Well well, it's been a while! And I have good reason for that. This brief update episode pulls back the curtain on what I've been up to this past year, announced an exciting new product, and gives a sneak peek at Season 2 of the podcast, which is right around the corner. Show notes & details at https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e26-exciting-news-season-2-details/

Today I am announcing that this is the end of Season 1. I didn't know when I started into this podcast series, what the best format was going to be, how we wanted to play things out. Then, as I've given it a lot of thought, there's still so many more things that we can talk about, but I think this is a good pausing point to wrap up Season 1 and to carve out some space and some time to help me prepare for Season 2. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/season-1-wrap-up/

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...

For today's episode, I'm going to take a sort of "eat this, not that" approach. I want to talk about five categories of emotional junk food and five "real food" alternatives to each. It's not enough to just stop consuming so much of the junk. We, of course, need to replace it with what our minds, bodies and spirits are actually needing. If we want to have greater emotional health, strength and connection. Show Notes:...

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...

Show Notes Article (External): Printable CBT Thought RecordRecommended Listening (External): False Beliefs – ConneXions Podcast with Jodi HilderbrandtRecommended Reading: How to Change Your Negative Core Beliefs Episode Transcript Forgive typos and odd grammatical mistakes—this was transcribed using the magic of AI, and while it’s insanely awesome, it’s not perfect. [00:00:00] Welcome back to the I Hear You podcast. Today, we’re going deep. We’re talking about what...

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...

Show Notes Related Article: Why I Swear by Having a Solid Morning RoutineRecommended Book: The Compound Effect Episode Transcript Forgive typos and odd grammatical mistakes—this was transcribed using the magic of AI, and while it’s insanely awesome, it’s not perfect. [00:00:00] Welcome back to the I Hear You podcast. This show is dedicated to helping you live a more powerful, connected, joy filled life. And while we typically focus in on relationships and how to change our...

Show Notes Article: Why I Swear by Having a Solid Morning RoutineRelated Content: EQ Explorers Children’s Book SeriesRelated Children’s Book: Compare Bear’s Double Dare Episode Transcript Forgive typos and odd grammatical mistakes—this was transcribed using the magic of AI, and while it’s insanely awesome, it’s not perfect. [00:00:00] Welcome back to the I Hear You podcast. Today, we’re talking about comparison, a sneaky little devil that seems harmless enough on the surface, but...

Today we discuss a topic that's absolutely essential to understand if you want to live a powerful, connected and joy filled life. Now, I know it sounds like I say that on just about every principle that I talk about on here, and that's all true, because there's more than just one thing you have to understand to live a powerful, connected life, there's a lot of things at play here. We all go through life facing hundreds of little situations, thoughts, struggles and opportunities each and every...

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...

Today, we'll dive into five additional insights and tips that I don't cover in my book that will help you take your validation game to the next level. And what that ultimately means, of course, is that you'll feel better equipped to support others, you'll develop deeper and more satisfying relationships and you'll be more confident dealing with conflict in the workplace, in your marriage than really in any other relationship in your life. Let's dive in. Show...

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...

In today's episode of the I Hear You podcast, we're talking about another foundational element of healthy relationships: vulnerability. You take vulnerability out of a relationship and you're left with a dry, transactional connection. It's like trying to keep a plant growing without water. It just doesn't work. So today we're going to talk about what vulnerability is, what it looks like and why it's so valuable. We'll clear up a couple of misconceptions, explore a handful of tips on how to...

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/

Today, we're going to take a moment to step back and make sure we have our ladders up on the right wall. We want to make sure we know what matters most to us in life and then to make sure that that's what we're working toward. Make sure that's how we're measuring our life, so that we're not inadvertently pushing away what matters most under the guise of creating it. Show Notes: https://michaelssorensen.com/podcast/e11-how-will-you-measure-your-life/

Show Notes Article (Original): Appreciation: The Quickest Way to Brighten Someone’s DayArticle: Undervaluing Gratitude: Expressers Misunderstand the Consequences of Showing Appreciation Article: Getting the Most out of Giving: Concretely Framing a Presocial Goal Maximizes Happiness Article: Handwritten Thank-You Notes Have Surprising Consequences Article: Smiling at Strangers Episode Transcript Forgive typos and odd grammatical mistakes—this was transcribed using the magic of AI,...

How aware are you of your day to day expectations? Of what you're expecting from life, your significant other or even strangers that you run into throughout the day? Chances are you carry dozens, if not hundreds of expectations throughout each day. And chances are also good, that you're only aware of a small fraction of them. Think of a recent interaction where you became frustrated, angry or disappointed. This could be with a romantic partner, a coworker, a friend, a family member. But what...

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...

Today we’re diving into a tendency that the vast majority of the world struggles with. And I’m not exaggerating there. This tendency, known as codependency, is an unhealthy reliance on or concern for other people’s problems, emotions, actions, or opinion of us. And it’s a sneaky little devil, because it’s often disguised as kindness, compassion, caring, patience, and so on. We’re going to define codependency, talk about why it’s so harmful to us and our relationships, look at several...

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...

In today’s episode, we’ll be exploring an interesting paradox in the world of relationships—the fact that strong, healthy relationships need space. We’re going to talk about how getting too enmeshed with people—especially a romantic partner—can actually weaken the connection, satisfaction, and desire we feel in that relationship. We’ll be pulling insights from one of my favorite authors on the topic of desire—Esther Perel—and discuss ways to reclaim your individuality if you feel you’ve lost it.

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...

Show Notes Book: I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships (Amazon, Audible)Article: Validation: The Most Powerful Relationship Skill You Were Never Taught (Original Article)Article: How Do You Validate Someone When They’re Angry With You? Episode Transcript Forgive typos and odd grammatical mistakes—this was transcribed using the magic of AI. [00:00:00] Welcome back to the I Hear You podcast. I’m your host, Michael Sorensen, and I’m stoked...