I Hear You

Growing up, my mother always taught us to be powerful, not pitiful. And while I didn't always like hearing that as a little boy, I appreciate my mom's wisdom in regularly reminding me that we are not victims in life. Yes, there are circumstances where you are a victim. You lose your job, you get sick, you grow up in an abusive family. The world gets some crazy virus that kills hundreds of thousands of people, closes schools, puts millions of people out of work. All of that is real and real tough, and you still have the power to choose how you react. You choose where you go, what you do, what you say and what you will believe, because the truth is, we will all experience pain in life. We will all face issues that are completely out of our control. And we can choose to hate the world and resent everything and everyone, or we can choose a different path. It's this idea of choosing power and possibility over helplessness and small mindedness that I want to talk more about today. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e24-from-pitiful-to-powerful-breaking-free-from-the-victim-mindset/

Today’s episode of the I Hear You Podcast is going to be a bit shorter. And that’s not because the subject matter is any less important, it’s simply because the subject matter doesn’t require 30-45 minutes to discuss. And I’m all about keeping things short, sweet, and to the point. It’s one of the main things people appreciate about my books, and it’s what I hear many of you appreciate about this podcast series. Today we’re talking about developing emotional health and strength, which is something we’ve technically been talking about on every episode of this show. But today I want to talk at a bit of a higher level, speaking specifically to how true, lasting power and connection is a two-step method. It’s not quite as simple as just learning new truth and applying it—it requires a little extra work in TWO KEY AREAS to have lasting, meaningful change. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e22-developing-true-emotional-strength/

Today’s episode is a continuation of an earlier episode on the same topic: Boundaries. If you haven’t yet listened to that episode, I strongly recommend you pause here and go back and listen to that one first. Because today’s discussion builds on concepts from that episode. In today’s episode, we dive deeper into the concept of boundaries, and address the following questions: - How do I know when I need to set a boundary? - But what if their actions affect ME? - I have a hard time enforcing or holding to my boundaries. What can I do if my codependency takes over? - Are there times when it’s appropriate to set boundaries with ourselves? -What if I don’t have a good explanation for enforcing my boundary? What if the person keeps finding issues with my explanation? And more. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e20-boundaries-201/

Today, we're talking about comparison, a sneaky little devil that seems harmless enough on the surface, but is often the underlying cause of shame, discouragement, playing small, dragging other people down or simply not living the powerful, productive, connected life we're all capable of. Now, if you truly don't care about what other people think of you and you live your life free of shame and fear or feelings of not being good enough, then you can skip this episode. For the rest of you, stick around. I think you'll find today's episode inspiring. Show Notes: michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e18-comparison-you-do-you/

Today we're addressing head-on a harmful, 100% false belief that many of us carry throughout our day-to-day lives. And that's the belief that other people's happiness, comfort, energy, whatever, is more important than ours. It's the belief that being a good parent, a good spouse or a good employee means driving ourselves into the ground for the sake of the greater good. The truth is, if you love others, if you want your family to be healthy and happy, if you want to have a successful career and have lasting joy in it, you must put yourself first. And today, we're going to talk about why. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e16-self-care-putting-your-own-oxygen-mask-on-first/

Today we're addressing a question I've received from a handful of readers and listeners: "How do I handle certain relationships where I feel like the other person is constantly complaining?" The question most often comes up when talking about validation, because we often feel like validation only encourages the complaining and ends up draining our energy, connection and happiness. So today we'll address these concerns head on, because I can tell you right now that the solution is actually quite simple and we'll give you actionable tools and sample dialog even to help you effectively validate and support these people in your life without enabling them or sacrificing your own happiness. Let's dive in. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e14-how-to-deal-with-constant-complainers/

In today's episode, we dig into how simple, subtle word choices can silently sap our power, productivity and happiness. We start off with some fascinating research demonstrating the reality of the mind-body connection and dive into 10 changes you can start making today to instantly bring greater power, productivity and happiness into your life. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e12-empowering-language/

On this week's episode of the I Hear You podcast, we're discussing 10 Ways to Brighten Someone's Day. You've likely heard the phrase "be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." That's attributed to a number of different people, but I love that phrase. I love that concept, that reminder, because it's true and it's also easy to lose sight of. We often underestimate the impact of a simple act of kindness. And yet studies, and likely your own personal experience, have shown time and time again that as givers, we benefit almost as much, if not more, from the service as the recipients. So, in the spirit of giving, let's dive into 10 simple ways to brighten the lives of those around you. Note: I somehow missed #7 when recording...but it is available in the transcript in the show notes at the link below. ;) Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e10-10-ways-to-brighten-someones-day/

Boundaries play a key role in helping us build stronger, healthier relationships, and they also play a key role in boosting and maintaining our energy, health, happiness and confidence. If you have a hard time saying no to people, because you don't want to be rude, or maybe there's someone in your life that you're always covering for because they're acting irresponsibly, or maybe you're always helping people, but no one ever seems to be there for you. If any of these things relate or apply or sound familiar, you likely have a boundary problem. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e8-boundaries-when-to-say-yes-and-how-to-say-no

Today we're exploring another foundational concept known as the drama triangle. The drama triangle is a social model that essentially explains, or puts names to, different roles people play in drama filled relationships. And once you understand the triangle and these roles, it becomes significantly easier to step out of the drama and navigate these situations with much better skill, confidence and understanding. If you run into drama at work, with friends, with your spouse, your significant other, or any other human, this episode is a worthy listen. Let's get to it. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e6-the-drama-triangle/

In today's episode, we'll be talking about the single greatest gift you can give to another person: your attention. In today's chaotic world, those who know how to focus in on others and connect without distraction are increasingly rare. We'll discuss tips and techniques for managing our attention, as well as a simple-yet-powerful approach to helping others stay present when you feel they're not giving *you* their full attention. Show Notes & Episode Page: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e4-presence-the-lost-art-of-giving-your-full-attention

In this foundational episode, we're talking about a core principle—a key truth—for finding greater happiness and satisfaction in life. We explore resentment—including how resentment forms in a relationship, and who’s responsibility it is to clean it up; as well as the sneaky little lies we buy into that sap our happiness and energy, as well as ways to get OUT of that victim mentality and regain our power and happiness when we feel we’ve lost it. This is a powerful principle that applies to every relationship in your life—romantic, professional, or otherwise. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e2-responsibility-the-foundation-of-healthy-relationships/