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 of acceptance?

Yes, I will continue working on my physical fitness, while keeping an eye on the bigger picture. I believe (and as a coach, beliefs are a great topic that we like to devote ourselves to intensively) that I continue to grow and learn as a person. And so I will continue to apply cream to my wrinkles, but also love them, because every wrinkle tells a story.

How does aging show up for you? What do you like to grow in? Which aspects of your life would you like to adjust a little?

Contact me at any time to arrange a free initial consultation.

Coaching works!

3 Steps to Better Mental Fitness

Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Self-Reliance, ,

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. It’s the best predictor of how happy you are and how well you perform relative to your potential. With practice, you can build powerful new muscles in your brain and boost your PQ.

Take the PQ Score Assessment to get a measure of your mental fitness and identify the areas where you want to improve: PQ Score Assessment

👉 Step 3: Explore the PQ Program & Sign up

Sustained change towards a more positive mind requires laying down neural pathways to form new habits through consistent daily practice. And that’s what the PQ Program empowers you to do.

Visit Meet Life’s Challenges without Negative Emotions to learn more about how the PQ Program can improve wellness in your life.

(reposted from Positive Intelligence, 2023)

(photo credit: Fuu J, Unsplash, 2023)

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 for the foreseeable future?” – That would really make you think, right?

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What are you curious to explore with compassion, curiosity and the right amount of challenge?

(photo by Frames for your Heart, Unsplash, 2024)

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*The client is fully empowered to direct where the coaching conversation is going. Any possible ideas and biases of my own are left outside the coaching space.

Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Resilience Coach

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 today (March 1, 2024)

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach
https://creeksideinspirations.ca/

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

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

Invasive Art?

Connecting with Nature, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, , , ,

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 considered an invasive species in North America. That made me think about invasive species and the similarities to what humans do all over the world. So, this is what I want to write about today.

Starlings (May 28, 2020)

Starlings were moved from Europe, their ancestral habitat, to North America in the late 19th century, where they are now one of the most abundant birds.

Starlings are said to be very adaptable, eating a wide variety of foods and nesting in many different locations. Bottom line is that European starlings infringe on native species’ habitat. That affects the balance of the web of life, and so starlings end up with a bad reputation (Forgive me for bottom lining this so bluntly).

Stepping out of the problem zone and onto a meta-level, I am thinking that those birds do just do what birds do. They simply happen to be at the wrong place (human judgement).

It occurred to me to compare this scenario to human activity. Are we doing the same thing? If so, what makes us different? We do after all come with the ability to reflect on our own behavior and the effects of our actions on the world around us. This ties in with what I’m writing in my new book (“Freedom Within Reach” about living as part of nature and not trying to govern nature).

Some thoughts you might want to ponder over are:

  • In what way do we (as humans) behave like an invasive species?
  • In what ways do you behave, and affect the habitat and the species around?
  • In what way do you fit in with what’s around you?

That’s all for today thank you very much! Please drop me a note with your thoughts and answers.

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach | https://creeksideinspirations.ca/blog

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 healing of the leg).

I have come to learn that the greatest scars can become our greatest strengths, because they soften us to the human-ness of the people around us.

What do you think?

I am so curious to hear about your doors. Have you found it yet? Do you dare look for it?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

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 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.

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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

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

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(Photo by Anastasia Nelen, Unsplash, 2023)

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 am grateful.

What was the latest thing that created a sense of awe in you?

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Johnson Salamander

I almost stepped onto this little guy. At first, I thought somebody had dropped a piece of rubber in the grass.

Then I realized I had a visitor. A mysterious visitor.

Luckily he did not mind waiting there, in his spot in the grass, while I found out that the Jefferson Salamander is considered an endangered species in our area. I sat in a distance from him for a while, then let him be. He was there all evening, but gone the next morning.

Johnson Salamander, June 24, 2023

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

Saving One’s Face

Getting to know your Coach, Mental Fitness, Mindfulness

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?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

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 (strawberries don’t stand a chance against those neighbors).

What is your spirit plant? – Look around. What plants are doing well in your care or in your surroundings? Please kontaktieren Sie mich, if you need more questions or a reference-guide.

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

Your Body Has You Covered

Connecting with Nature, Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, , ,

When the fog is too thick for you to find your way around, your body knows where to go.

