Year after year, the question ‘What if I fly?’ becomes more and more meaningful to me. Because the first thought, ‘What if I fall?’, comes from the emotion of fear, which has guided and limited me for a long time. But that’s not what today is about. It’s about flying! So I ask myself, WHEN did…

Edith Piaf once said: ‘Life is wonderful. There are moments when you want to die. But then something new happens, and you think you’re in heaven.’ I know these moments – the ups and downs when black and white shake hands. For decades, my well-being unconsciously depended on the behaviour of those around me – a…

Five weeks Tel Aviv – and my soul wants to stay here. What do you do when your mind has booked the return flight, but your soul doesn’t want to leave? In Tel Aviv, I am full of energy. It’s the place I belong to. There are so many things that move, nourish and fascinate me:…

I’ve been in Tel Aviv for three days now and it feels like I’ve never been away. I land at 4 am in the morning. The first task I set myself: Organise a taxi ride without being ripped off. The queue at the taxi rank is endless. I wheel my suitcase alongside the people waiting and…

I’m currently redeeming my birthday present: A 3-day trip to Rome that my mother gave to me. It’s a change of scenery that feels fantastic. I enjoy exploring the city and pushing my way through the Roman traffic on my e-bike. In addition to sightseeing, I pursue my favourite activity: observing people and behavioural patterns. To…

“Hellooo darling. How are you? When are you coming to Tel Aviv? Everything is open and back to normal.” I get this message from my cousin Shirel in Israel – 24 hours after the ceasefire. After my flight to Tel Aviv is cancelled, I suffer with my friends and family in Israel for 12 days. I’m…

4 months of learning at the limit. The result is more than just grey theory – it’s grown grey brain matter. Thanks to neuroplasticity. I’m not really a show-off. And especially not when it comes to my blog. But I’m damn proud that I’ve managed this: Since January, I’ve been working my way through self-study videos…

Today I discovered a blind spot and felt a glistening anger. This anger is very old and has been eating its way into my system like lava. I’ve never been allowed to feel it. I’ve always had to be considerate. An ability has emerged from this consideration. Namely, to develop an understanding for the context of…

Difficult times require special attention. I realise that the political and economic situation in Germany and what is happening in the world is unsettling me. An ‘all will be well’ mantra is hardly the solution in these times of uncertainty. No, I look, I notice. And at the same time, I make sure I don’t get…

2.5 weeks in South Africa. An interesting journey of discovery comes to an end. And I complete my personal ‘instruction manual’. Who am I? How does my system work? What is good for me? And what do I need to feel connected to myself and the world? I meet people here who enrich my life. My…

The new year has picked up speed and I have to keep calibrating myself so that life doesn’t absorb me like a pinball. Instead, I keep the reins in my hand – without being too controlling. It’s a balancing act between DOING and BEING. BEING mode is important for me. Because it’s the only place where…

The past year was a tough one. There was a lot of ‘fuel in the gearbox’. However, when I change my glasses and look through the cleared lenses, I am blissfully happy. Because it was also a year full of highlights and wonderful encounters. Now that I look in the rear-view mirror, I realise even more…

In my latest blog article I write about the rollercoaster ride that life always has in store for us. Not flying off the curve is sometimes quite a balancing act. That’s why I try to see challenges as a personal ‘exercise mat’. Due to my daily practice of reflection, I am stable enough to regulate my…

It’s quiet here on my channel. Not because there are no topics I could report on. On the contrary: there are too many – I can’t get them sorted! In Hebrew you say ‘balagan’ – which means chaos/mess. It all starts with the death of my brother, who died suddenly at the end of 2022. I…

There are things that are sacred to me. Because they have a special meaning. Like the laying of my grandmother’s Holocaust memorial stone in Neubrandenburg in June – just before I go to Israel for a month. The organisers in Neubrandenburg invite me to give a speech in honour of my grandmother. And I sense that…

It’s Friday morning and I’ll be on Israeli soil in less than 24 hours. I’ve been on a happiness hormone rush for over a week now – smiling the whole day and grinning like a Cheshire cat. What will it be like when I return on 29 June – after almost 9 months – to the…

A few weeks ago, I learnt how hard it is to let go of something you’ve been longing for months. Because acutally, I would be in Tel Aviv right now, sitting in my favourite café. Or cruising along the beach promenade on my bike – with music playing in my ears. Maybe I’d even be on…

For me, dignity means recognising my own worth and living accordingly. That was a long learning process for me. Because the way I grew up, I always believed that I had to give and do a lot in order to be liked and respected. I always hoped that my helpfulness, love and dedication to others would…

A young man stands in the village square and announces that he has the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathers around him and everyone marvels at his heart. It looks perfect. Not a scratch, not even the slightest dent. Everyone agrees that this is the most beautiful heart they have ever…

It’s a sunny Saturday morning. Perfect for a visit to a flea market. I get on my bike and set off. Right behind a roundabout, two pedestrians cross a zebra crossing on the left. As I have such good speed, I steer my bike to the right. At that moment a third pedestrian comes from the…

“Ulrike, what’s your wish for 2024?” a friend asked me a few days ago. It’s funny, despite having a list of goals and a vision board, I’m not able to answer the question short and crisp. After all, how am I supposed to reduce everything that is important to me to a “top wish”? What is…

