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Subscribe to my weekly (or so) posts: always empowering & thought provoking, with a focus on the choices & opportunities we have, every day. (photo: Ben White, Unsplash, 2021)
Touching the Elephant in one Spot
I just heard someone exclaim in frustration that “things are getting worse and worse”. What if things are not getting different, what if things just ARE without evaluation, always interpreted in one way? Have you ever noticed that when the stakes are high, parties to the dispute tend to focus on one thought, support that with arguments and make it look like the opponent it entirely wrong (if not ridiculously, outrageously, insanely misguided)? Interestingly, no matter which side you listen to, their arguments and facts are compelling, well thought through and seemingly indisputable. As I have been following two contradicting perspectives on a current high stakes discussion, a thought occurred to me: What if it is not about one perspective being wrong, what if each perspective is flawed, as it…
Working Mothers in Career Positions: How to Navigate Challenges
Mothers who pursue a career aside from their family are facing a series of unique challenges1. As it goes, people often feel so stuck in their challenges that they don’t seek help. Oddly, they think the challenge is unique to their life, and nobody would understand or be able to help. The general vibe in our societies, the expectations we associate with both roles (the working female & the mother) can be so dissociated, that any particular female might experience the consequences of the following statement: We expect women to work like they don’t have children and raise children as if they don’t work.2 What do you think? Seriously, what feelings come up for you? Please share in a comment or send me a message. I’d love to read what…
How to Embrace The Aging Journey
Yesterday I went for a health check. The doctor told me that everything is mostly fine. There are just a few small things that could be counteracted. For example, the natural aging process. Hormone deficiency, fat around the middle, and muscle loss were mentioned. Medication was contraindicated. Suggestions for optimal nutrition were made. The doctor also suggested endurance and strength training twice a week. In addition, one could counteract the hormone deficiency, preferably with creams. As I sat listening to the wealth of information and suggestions, I also asked myself to what extent Western medicine attributes positive aspects to the aging process, or whether the focus is purely on the body bending to life. That sounds rather deterministic, doesn't it? What about, for example, wisdom, empathy, and a greater sense…
How to get your VISIONS & MOTIVATORS ALIGNED
Sometimes I discover wondrous things about the motivation that lies behind the wanting of things, by inquiring about what it would mean to the person to have what they desire. And sometimes, it becomes refreshingly clear that a person already has all they strive for. The Story of the Mexcian Fisherman* (A Parable) An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large fresh fish. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, “only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he…
The Aspiring Writer (A Coaching Story)
I know this woman, who is wonderfully talented in many ways: Always striving to learn, to better herself, to live up to her values of freedom, peace, and equality. She deeply believed in sustainability, in flourishing both inside and out without destroying our resources. She had been writing a book. For a long time, she had been planning, conceptualizing, writing and not writing, contemplating and motivating (herself), without making much progress. She consistently moved all kinds of other areas of her life forward: she learned, she worked, she raised her child, but her book had not been thriving. One day, she spoke about this with her coach. She realized that she had a conflict within herself: She believed that we (as humans) do not have to destroy the world we…
Powerful Speaking leads to Freedom
From „I have to“ to “I will”Have to > Can > Prefer to > Want to > Intend to > Will When was the last time you said “I have to [verb]”. And what was the feeling that accompanied that statement? The thought I am inviting you to think with me today is about the connection between how we speak, how we feel and how much power and freedom we give ourselves:Step 1: Obligation | “I have to” / “I must”When we say “I have to” or “I must”, we are expressing that there is an obligation, or an external locus of control. We do not have much choice, and our freedom is at best very small.My example sentence is “I have to do the dishes!”. Because I have been…
Walk 4 Change
Walk for 20 minutes | In a natural setting | Without technological distractionsExperience the Changes in your body and mind WHERETo start with, think about a place near you that is or represents "nature" for you: A place that is easy to access, is quiet and untouched if possible Where you can be undisturbed by other people (if other people are present, don’t worry; be prepared to tune them out though) HOW ... to prepare mentally: All technological devices have to be turned off, muted or not brought along, so you are free to experience the sensation of "unplugging" and "reconnecting" Walks 4 Change always do something for me: Sometimes, as I find myself taking a deep relaxing breath, I realized that I had not even been aware of the…
Unplug 2 Reconnect (INTRODUCTION)
Do you experience stress that has a negative impact you can feel it in your body? Do you feel like you are on a hamster wheel without the opportunity to follow your heart and do - or even think - what you long for? Have you had experiences in nature that have deeply moved you and that you still remember? This coaching series is all about unplugging from stress & living your vision: focusing on the future you long for, and sustainably tapping into positive feelings by focusing your attention on emotionally relevant events in the past, present and future. And that works! You have probably heard quotes like "We are what we think." You may have already told yourself, “I can’t do that” (and consequently, you have proven to…
3 Steps to Better Mental Fitness