That might be a bit of a metaphorical exaggeration. Please bear with me as I unroll my thoughts:

Unfortunately, our area is currently experiencing dense smog from wildfires in this and other provinces of Canada. While we cannot really smell it (unlike yesterday, when the smell of a cold fire pit hung in the air), my chest felt heavy this morning, I felt reluctant to take a deep breath, and a headache was (and is) lingering. I pointed out to my daughter that there are people who spend their lives in conditions like this, where the air is polluted all the time. And how lucky we can be that this is only a temporary situation.

I also became aware how messages from my body – reluctant to take a deep breath – can be such a great guide, and how important it is consequently, to listen to somatic impressions.

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As your coach with a strong affinity towards stewardship for our natural world I would ask you:

When do you feel your body telling you something you are not consciously aware of (yet)?

There is a very useful little exercise with which you can quickly gain (or regain) access to your somatic wisdom and your inner compass. Schreiben Sie mir if you are interested.

(Photo by Greg Rosenke, Unsplash 2023)

When Life Happens

Mindfulness, Personal Development, , ,

We live on the side of a beautiful creek. In the spring, the water level is fairly high and the current is fairly strong; strong enough so I can swim in it without moving in relation to the shore line. It is perfect: cool, refreshing, clean. The birds are singing, the mosquitoes cannot get to me, and all I see is nature.

I have a tendency to forget this beautiful setting, when the water level drops radically later in the season and the flow comes to a halt, until the creek is full of long algae. That is partially due to the fact that this creek drains from a lake that is dammed up so the people with cottages around it can enjoy the water all summer, when there is less water feeding the lake. I have a tendency to feel resentful about that. Gentrification of formerly pristine rural lands into cottage country for wealthy retirees is not something that I digest easily.

Today, however, when the temperature rose to 30 degrees, I hopped into the creek, and I was swimming against the current with my goggles on, exploring the underwater world (I tickled a mussel with my toe and it clammed up, I listened to some shore birds chirping, and I enjoyed the gentle flow of water against my front, when I stopped swimming and put my feet down), I realized how much I miss out on, when I am not living in the moment. So I did.

How have you lived in the moment today?

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CCO – Cool Coaching Offers

By the way, I am offering a few really cool things in my coaching services: A 6-week program to help people gain clarity about their life purpose (direct link coming soon!), and an 8-week program that builds serious mental muscles. Both have helped me and brave souls around me who jumped into the adventure with me. Feel free to schedule a nonbinding discovery call to talk about your journey.

Pictures Touch

Mindfulness, ,

I use pictures in coaching to evoke reflection, inspiration, and associations.

Something in a picture might evoke an association, a thought or a feeling that wants to be talked about.

For example: In a coaching session, a client might say that they feel stuck. I might show them the following card, and they in turn can share what they see, and what the card makes them think about, thus getting the person “un-stuck”.

Question: What does that card make YOU think about? Please comment or send me a message.

Source: Dixit Board Game

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If you are curious about more thought-provoking questions and inspirations, I am looking forward to meeting you in a Free Discovery Meeting:

Buche ein

The 3-To-1 Positivity Ratio

Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development, ,

Research shows that our brains are hard-wired to over-emphasize the negative experiences we have. Due to an evolutionary survival mechanism called the “negativity bias”, the human brain holds on to and amplifies the negative much more than the positive. It was more essential for our distant ancestors to remember the experience with the dangerous bear, than the beautiful field of flowers.

According to Dr. Barbara Fredrickson (University of North Carolina, 2009), we need three positive experiences for every negative emotional experience in order to keep a positive mindset. According to her, we can actively build a collaborative relationship between our survival minds and our thrive minds. This 3-to-1 ratio should be maintained both in thoughts and feelings, as well as in interactions with people that matter to us.

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What are a few ways to build that collaborative relationship between those two parts of our minds?

It starts with awareness: Pay attention to when you are having negative thoughts and feelings, including stress, anxiety, anger, disappointment, blame, guilt, shame, self-doubt, regret, etc. These thoughts might happen in response to yourself, to others or to events and circumstances. When you notice them, counter by commanding your mind to come up with at least 3 positives:

–See the adventure around the challenge: Can you learn something new? Can you explore something exciting? Can you grow a new skill?

