A Space to Pause & Re-Align With Your Own Wisdom

04Mar 2025 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Touching the Elephant in one Spot

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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…
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19Dec 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Working Mothers in Career Positions: How to Navigate Challenges

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Mothers who pursue a career aside from their family are facing a series of unique challenges. 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. - Eve Rodsky (2019) What do you think? What feelings come up for you? Please send me a comment. I’d love to read what associations come…
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03Dec 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

How to Embrace The Aging Journey

About your Coach, Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development
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…
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17Nov 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

How to get your VISIONS & MOTIVATORS ALIGNED

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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…
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16Oct 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

The Aspiring Writer (A Coaching Story)

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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…
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02Oct 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments
Powerful Speaking leads to Freedom

Powerful Speaking leads to Freedom

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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…
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25Sep 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments
Walk 4 Change

Walk 4 Change

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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…
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24Sep 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Unplug 2 Reconnect (INTRODUCTION)

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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…
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28Mar 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments
Challenging Compassionately & Directly

Challenging Compassionately & Directly

Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Uncategorized
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…
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02Mar 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments
Think in Positive Terms & Increase Your Potential

Think in Positive Terms & Increase Your Potential

Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Nature, Problem Solving
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…
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02Feb 2024 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Gratitude Changes Life As We Know It

Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development
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
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16Oct 2023 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Stewardship & Serenity

Connecting with Nature
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…
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29Sep 2023 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments
European Starlings in North America | Contemplations about Invasive Species

European Starlings in North America | Contemplations about Invasive Species

Connecting with Nature, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development
A Story about Three Baby Birds A few years back, an old lady asked me to raise three newly hatched starlings that had she had found at the foot of a big old tree. Reluctantly, I took them in, 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…
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16Aug 2023 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Finding Your Wild Self & Living A Full Life

Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development
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…
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08Aug 2023 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Connecting over Garbage

Connecting with Nature, Getting to know your Coach, Mindfulness, Nature
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…
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28Jun 2023 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Minding the Little Things

Connecting with Nature, Mindfulness, Nature
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…
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14Jun 2023 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

In the Face of Negative Emotions

Getting to know your Coach, Mental Fitness, Mindfulness
What is the Gift of Negative Emotions? I generally like to present myself well composed and in control of my negative emotions. I don’t like to be seen when my negative inner voices - like my inner critic - get the better of me. Feelings of stress, anxiety, self-doubt, frustration, restlessness, and unhappiness can be very unsettling. I work through strong emotions best by going outside. Walking and running are always doing wonders for me. Mental fitness activities have added a new and unexpected effectivity for me. I still experience negative emotions, but more and more I feel AND see them for what they are, and that makes it possible for me to step aside and that really takes the edge off those emotions. You Are Not Alone If you…
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14Jun 2023 by Manuela Zeitlhofer No Comments

Spirit Plants

Connecting with Nature, Mindfulness
When I lived in the Yukon, I was given a handful of Haskap berries. I harvested the tiny seeds and started them. I planted the little plants in a raised bed. They survived winter after winter, and after a three years they produced their first fruit. When I left the Yukon, I took some seeds with me. The whole story repeated itself, and we had our first berries last summer. This summer, we have such an abundant harvest, which made me think that Haskap bushes are definitely my spirit plant: They are easy going, produce fruit very early in the season and for an extended period, they are abundant, appreciative of what I can give them, they are decorative, and they are not of interest to little harvesters like chipmunks…
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