As regular readers of this weekly mail will know, I’m a big fan of sport – and in particular those who persist against the odds to succeed.

So it should be no surprise that today the focus is on an incredible woman, Rachael Blackmore, who won the English Grand National on Saturday – becoming the first woman jockey to ever do so.

By winning she sent a clear message to the sports world to judge people on their merits and not on whether they are male, female or any other gender.

What I love about her journey so far is that she isn’t a child prodigy now achieving what was expected of her.

As a mentor of mine once said to me about our most important relationships when an argument emerges….

“You can focus on who’s right or you can focus on the relationship. Where you put your focus determines if he relationship dies or thrives.”

It stunned me with it’s truth.

Fear never brings out the best in people.

If you imagine a continuum, where at one end is fear and the other is safety.

It’s worth watching where you are on that, and also where the people around you are.

A little fear in’t the worst thing, but if it’s at the far end of the continuum it will impair performance and results.

When fear has a hold on you, it’s impossible to live in alignment with your authentic self – to bring out your best.

“Your blindspots are the things that really hurt you.” I was sitting in a meeting with a client, someone I have huge respect for and we were discussing the concept of blind-spots. “I know what my blind-spots are”, they commented. “Tell me more”, I replied. They listed a few things that they considered areas to…

“Where you’re coming from,

is much more important than where you’re going to.”

Hi Ellie,

I said the above to a client and she looked at me like I had 10 heads.

As someone who has a reputation for helping people to get to where they want to go faster, this was understandably confusing to this smart but very stressed woman.

I went on to explain that I’ve seen people win awards, make millions, create the body shape they love, grow and sell businesses, but it was usually tainted with where they were coming from.

A few years ago I was giving a talk in Dublin and afterwards I was approached by a very shy man.

He told me that he dreamed of being a successful speaker but didn’t know how to overcome his fear of public speaking.

Slight issue there indeed…. 🙂

The comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said that most people would rather be in the coffin than deliver the eulogy – this is because the majority of people fear public speaking more than death!

I shared with the man that I used to be terrified of public speaking.

I don’t know about you but this year, for me January seemed to go on forever, yet February disappeared in the blink of an eye!

The experience of time whilst this pandemic is going on has certainly been different…

Yet today is the 1st of March and certainly where I live, there is a feeling of Spring in the air.

The days are getting brighter and with every week that passes we are getting closer to being on the other side of this unique global situation.

With nature bursting forth, it seems like a good time to look in the direction of positive change, of positive growth. To re-think our approaches, to raise our intentions and ask new questions of ourselves.

“Dear Life, When I said “Can this day get any worse?”
It was a rhetorical question not a challenge!”

I think most people have experienced a version of that quote above.

I remember a big turning point in my life was when I realised the power of language. Not just in it’s impact on others but more so on my performance in any field.

I’m not referring just to the spoken word but to the power of the language of my thinking, because behind every action is a thought.

A friend of mine uses the phrase ‘pity party’ whenever he’s feeling sorry for himself.

And who hasn’t had a moment like that over the last year? 🙂

But he also makes a point of laughing at himself when he ‘catches’ himself feeling that way.

I’ve been running many webinars for leaders and their organisations over the past few weeks and I’ve closed most of them out with the line above.

As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in my car beside a very stormy, cold Irish sea in Wicklow Harbour.

The sun is rising, even though you wouldn’t know it with all of the heavy grey cloud…

Waves are crashing over the normally accessible pier and landing heavily onto the stoney beach

But in the midst of it all, there are many seagulls flying through the strong wind to sit on the topsy turvy ocean close to shore. Clearly there is something of interest to them – perhaps some form of food.