What is Wealth?

Cultural Awareness, Mindfulness, Philosophy, , , , , ,

Once there was a wealthy father who was concerned that a privileged upbringing might give his son a limited view of life. He decided his son needed to see how the other half lived. To do this, he asked his personal assistant to find a very poor family who would be willing to allow him and his son to visit and stay with them.

After weeks of searching she found a very poor farming family who lived in an impoverished country area and organized for her boss and his son to live with them for a couple of days and nights. At the end of the visit, as they were driving back to their expensive suburban mansion, the father asked his son, “What did you think of our stay on the farm?”

“It was great, thanks, Dad,” came the reply.

Keen to see if he had achieved the mission of his visit, the father asked, “Has it helped you to see how poor people live?”

“Sure has,” answered his son.

“Well, tell me about it. What did you learn?” enquired the father.

“I learnt,” his son responded, “that while we have a swimming pool fenced into our backyard, they have a creek with swimming holes, a Tarzan rope hanging from a tree, and rapids they ride on old car tubes.”

“We have one dog that lives in a kennel. They have four that live with them.”

“Our large house stretches almost to the borders of our small piece of land. They have a small house on open fields that stretch beyond sight.”

“Our patio looks out on a neatly mown lawn whereas they view their garden, fields, trees, and hills to the very horizon.”

“Spotlights turn our yard into day at night. They have nothing but thousands of twinkling stars to light their night.”

“We have to drive to the supermarket to buy our vegetables but they grow theirs right outside the back door.”

“We have servants to serve our meals and clean our house. They serve each other and clean up together.”

“Our property has walls that fence others out and us in. Their fences contain milking cows and woolly lambs.”

“We have security alarms, barred windows, and locks to protect us while they have family and friends to protect them.”

The father looked at his son in absolute amazement.

“Thanks Dad,” the boy added. “I never realized how poor we are.”

(101 Stories for Enhancing Happiness and Well-Being Using Metaphors, p.208)

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Question: How does this metaphor compare to your perception of wealth?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach

(photo by Guilherme Stecanella, Unsplash)

In My Own Way

About your Coach, Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development, , , , , ,

Have you battled internal obstacles – problems that were entirely created by your way of approaching the world in your thinking and actions? – I have!

For more than a year I had been bothered by a digestive issue: There was a knot in my intestines, always in the same spot. It never went away. The intensity of the discomfort varied. I consulted my family doctor. I consulted an Ayurvedic doctor. Nothing. I researched online. – A partial breakthrough was achieved when I found a useful video how to alleviate the symptoms temporarily. But no solution appeared. I started to despair.

Then, we went on vacation and I did not drink my tap water. The discomfort was gone.

I had stumbled upon the solution. The problem – or obstacle – had been too close to me to be visible.

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Question: What is an obstacle you have come to live with, because you do not perceive there to be a way around or over it?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach

(photo by Ethan Dow, Unsplash)

Changing Course Fluidly

Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Problem Solving, Self-Reliance, , , ,

Flexibility is the key to common sense and success

A battleship had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. The captain, who was concerned about the deteriorating conditions, stayed on the bridge so that he could keep an eye on all activities. One night, shortly after dark, [the fog was getting even thicker] the lookout on the bridge suddenly shouted, ‘A light, captain, bearing on the starboard bow.’
‘Is it steady or moving astern?’ the captain asked.
The lookout confirmed that it was steady, which meant that the battleship was apparently on a dangerous collision course with the other ship.
The captain then called to the signalman, ‘Signal that ship: “We are on a collision course. Advise you change course 20 degrees north.”’
Back came the response from the other ship: ‘You change course 20 degrees south.’
Annoyed at the arrogance of the response, the captain said, ‘Send: “I am a captain, change course 20 degrees north.”’
‘I am a seaman second class,’ came the reply, ‘you had still better change course 20 degrees south.’
By this time, the captain was furious. He shouted, ‘Send: “I am a battleship. Change course 20 degrees north.”’
Back came the flashing light: ‘I am a lighthouse.’
The captain changed course. (Tales for Coaching, 133)

(photo by Ethan Dow, Unsplash)

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Questions:

What cannot be moved? What CAN be moved? – Answer (?)