Two months ago, on 8 October 2023, I was stuck at Tel Aviv airport and struggled to get a flight home. The solidarity and compassion I received that day and the following days was overwhelming. And I dedicate this blog article to those people who lovingly accompanied me during these hours: Friends, relatives, acquaintances, clients, neighbours,…

… was the title of the book in which the granddaughter of Yitzchak Rabin, peacemaker and prime minister of Israel, processed her pain over the murder of her “Saba” (Hebrew for “grandfather”) in Tel Aviv in 1995. I have no clue why the book I read 25 years ago comes to my mind now… Possibly because…

On my last day of my trip to Israel, I learn what it means to take cover. It’s Saturday morning, 7.30am and I am about to leave my flat as I want to walk along the beach once more… When I hear sirens. I look at my mobile phone and see a message from my friend:…

It’s always fascinating what interesting slippery slopes life serves me, which I can grow from: In 2016, I very consciously specialised in coaching women in leadership positions. In the meantime, a few male clients who want to grow – and take responsibility for their lives – have also found me. The other day I sat in…

Today I am writing about a feeling that I would prefer not to feel: shame! Brené Brown writes in one of her books: “If we become sufficiently aware of shame to be able to name and express it, we deprive it of its basis of existence. Shame hates to be put into words.” Alright, Mrs Brown,…

On Tuesday, I am in Jerusalem and want to walk through the ultra-Orthodox district of Mea Shearim. A friend from Tel Aviv recommends that I conform to the code of conduct of ultra-orthodox women: Cover hair and arms, long skirt, muted colours, nude nylon stockings and closed shoes. Because nothing on a woman’s body should attract…

Interesting how your view of things changes when you look at them again from a distance. Tel Aviv in summer 2023: my 3rd stay within 12 months. Yes, I still love this country, the culture, the sensuality and the savoir-vivre of the Israelis. And at the same time, I realise more and more that not all…

I am currently in a process of “inner confusion”. It feels like hanging between heaven and earth – still in the process of realising that my brother is no longer there. My mind refuses to fully realise the fact. A protective reaction of my psyche I suppose. Apparently, such a shock can only be absorbed in…

I’m spending a weekend in the Bergisch Country, in a hotel with a large spa area. What I’m particularly looking forward to is lying around in a cosy hotel bathrobe, taking a sauna, whirlpool and steam bath and slumbering on the comfortable hotel loungers. Before I start, I want to take a quick shower opening the…

I’m learning to be patient these days. Jesus, what a hard thing for me to do. For weeks I’ve been looking for a place to stay in Tel Aviv for the summer months. Through a few local contacts I thought I was safe. But I can’t get the flats I want. And the flats I could…

The past few weeks have been quite challenging for me. I already described it in my last article. You are not prepared for grief. Grief is like a weed that forces its way through the joints. Persistent, merciless and difficult to regulate. I always take time out to retrace everything and allow this uncomfortable feeling of…

On December 26th, my brother Christian said goodbye to this life. Just like that. All of a sudden. In his mid-50s. The doctors at the hospital tried to resuscitate him for 40 minutes. Horrible to imagine! As a child, I admired my big brother. He was a really cool guy and I was very proud of…

The year 2022 is drawing to a close and I look back exhausted on a wild roller coaster ride: curves that are fun, descents that are scary. Loops that I sometimes find cool and sometimes extremely unpleasant. I take it all in — lament the lows and celebrate the highs. And I feel like I’m getting…

A few days ago, I accidentally sent my Tel Aviv September newsletter a second time to my subscribers. Wow, I was so pissed off. Especially at myself, because I obviously triggered the dispatch myself. I just can’t get on with the handling of my new newsletter tool. Nor with the fact that I’m back in Germany….

It’s September 25th and I’m sitting in my favourite café in Tel Aviv. The last time I was in this magical place was 11 weeks ago. The fact that I set off again and gave up my yoga retreat in Croatia for it amazes my myself. My alibi: to work remotely from here. In order to…

After my last two articles just flowed out of me, I feel pretty stuck at the moment. Like a ship that has run aground. It doesn’t go forward and it doesn’t go back. Normally I can rely on new impulses for my blog articles appearing at intervals of 3–4 weeks, which become so concrete after a…

Jerusalem! My first destination on this sunny July morning is the Mount of Olives, with a view of the Dome of the Rock and the approximately 3000-year-old Jewish cemetery. I have been sitting here for an hour, enjoying this surreal panorama – and the silence inside me. An indescribably beautiful feeling that I have never felt…

There are places that nourish our souls. For some, it is the hammock in grandma’s garden that awakens positive memories and conveys a deep sense of security. For another, it is the stiff breeze that slams into the sail and requires a quick manoeuvre. The place of power of one of my clients is a park…

My friend’s husband is turning 50 and we are planning a surprise party. It’s still early in the evening and summery warm. Everyone brings their loved ones and their favourite food for the buffet. It feels familiar because the people present are exactly the same people who were at my friends’ wedding four years ago. The…

Each of us carries yin and yang energies within us in varying degrees of strength. We need both energies, the feminine and the masculine, to live a balanced life. For as long as I can remember, my life has been about responsibility, discipline, achievement and performance. In other words, classic masculine yang attributes. Please don’t misunderstand….