Mental fitness is a measure of your ability to handle life’s challenges. When you’re mentally fit, you use your mental abilities to the fullest extent. Mental fitness enhances your creativity, ability to manage stress and anxiety, and ability to cope with mental health challenges. Take the first steps to improve your mental fitness today. 👉 Step 1: Discover your Inner Saboteurs Saboteurs are the voices in your head that generate negative emotions in the way you handle life’s everyday challenges. The first step to conquering your Saboteurs is to identify them and expose their lies and limiting beliefs. Take the free Saboteur Assessment to discover the Saboteurs that are holding you back: Saboteur Assessment 👉 Step 2: Track your Mental Fitness Score PQ (Positive Intelligence Quotient) is the measure of your mental fitness.…
Challenging Compassionately & Directly
Coaching is pointing out what I sense, hear and see to benefit the client.* The magic of coaching is in the set up and in the intentions. And it works. My superpower is that I am very empathetic and I listen exceptionally well, which creates an open and safe environment that bubbles with prospects. Another potential lies in the way coaching challenges a person’s thinking and beliefs compassionately and directly. Here is an example: Imagine someone who keeps putting off making arrangements regarding the succession of their business. Said person is in their 70s and their health has become a bit fragile. Asked in the right context with a compassionate intention, a direct challenge would be: “What if you were not able to attend to your business, starting tomorrow and…
Think in Positive Terms & Increase Your Potential
You have probably heard that our subconscious brain cannot process a negative command. In simple terms, when you are told, “Don’t think of a pink cat!”, you cannot help but think of a pink cat (mine had blue whiskers). And this brings me to my topic for today: Everything we create starts with a thought, then comes language, and communication, and slowly the world is created and recreated. Here is a thought to practice with: Imagine peace More: If you want to dive in deeper, think of a recent challenge and formulate it in positive instead of negative terms. An example: Instead of telling myself, “I want to spend less time sitting” (negative term), I say, “I spend more time walking” (positive term). See how one’s focus shifts? Walk more…
Minding The Little Things | Ice Crystals
There is such beauty in nature, such fragility and such joy. I happen to notice a lot of that in the little things that don't last long, such as ice crystals. Starting the day with that exquisite attention to detail creates a focus for my day that grounds my baseline mood in gratitude. Ice Crystals (February 6, 2024)
Gratitude Changes Life As We Know It
Are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty person? Whichever one you are, you are right, and this perspective likely shapes how you see the world in general. Another metaphor is that every object casts a shadow in the daylight, and depending on your perspective, you might stand in the shadow or see the shadow that something is casting as dominating the whole picture. Gratitude compares to stepping into the sunshine and seeing the “other side” of things. It is just a matter of perspectives. Every position is subjective. We are free to change our perspective. What are you grateful for today? Photo by Mayur Gala, Unsplash 2024 ________________________________ Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach
Stewardship & Serenity
So often we find ourselves in despair because there is too much to worry about. Picking apart what can and cannot be changed can be a great way to empower ourselves and the ones in our care. Recently, my daughter expressed her frustration about worldwide pollution. It seemed that along with the sharing of facts, the school does little to catch those young minds as they battle the implications of what was shared with them. Tangled up in her questions, her frustration and her eagerness to make the world a better place, she asked me with some exasperation, what she can actually do. I pointed out that we are conscious of the packaging we buy, and we are purposeful with the way we use our car and the fuel (both…
An Invasive Species?
A few years back I was asked to raise three newly hatched starlings that had been found at the foot of a big tree by an old lady. Reluctantly, I took on those birds, and lo and behold I was able to raise and release them successfully. Whenever I see or hear starlings since then, I like telling my daughter that those are our three starlings saying thank you. Today, a extraordinarily big flock of starlings landed around the house and well beyond the creek. They were so loud it was both amazing and a little bit intimidating. Afterwards I thought about writing about this, as in "I had rescued the starlings and they came back with all their friends to thank me", when I remembered that European starlings are…
Finding Your Wild Self & Living A Full Life
Manuela & Anya, 2022 The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door. ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés (Photo by Sandra Grünewald, Unsplash, 2023) One of my doors is behind the pain and loneliness I experienced when I was a toddler, in a hospital, for several months, tied down so I would not fidget with my leg (it was in a cast), or stand up (which might have jeopardized the…
Connecting over Garbage
At first, we saw some garbage, the usual, a few discarded food containers, a coffee cup lid, carelessly dropped or lost by the inattentive visitor. Nothing that could not easily be picked up and collected in a small garbage bag later (and I generally do, because it hurts my eye more to see the garbage than it is an effort to pick it up and dispose of it in a designated spot). It was a hot Sunday. We decided to go for a swim at a place along a river, where the water cascading over sheet rock is easy to access and not too deep. Walking on we came across an abandoned campsite, with bottles and aluminum foil in the fire pit. Right next to it was a good sized…
Minding the Little Things
Leopard Frog I just came across a very small (what I believe to be a) leopard frog. Why I saw it? – Because it moved. Once it stopped, I had a hard time finding it again. Can you spot it in the picture-insert? Leopard Frog, June 28, 2023 When I held out my hand the frog jumped on it. It did not stop but kept moving, and I felt fortunate to get one shot with the little amphibian in focus. I am sharing this experience, because I felt so passionate about this sighting, so amazed at how tiny, how perfect and how fragile this little frog is. That created a sense of responsibility and reverence in me. What I learned from the encounter: Frogs are amazing. Life is precious. I…