, and was waiting for the counterperson to call my number.

As I was waiting, a few other numbers were called and people came up and got their food. But mine still wasn’t ready.

When I started seeing people who’d ordered after me picking up their orders, I started to get antsy.

“Where is my order…?” I thought. “How come they haven’t called my number yet?!”

Grrrrr.

After another mi...

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on every aspect of our lives.

The pandemic caused devastating effects for many people, businesses, supply chains, and the list goes on. And at the same time, the pandemic also acted like a great Etch-a-Sketch® and nearly erased every former routine, plan, and schedule for nearly three years.

So now that we’re emerging out the other side, what does this give us?

Opportunity—a time to refresh, reprioritize, and reboot. And the biggest benefit: we g...