You know a talk has really landed when pupils stop listening to your story and start thinking about their own.
That was one of my favourite parts of returning to King’s College School Wimbledon to deliver an inspirational talk on resilience.
The real reward wasn’t simply standing in front of the pupils and sharing my story. It was hearing them afterwards reflecting on what we had discussed, thinking about their own challenges, how they respond when things don’t go to plan, and what resilience actually means in their lives.
Because for me, that is the purpose of speaking.
My story might open the door, but it’s what people do with the message afterwards that really matters.
I talk a lot about resilience being a skill, not a trait. It isn’t something we are simply born with. It is something we can learn, practise and strengthen particularly when life throws something at us that we didn’t choose, expect or plan for.
Having experienced first-hand how dramatically life can change, I know that resilience isn’t about pretending everything is okay or simply “thinking positive”. It is about developing the skills to navigate pressure, setbacks, uncertainty and change and finding a way forward.
That is why I love speaking in schools.
The aim isn’t just to inspire pupils for the hour I’m with them. It is to give them practical ideas they can take away and apply to their own lives, whether they are facing academic pressure, disappointment, change, failure or simply one of those days when things don’t go according to plan.
Hearing young people reflect, question and apply those ideas to their own experiences is incredibly rewarding.
A huge thank you to Jim Reynolds for facilitating the session and creating such a great opportunity to engage with the pupils.
And it was awesome to see Liam Kane again too. Always great to catch up! 👊
Moments like this remind me exactly why I do what I do.
Because if a pupil walks away from a talk seeing a challenge slightly differently, feeling a little more capable of dealing with it, or recognising that resilience is something they can develop, then something worthwhile has happened.
Resilience isn’t who you are. It’s a skill you can build.
