I’ve had so many conversations over the last few months with smart people who have created serious and unnecessary suffering for themselves.

Unnecessary because it came down to a lack of understanding how we all work from the inside out.

In the past, I’ve created problems for myself that just weren’t real because I never stopped to explore if what I was thinking was reality…

And I’ve seen the same with clients over the years.

Over the last week, I found myself doing some painting outside and for one section I had to clear away some cobwebs before beginning the work.

I didn’t give it any thought until the next day when I was walking by the same section and noticed that the beginnings of a small cobweb was in the very place I’d cleaned.

It made me reflect that nature truly is adaptive.

If you’re Irish you’ll know that someone special to Irish people everywhere left the planet over the weekend – Jack Charlton.

For those reading this that have never heard of him, Jack was an English coal-miner’s son who became a professional footballer and won the soccer World Cup with England in 1966.

“There’s a few reasons why I don’t see it happening”

These were the words spoken by a smart woman I was working with a few years ago, in response to me asking if she thought she could ever be a CEO.

She was very convincing in her argument as to why she couldn’t get to the top spot.

But it turned out that despite her comments she actually had a huge desire to get to the role.

With everything going on, it feels strange to say I took a few days off… but I did.

It was a bank holiday in Ireland, so I bolted on some extra time and enjoyed the incredible sunshine. And it was a complete switch off – so much so, I even gave myself permission not to send an email on Monday! 🙂

But not to let me completely off the hook this week, here’s something a little different.

I found myself on a call last Friday with several hundred people from around the world as we participated in a global check-in for leaders and transformation professionals.

One of the questions discussed was this: What are you being called to let go of?

Here were the most common answers: Busyness / Existing mental patterns / The way ‘I’ want it to be / My ego and the way it ‘should’ be / My need to control everything

It has been amazing to watch the mental impact on many people over the last few weeks as the Coronavirus has moved around the world.

The uncertainty and volatility brought into the financial markets is just one example of the consequences to this phenomenon. People in Australia fighting over toilet rolls in a supermarket is another!

When things become more uncertain, most become more fearful.

And what we will see now in the coming weeks and months, is that fear creates other problems.

If you’re Irish, Darina needs no introduction. But if you’re not let’s just say she is Ireland’s original celebrity chef. And over the last few decades she has written 19 books, created one of the best cookery schools in the world, been a pioneer and ambassador for the slow food movement and a renowned TV chef.

Everyone can be forgiven for falling victim to a ‘pity party’, particularly in challenging times. But if I’ve learned anything in my own life and working with leaders, it’s that the right mindset is key to creating miracles.

Siya Kolisi’s words after the RWC Final were very inspiring and humble and his team is the first to win the tournament, despite losing a game in the pool stages. A definite win for resilience.