–Look for opportunity: What is a positive aspect of a negative event? What could be a positive consequence of the negative circumstance?

-Zoom out and broaden your view: What does the big picture look like? What do you see now that you have not seen before?

–Take small risks that take you out of your comfort zone.

–Practice self-compassion: See the beautiful essence in you! Treat yourself like you would treat your best friend.

These thoughts could be quick and simple, and they will start to shift your brain activity to the positive side.

If you are curious about this and many more Mental Fitness exercises, I would love to meet you in a non-binding chat.

Buche ein

Here is a Link to Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s Positivity Self-Test

Playing to our strengths

Connecting with Nature, Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development, , , , , ,

Playing to your strength means doing what you are able to do well, rather than doing other things.

An example: A friend’s son was assessed for ADHD. In the process, it was found that he is simply a kid who needs more physical exercise than he was getting in school and at home. It was not easy, but the school and the parents found ways for him to get more play time outside and more time when he is unplugged from any technical devices.

This story led me to think about people in general:

– Are we living our lives playing to our strengths or are we just playing along with the structures we find ourselves in?
– How can we create the lives that make it possible for us to use our strengths and flourish?

This is of course only part of the picture. As professionals, we have to be realistic: It is not always possible to use our strengths (or is it?), to embrace our weaknesses (have you heard the term “own your weaknesses”?), and to know your growth areas. As a person working with other people, you can also play to their strengths (how exciting!), and of course, we are well advised to stretch to form new strengths, and develop an authentic, informed, and confident awareness around the whole topic. In summary: To be who we are!

In my Naturverbundenes Leben Aufspüren you will discover and work in a very comprehensive way with your strengths.

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Mental Fitness & Nature Coach

(Photo by Dustin Humes, Unsplash 2022)

Article inspired by: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2020/01/10/play-to-your-strengths-13-even-better-ways-to-improve-your-leadership-skills/?sh=6ca7d03b6f79

Judgement is Disconnecting

Conflict Management, Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development, , , , , ,

Judging others, circumstances, or oneself is stripping an event of its embeddedness into the system it occurred in.

– Manuela Zeitlhofer (2022)

(photo by Eskay Lim, Unsplash, 2022)

Have you ever noticed yourself judging others, circumstances and yourself (!) with a very sharp and self-righteous mind? And has it ever happened, that – in comparable situations – you found yourself full of compassion, or curiosity over the mistakes and wrongdoings of others and yourself?

If you can relate to both, you might sense that…

…judgement comes from within, because ever external circumstance can lead you to either be judgemental or compassionate. (Some contributing factors might be the self-care you treat yourself with, and how full your reservoir of self-love is.)

…there are factors inside of you that sabotage you, your goals, your goodness (called “Saboteurs” or “Inner Critics”), as well as factors that bring out the best in you (called “Sage”).

…every problem, every circumstance, everything you might get agitated or upset about can lead to an opportunity, a gift even.

This topic lends itself so beautifully to coaching! If you are curious, please comment, or send me a note.

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach

My Animal Teachers

Connecting with Nature, Mindfulness, Personal Development, , , , ,

Minding The Little Things Series

Dora & Speckles, June 21, 2021

After I had written my previous two posts, a racoon attacked and killed one of our ducks: Dora, a little black female.

I was reminded that nature is neither good nor bad, nature just IS. The racoon needs to eat. The ducks don’t fight back. (And I failed to keep them safe, as our electric netting fence was not strong enough to keep the racoon out.)

We have been planning to get a dog in September. Too late for Dora, but hopefully the dog will deter any predators and keep our remaining ducks safe.

I am still sad about loosing that little bird. And I am contemplating what it means to be human, and to have the choice to be humane.

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What does it mean for you to be humane and in what situations do you see yourself be consciously humane?

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach

Animal Communication

Connecting with Nature, Mental Fitness, Mindfulness, Personal Development, , , ,

For many people, animal communication is something that only the ‘gifted few’ can achieve. This of course is entirely untrue as we were all born with the ability to talk to and hear animals.

Holly Davis, Animal Communication With All Species

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Challenge: Communicate with the next animal you see. Then drop me a note! What have you learned?

“Starlings”, by Manuela Zeitlhofer, May 28, 2020

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Manuela Zeitlhofer | Authentizitäts- & Mentale Fitness Coach