What represents the ‘fog’ for you? How could you lift this fog? – Answer (?)

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach

Doing Little Things That Matter

About your Coach, Connecting with Nature, ,

Do you remember the story “The Star Thrower” who was rescuing starfish one at a time, and even it did not seem to make a difference in the big picture, it made every difference to the starfish he did rescue. Here is how this story resonates with my life:

I believe in minimizing my footprint and taking care of nature. I own a little piece of land – 4 acres – and I feel that I am the steward of this land. I am responsible for, but I am not entitled to do any damage to this land. I have the right to live here, to grow my plants, to live in my house, to be who I am.

I see this stewardship as our calling as humans. We have the power to destroy, but we also have to power to manage what we were entrusted with responsibly and sustainably. It may – and it does – feel daunting at times to do my little part in taking care of the world.

What I do includes: growing my own garden, buying organic food, buying what’s locally in season, buying fewer things that are packed in plastic, and more that are not packed, or packed in paper, consuming less, buying second hand, passing on things I no longer need to someone else who can use them, seeking happiness where I am and not where a car or a plane can take me.

It might feel hypocritical at times, when I do drive my car, or when I do buy things that are disposable or wrapped in plastic (or both). Then I try to forgive myself – because as the little boy said “It makes a difference to this one”.

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Question: What are your thoughts about this topic?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness Coach

Change – Perspective – growth … Obvious?

Mindfulness, Personal Development, Philosophy, Problem Solving, , ,

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. – Wayne Dyer

In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are. – Max De Pree

Do you remember the metaphor about the two caterpillars looking at a butterfly I shared a few days ago? – It can be found at: https://creeksideinspirations.ca/two-caterpillars/

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Question: What change are you resisting and what might become obvious if you change your perspective?

(photo by Jeffrey Dungen, Unsplash)

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authenticity & Mental Fitness Coach

Two Caterpillars

Uncategorized

Two caterpillars were sitting on a cabbage leaf having a chat. Suddenly, they heard a loud swishing noise, and looking up, saw a beautiful butterfly flying overhead. The first caterpillar looked to the other, shook his head and said, ‘You’ll never get me up in one of those things.’

(by Scott Simmerman)

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Frage: What represents the butterfly (or change) for you?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach

Judgement or compassion

Uncategorized

“Judgements prevent us from seeing the good that lies beyond appearances.”
– Wayne Dyer

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“What you see is evidence of what you believe.”
– Wayne Dyer

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Ask yourself:

-Is your opinion the truth (or is it a hypothesis)?

-Does what the other person is doing really matter to anyone but them? Does your opinion really matter to anyone but you?

-Do you have compassion?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness Coach

Mental Fitness: Lifelong Applications

Mental Fitness, ,

Positive Intelligence® is an operating system with many applications. In the first six weeks you develop your 3 core mental muscles. In subsequent weeks, modules in the app then enable you to use those muscles for a variety of work and life applications. You continue to grow.

As a professional coach expanding into Mental Fitness Coaching I am authorized to offer special deals on the Positive Intelligence® Mental Fitness Program. Please contact me for details!

© 2022Positive Intelligence, LLC.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without prior written permission from Positive Intelligence, LLC.  POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE and PQ COACH are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.

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More about this topic:
Mental Fitness: Meeting Life’s Challenges Without Negative Emotions

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness Coach

Identity

Personal Development, , , ,

“It is easier to live through someone else than to complete yourself. The freedom to lead and plan your own life is frightening if you have never faced it before. It is frightening when a woman [editorial comment: …or man] finally realizes that there is no answer to the question ‘who am I’ except the voice inside herself.” ― Betty Friedan

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What makes you unique? What does the voice inside tell you?

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness Coach

Introspection for Introverts | Canada Day Gift

Getting to know your Coach, Goals, , , ,

Canadians are celebrating Canada Day on July 1.

