Turn a failure into a lesson

I was leading a workshop for a group of CEOs in Northern Ireland. It was a gorgeous day. The drive was stunning—I was soaking in the green Irish landscape, rehearsing my talk out loud, feeling relaxed, confident. I thought, “I’ve got this. I’ve done this with even bigger groups, I am prepared.”

I arrived, set up, and sat in on a talk right before mine by the CEO of the company—about limiting beliefs. It was brilliant… maybe too brilliant, because something in it stuck with me.

Then it was my turn. I stood up to speak… and nothing came out right. I was bumbling, stumbling, forgetting words—honestly, it felt like I forgot English. Mortifying!

So, I took a deep breath (fully in… and let it go) and said,“Let’s just do the breathing.”We did—and from that moment on, it was magic. We breathed, we did the ice bath, and the whole group was buzzing.

On my way home I went for a sea dip to wash away the shame I felt ...didn't help. I felt awful for days. I sat with it, trying to not give out to myself. And slowly, I transformed embarrassment into compassion. Shame into empathy. Anger into love. Doubt into trust. I turned failure… into a powerful reminder:

The breath always brings you back. It grounds you, resets your system, and reconnects you to yourself.

So maybe the lesson is: don’t overthink—just breathe and go!

And that's exactly what I did on my next gig: Breathing first - talking later!

All the love

Marta