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 box full of discarded packing material and bottles – the leftovers of a party. It seemed that someone had just abandoned the site and walked away that very morning. I looked around, but aside from a lone person walking along the shore in some distance (we had parked right next to his car) we were the only ones around. I pointed out to my husband that I was going to bring the box of garbage back and dispose of it.

I anticipated the wind would scatter it soon, and the rain would soak it. Then it would be much harder to clean it up next time around. My heart was full of resentment, and a fun day felt suddenly spoiled. I was at odds with the world and definitely upset with the person(s) who had left their garbage behind. While I realized that emotion, it was hard to shake it.

Regardless, we did our thing and explored the river. Eventually, the lone walker came towards us and I spoke to him. He told me that he was not from around here, and that he was camping out. Oh, I said, is that box up on the bank yours by any chance? He said that it wasn’t, but that he wanted to come back with a garbage bag and clean it up. I responded that I was going to take the box, and that he could come back with the said garbage bag and clean up the rest. He said, bless you, and that was all it took to put my world back on its hinges.

Connecting with just one like-minded person can change our world.

__________

My intention:

Sustainability- How to live happily while leaving the earth in the same or a better state than before – is what I strive for and educate people about

__________

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

__________

(Photo by Anastasia Nelen, Unsplash, 2023)

Saving One’s Face

I generally like to present myself well composed and in control of my negative emotions. I don’t like to be seen when my saboteurs (my negative inner voices) 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 have always worked well 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.

If you feel alone in and at the whim of negative emotions, I can assure you that you are not!

I have been working with people who are very successful in corporate businesses, governments, and military settings. They all experience negative inner voices. They all feel self-conscious at times, and very competent and in sage emotions at others. Just like you. Just like me.

In addition, I find that it does create a sense of connectedness when people talk about their emotions, and the empath in me walks hand in hand with my intuitive self.

How have you been dealing best with negative emotions?

__________

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

Unique Animals

We have been enjoying the very unique personalities of several domestic ducks. It all began with a few barnyard-mix ducklings in 2021. In 2022, two Magpie-Cayuga ducklings followed. A number of them were males, so we found them loving new homes where they have been enjoying their own flocks of duck-ladies.

At the end of this summer, we had one female (Sunny) and one male (Magnum) left. For the second time in her life, Sunny was in the process of laying eggs, and for the second time in my life, I was collecting those eggs. Sunny did not want to accept the fate I had chosen for her – that is, not to have ducklings in late fall. I kept reminding her that it is much more sensible to raise her young when summer was approaching, and not when winter is around the corner. She paid no heed. Instead, she faithfully stuck to her nest which was well padded with her own down feathers, and the straw I had provided. She also rounded up a number of rocks that were roughly the size of her eggs, and she sat on them. One day, I was gone for a few hours, and the ducks were in their fenced in area as usual. When I came back, Sunny was nowhere to be found. My heart sank, when I remembered to check inside the duck coop. Sure enough, she was there, sitting on her nest. That was when I decided to give one egg back to her so she could follow her calling. It was September 21.

Sunny then was sitting on her nest for more than 23 hours in every 24-hour period. Magnum was sitting next to her nest for the same times. I left food and water in their duck coop. Once a day, I saw them going outside to frolic in their splash-pool for a bit and forage for insects in the grass.

Last Saturday, October 15, when I tucked them in for the night, I had a chance to inspect the egg, and I saw a tiny hole. Quickly, I put the egg back in the nest and spent a fearful night. Would the duckling be able to hatch? The next morning, when I walked into the duck-coop, I was greeted by a still wet duckling. By the time I had my camera ready, Sunny had covered up her little hatchling, and she was hissing at me preventively. My offering of cooked peas was graciously accepted.

On day two, the duckling – we named it Rocksie – was sitting next to Sunny, and we were allowed to hold it briefly, before giving it back to its mother, where it disappeared under the warm feathers.

I keep thinking what a miracle it is that we have been witnessing.

__________

Question: Where have you last experienced the magic of nature?

Sunny, Rocksie and Magnum (October 17, 2022)

__________

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness and Nature Coach

Coaching with #ManuCoach4You

I work with people with a strong environmental conscience, who want to live a sustainable and responsible life without sacrificing what they love doing and thereby creating and strengthening their authentic self.

My target group feels stuck between the responsibilities of (mid-)life, while yearning for more self-determination and connectedness to the natural world and the freedom of their younger years. There might be stress, anxiety, burn-out, and other internal or external conflicts that seem daunting.

Through mental fitness training and coaching in, around and with the help of nature, I assist them in carving out time and energy to step into their full potential and experience their autonomy and authenticity. I do that by assisting them in reframing the problems into opportunities for growth.

I have a long history of living in very close proximity with nature. My background as a sociologist, a teacher, and a homesteader (always making the most of the limited means at hand), as well as my very analytical and empathic nature make me the ideal coach for my target client.

What sets me apart from others in the field: I am authentic in the way I live in and around nature embedded into our modern world. I am empathic, intuitive, and honest. I use metaphors and stories. I incorporate a systemic view in my approach, and I advocate for (and coach toward) mental fitness. And very importantly, I respect the power of the human mind.

I am looking forward to meeting you in your

My Wealth

Do you associate wealth with money? I do struggle with the concept at times. Then I remind myself that I have enough. For me, it comes down to making the conscious decision to be happy in the Now. Because NOW is all we have. The past is a memory and the future is an imagination. Most of the time, I have all I NEED in the very moment I am in. It is often the WANTS that I want (!) to pursue.

To remain still and just be, let the moment be all I want – that is happiness for me. My wealth is my happiness, the feeling of being enough, and of having enough (or more than enough), right now.

__________

How about you? Where lies your wealth? And what are your thoughts about this week’s posts?

__________

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach

__________

(photo by Anton Luzhkovsky, Unsplash)

Canada Day Gift

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 free coaching-call here:

Please feel free to share this link with people you think might enjoy this gift: a safe space to gain perspective, and work toward their goals. Thank you!

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

__________

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness Coach

Mehrere Perspektiven

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!

Common Ground: Connecting by Taking a Step Back

We live behind an industrial woodlot. This time of the year, the guys (male-dominated workplace) are cutting and shredding wood. We see them twice a day on the way to and from the school bus, and we wave at them. They wave back. That is usually the extent of our interactions. Friendly neighbors.

When my daughter’s friend came over, I asked the girls to stay well away from any big equipment. I also mentioned that we wave at the guys to say hi. My daughter’s friend’s mother (I am calling her Clara) said that no, they don’t to that, because you never know the intentions of strangers.

That comment stirred up a set of emotions in me.

Then I took a step back from the situation. I could sense the motivation behind Clara’s comment: concern for her daughter’s well-being. And there was our common ground, because of course I could relate to that.

What do you think about abstracting from the problem at hand to the theme behind it, and dealing with it at that level? Have you been in a similar situation? Did this method help you in any way?

Please feel free to leave a comment!