For 10+3 days (starting today), I am giving some of my time, expertise and devotion back: 🎁 My gift to 10+3 people* (in honor of the 10 Canadian provinces and 3 territories) is a 45-minute coaching-call each. 🎁

Book your coaching-call here:

Please feel free to share this link with people you think might enjoy this gift: a safe space to hone in on introspective perspectives, and work toward goals.

Why? I feel very fortunate and grateful to call this country my home. In Canada I have found freedom, adventures, love, a place to live, a wonderful child, incredible friends, and the liberty to develop and maintain a positive mindset.

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness Coach | The Introvert Solopreneur

*For all others, I will offer my coaching at a special rate.

Edison and the Light Bulb

Mindfulness, Problem Solving, , ,

Failure is a natural part of the creative process!

Thomas Edison, the American inventor, is thought of as being one of the most creative and intelligent men in history – and yet, the history books tell us that he attended his school in Michigan for only three months before being expelled at the age of 12 because his teachers thought he was ‘educationally subnormal’. In later years, Edison was to become famous for his saying ‘genius is 1 per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration’.

This was certainly true for him in his attempts to convert electricity into light, one of his most famous endeavours. He was reputed to have tried and failed over 1,000 times to perfect the incandescent electric light bulb, and when advised by his colleagues and friends to give up the whole project because it was doomed to failure, replied with total conviction and some surprise: ‘Why, I haven’t failed; I’ve just found a thousand ways in which my formula doesn’t work!’

It was as much Edison’s positive and tenacious attitude to endeavour and problem solving as his obvious intelligence and creativity that, in the end, were his most powerful allies.

(Source: Tales for Coaching, p.109)

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Moral: There is no failure – only feedback!

Questions:

  • What represents the ‘light bulb’ that you are currently trying to invent?
  • What projects have you given up because you thought you had failed? Could they be rekindled?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness Coach

The Star Thrower

Goals, Mindfulness, , ,

Do you see your mission and your goals clearly? And how do you feel about small steps – do you give yourself credit for them, do you celebrate your small accomplishments?

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Story: A man was walking along the beach when he noticed a young boy apparently picking something off the ground and throwing it out into the sea. As the man got closer to the boy he saw that the objects were starfish. And the boy was surrounded by them. For miles and miles all along the shore, there seemed to be millions of them.

„Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the water”, he asked the boy as he approached.

„If these starfish are on the beach tomorrow morning when the tide goes out they will die”, replied the boy, continuing with his work.

„But that’s ridiculous”, cried the man. „Look around you. There are thousands of miles of beach and millions of starfish. How can you believe that what you’re doing could possibly make a difference”? The young boy picked up another starfish, paused thoughtfully, and remarked as he tossed it out into the waves, „It makes a difference to this one”. (by Loren Eisley)

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Moral: What is never attempted will never be accomplished; even the smallest of efforts defeats apathy.

Frage: Who or what are the ‘starfish’ that you want to save?

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness Coach

Coaching Boosts Your Success

About Coaching, Philosophy, Self-Reliance, , , ,

I think it’s not just how good you are now,
I think it’s how good you’re going to be that really matters. …
(Great coaches) are your external eyes and ears,
providing a more accurate picture of your reality

Atul Gawande

Coaching can be beneficial at any stage of life. Coaching can greatly increase our awareness of the status quo. It can boost us into and support us in making the necessary changes, so we achieve goals (both short and long-term) with more ease and integrity.

In my personal and professional life, I am striving to increase my awareness and intercept my self-critical thinking patterns. A person who is trained to assist me in becoming aware of my blind spots and move past them has made all the difference for me.

What can become more tangible for you by means of coaching?

Contact me now for a free discovery call!

Freedom in Between

Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development, , ,

So often, people feel that they are not in charge of their own lives, that their lives are determined by circumstance, duties and habits.

Victor Frankl is said to have shared a thought-provoking perspective:

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Viktor E. Frankl

What are your thoughts on that? Please drop me a note.

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New and super relevant: I have expanded into Mental Fitness coaching to support lasting change in my clients’ lives.

