When it comes to dominating your sport, you'll be hard pushed to find a more successful sporting organisation that the All Blacks. In this episode, John McAllister and I cut from the normal 'book review' structure and discuss, using our opinions and experiences and key takeaway messages from Legacy, the book by James Kerr.

When the going gets tough, the tough start changing.

Difficult times call for different solutions.

In his global bestseller, Legacy, James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world's most successful team, the New Zealand All Blacks, to help understand what it takes to bounce back from adversity and still reach the top.

It is a book about leading a team or an organisation – but, more importantly, about leading a life.

The kind of life that you want to lead.
 
Sponsor: www.gareth-fox.com/backbone

Website: www.think-curiously.com

Get in touch: gary@think-curiously.com 

This week I’m delighted to be Joined by Paul McVeigh, an ex professional footballer who enjoyed a 14 year career making over 270 appearances for Tottenham Hotspurs, Norwich, Burnley and Luton Town. Paul also gained 20 senior international caps for Northern Ireland. As you’ll hear, Paul was invested in self development throughout his playing career, looking beyond retirement and it is interest and knowledge of Psychology and it’s application to Sport that we chat about this week. 

Before diving into this weeks episode I want to say a huge thank you to our sponsor Gareth Fox and his BACKBONE performance support programme. Gareth came on board with the podcast as he felt that it adds value, likewise his Backbone programme does the same, across 12 fundamental areas of your life. You can find him on Facebook and Instagram as well as his website www.gareth-fox.com/backbone.

Check out Pauls Website below: 

https://paulmcveigh.co.uk/

This week I’m joined by Joshua De Luna Cohost of the Tea with Coconut and Plantain podcast. Josh and I connected with each other through a Facebook group of Podcasters back in November and I’ve been fortunate enough to have been a guest in his Podcast, not so long ago. In this episode we chat about love, friendships and relationships, drawing on our own lived through experiences. Don’t worry though, it’s not some kind of sloppy rom-com conversation you’d listen to whilst crying into a bowl of popcorn whilst drowning a bottle of red wine, though to be fair that doesn’t sound to bad now I’ve said it out loud.

Podcast Sponsor:
Gareth Fox : www.gareth-fox.com/backbone

S3. Ep 5 -Eimear's Wish – Sean Smyth
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0uXsxqOBxUOFobEPfVVTdl?si=x0mTcTBVRQuj3xuZquxgEg

Eimear, a make-up artist from the Coolnasilla area of Belfast, was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in September 2016 shortly after she had graduated. She underwent 12 cycles of chemotherapy and was given the all-clear in spring 2017. But a few weeks later, she felt unwell and tests found it had returned.

In December 2017, Eimear was treated with an autologous stem cell transplant, intensive chemotherapy and her own stem cells returned afterwards to rescue her bone marrow from the effect of the treatment.

After five weeks in isolation she returned home and 100 days later was given the good news she was in remission.

But the Hodgkin’s Lymphoma returned for a second time and doctors said her best chance of survival was another stem cell transplant – this time from an anonymous donor. In September 2018 a match was found and Eimear underwent surgery. However, she suffered complications and lost her fight for life on 27th June 2019.

Through her illness, her father Sean campaigned hard to raise awareness for the need for stem cell donations, a campaign that continues to grow through Eimear's Wish. In this episode Sean speaks candidly about Eimear's life, and the powerful impact she had on her close friends and family. A powerful and emotive story told with love and compassion.

Eimear's report on UTV:

https://www.facebook.com/216755005820277/videos/1084481158397392

You find more information about Eimear's wish on the links below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eimearswish

Twitter: @Eimers_Wish

STEM CELL DONATION REGISTRATION LINK

https://www.anthonynolan.org/help-save-a-life/join-stem-cell-register

This week on The Think Curiously Podcast I catch up with Lee Chestnutt, founder of Mentalhealthbylee platform on Facebook and Twitter. Lee also runs real and raw clothing brand, using his products to promote mental health awareness. In this episode Lee talks us through his mental health journey that has included, bullying, trolling and depression. Lee speaks candidly about his passion for helping others as well as using his social media platforms as a form of journaling.

For more information about out Think Curiously, check out our website below:

www.think-curiously.com

For more information on our sponsor check out their website below:

www.gareth-fox.com/backbone

Mindsets! Populated by the Psychologist Carol Dweck, it is said that we have two types – A Fixed Mindset were put simply it relates to having a fixed perception of level of abilities , believing that you can't get any better than your current level. And A Growth Mindset – which is the opposite, believing that your current level of performance has the ability to improve. In this weeks episode KC and I discuss those Mindsets in line with our experiences.

If you'd like more information on our podcast sponsor Backbone please use the link below:

www.gareth-fox.com/backbone

If you'd like more information on our podcast please use the link below:

www.think-curiously.com

Both Darran and I originally released this episode as part of the Changemakers NI project and  recently spoke about the need to bring it to a larger audience in the hope that it might help inspire others  to speak up. We have therefore, re-released the episode as part of a joint venture with MiND (Mental Health in a New Direction) Podcast, hosted by Darran. In this episode, Darran and I speak about our own experiences with grief, our actions, thoughts, feelings and emotions. This full episode is based upon our own lived through experiences and is in no way designed to tell you how you should grieve. 

If you have been affected by anything we've mentioned in this episode or feel that you want to seek help and support with your own grief, there are a a number of organisations that can help:

https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-help/local-services/northern-ireland/northern-ireland

https://www.familysupportni.gov.uk/Support/19/services-to-help-you-and-your-loved-ones-cope-with-bereavement

https://www.mindingyourhead.info/topics/bereavement

https://www.communityni.org/help/child-bereavement 

Like most young boys, Michael grew up wanting to be a professional footballer, tirelessly  playing in the streets with his mates before joining his school team and then entering club Football. It was a pursuit that would take him to England over a four year period, until one day he had enough and returned home.  It was then when things didn’t go to plan. Though throughout his life, Michael has always kept with him a strong determination to keep going, that coupled with a vivid memory of his most Signiant life events has lead him to writing and content creation.

Michael is the founder and content creator of  Men of Aspirations, a published author with the good men project in New York and is putting the finishing touches to a book of his life stories.