#mentalfitness #personalfreedom #mindfulness #coachmanuelazeitlhofer

Neuroplastizität bestätigt: Wir können das Leben kreieren, das wir wollen!

1 CommentUncategorized

Kennen Sie den Begriff Neuroplastizität? – Es bezieht sich auf die Fähigkeit des Gehirns, sich anzupassen, neue Nervenbahnen zu bilden und die Verdrahtung von Gehirnschaltkreisen zu verändern. Bildlich gesprochen bedeutet dies, dass bestimmte Wege zu Autobahnen und andere nur zu Schotterwegen werden. Das bedeutet auch, dass wir die Schotterwege zu Autobahnen ausbauen können. Praktisch bedeutet das, dass wir unser Gehirn trainieren können. Es bedeutet, dass wir unser Denken ändern können. Es bedeutet, dass wir unsere Gewohnheiten ändern können: wie wir denken, sprechen und handeln.

Als Life Coach möchte ich auf die großartigen Möglichkeiten hinweisen, die dieser Ansatz für die Welt des Coachings birgt: Wir können unser Gehirn trainieren. Ein guter Life Coach kann helfen, neue Gewohnheiten zu etablieren.

Ich akzeptiere neue Kunden. Kontaktieren Sie mich heute für ein kostenloses Erstgespräch.

Unser Gehirn ist erstaunlich!

Mehrere Perspektiven

Connecting with Nature, Getting to know your Coach, Mindfulness, Personal Development, , , ,

Im Grunde ist es so, dass wir Dingen und Ereignissen Bedeutung zuschreiben. Manchmal verweilen wir bei den negativen Aspekten oder Implikationen von etwas, das wirklich zumindest eine andere Seite hat.

Im Coaching wenden wir dieses Prinzip an und nennen es Reframing: Wir fordern unsere Klienten dazu auf, eine andere Perspektive zu finden, oder etwas in einem neuen Licht zu sehen.

Heute habe ich das mit unserer Schottergrube gemacht: Ein Teil unseres Grundstücks besteht aus einer ehemaligen Kiesgrube, der in seinem humuslosen Zustand belassen wurde. Es wachsen hier seit 25 Jahren nur ein paar zähe Gräser, Weiden und noch zähere Kiefern und Zedern (die aussehen wie Bonsais). Im Sommer macht das mein Gärtnerherz traurig. Jetzt, mit ein wenig Schnee, eignen sich die Steilböschungen hervorragend zum Schlittenfahren. Und ich denke darüber nach, welche anderen Dinge in meinem Leben eines neuen Denk-Rahmens bedürfen.

Und du? Was könntest du jetzt neu formulieren? – Bitte lass mich wissen was du denkst!

Wie lebt man in einer scheinbar kleinen Welt

Uncategorized, ,

Meine Welt schrumpft infolge der Einschränkungen, die uns durch COVID auferlegt werden, auf die Größe, die sie nach der Geburt meiner Tochter hatte. Damals lebten wir noch in der Wildnis, und ich war die einzige Person, die sich um das Baby kümmerte. Ich konnte für eine lange Zeitperiode weder das Haus alleine verlassen noch anderweitig Zeit für mich alleine haben.

In der Zeit lernte ich, mir Raum in meinem Leben zu schaffen, in dem ich mich bewegen konnte, um mich selber nicht zu verlieren. Und es funktionierte. Anstatt lange Spaziergänge zu machen oder meinen Arbeiten im Freien (wie Wasser aus dem Bach zu holen) nachzugehen, begann ich zum Beispiel mit Yoga, das ich jederzeit im Haus machen konnte, während ich mein Baby im Auge hatte. Ich gab auch scheinbar mühsamen Aufgaben wie dem Abwaschen oder Wäschewaschen (ich wusch die Stoffwindeln meiner Tochter per Hand) einen neuen Rahmen gegeben – in einen kreativen mentalen Raum, der entspannend war.

Ich habe es schon immer genossen, von zu Hause aus zu arbeiten und zu sehen, wie sich direkt vor meinem Fenster die Natur im Laufe der Jahreszeiten verändert. Während eines (in einer Serie von) Lockdowns zu Hause zu sein, ist für mich kein Problem. Manchmal vermisse ich jedoch, an einem kalten Wintertag mit meiner Tochter in ein Hallenbad zu gehen, oder im Sommer meine Familie in Österreich zu besuchen. Stattdessen finde ich Sinn in den kleinen und größeren Aufgaben, die der Alltag als Mutter, Ehefrau, Entenbesitzerin, Lebensberaterin und Lehrerin mit sich bringt: So ist es zum Beispiel sehr entspannend, jeden Morgen zwei schöne Enteneier einzusammeln, mit den Produzenten zu plaudern, und mich über bevorzugte Lebensmittel - insbesondere Erbsen - mit ihnen auszutauschen.

Ich hoffe, Sie sind in einer Position, in der Sie das Leben genießen und so sein können, wie Sie sind, ohne sich eingeengt zu fühlen. Wenn dies nicht der Fall ist, lassen Sie mich Ihnen versichern, dass es Ihnen freisteht, diese Bedingungen zu schaffen!

Bitte zögern Sie nicht, mir Ihre Ideen oder Fragen mitzuteilen!

Entenliebe (22. Oktober 2021)

Emotionale Ansteckung

2 CommentsUncategorized

Sie haben vielleicht bemerkt, dass Sie von den Emotionen der Menschen um Sie herum beeinflusst werden. Wenn jemand Sorgen, Frustration oder Wut ausdrückt, wird dies von Ihnen und anderen mitgefühlt. Das gleiche Prinzip gilt für positive Emotionen.

Sozialpsychologin Elaine Hatfield nennt dieses Phänomen emotionale Ansteckung. Wenn Sie darüber lesen, werden Sie feststellen, dass wir Menschen das Rudel brauchen. Aus evolutionärer Sicht war es sicherer, mit der Gruppe mitzulaufen, als allein in freier Wildbahn zurückgelassen zu werden.

Was ich sehr erbaulich finde ist, dass jeder Mensch dieser Katalysator sein kann! Wenn die Emotionen anderer Menschen MICH betreffen, dann beeinflussen meine Emotionen ANDERE. Ist das nicht wunderbar?

Hier ein aktuelles Beispiel aus meinem Leben: Heute morgen ging ich mit meiner Tochter zum Schulbus. Der Schnee ist geschmolzen und wir mussten durch einige schlammige Pfützen laufen. Unser Nachbar arbeitete mit schwerem Gerät. Er hielt an, um uns sicher vorbeigehen zu lassen. Ich nahm meine Tochter an der Hand und zog sie mit mir. Dabei wurde sie mit schlammigem Wasser bespritzt. Das führte zu einer Reihe erboster (und enttäuschter) Schreie. Ich erinnerte sie ruhig daran, dass es bald nur mehr Staub wäre, den sie abbürsten könnte, sobald ihre Hose wieder trocken sei. Zum Glück war sie schnell wieder abgelenkt.

Manchmal braucht es viel Energie, um nicht von den Emotionen anderer Menschen beeinflusst zu werden. Und manchmal muss ich bewusst einen Schritt zurücktreten, wenn meine Abwehrkräfte nachlassen.

Was für mich generell funktioniert, ist…

  • sich der Emotion (hier: Wut und Enttäuschung) und dem Grund dahinter (Ohnmachtsgefühl, da meine Tochter sich nicht einfach umziehen konnte, sondern so wie sie war zur Schule gehen musste) bewusst zu werden.
  • mir meiner Position bewusst zu sein und die Situationen nicht meine Schutzhülle durchbrechen zu lassen (das tue ich, indem ich innerlich lächle und mit mir selbst rede – meist auch nur innerlich).
  • sich körperlich von der Person zu separieren, die die unerwünschte Emotion zeigt. Nach draußen zu gehen – auch nur für ein paar Minuten – wirkt bei mir Wunder.

Sagen Sie mir bitte: Was funktioniert für Sie?