Are You Ready to Shift Your Mindset About Failure?

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“Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey

What if failure wasn’t something to fear, avoid, or resist?

Imagine how different your life might be if you stopped seeing failure as a sign to quit and started seeing it as feedback for growth.

Many of us spend so much energy trying to avoid failure that we never fully embrace opportunities that could transform our lives. Yet, as the saying goes, what you resist persists.

So, what if you were open to a mindset shift?

Consider these perspectives:

  • Every failure contains a lesson and an opportunity to adapt.
  • Failure is often the foundation upon which growth is built.
  • The faster we learn from our failures, the faster we move toward success.
  • Failure happens  for us, not to us.

When we reframe failure, we begin to see it as part of the journey rather than evidence that we’re not capable.

As Eleanor Roosevelt wisely said:

“Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence.”

Growth requires courage. Courage requires risk. And risk sometimes results in failure.

But perhaps failure isn’t the opposite of success.

Perhaps it’s part of it.

💭 I’d love to hear your thoughts:

Ann McGarry chats with Mairead Robinson – Let’s Talk Books – Senior Times Podcast

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I was delighted to be invited to join Mairead Robinson on her podcast Let’s Talk Books – Senior Times and introduce “On Camino Once More: 7 Keys to Embrace the Freedom of Joy to her audience.  See Podcast link below.

https://soundcloud.com/user-682413562-561358898/lets-tal k-book-with-mairead?utm_source=clipboard&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fuser-682413562-561358898%252Flets-talk-book-with-mairead

A few tips for those interested in undertaking Caminos de Santiago de Compostela

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A few tips for those interested in undertaking Caminos de Santiago de Compostela. 

No. 1 Choose the route that is most suited to your needs.

The following are some key considerations.

  • Decide which route to take having dipped into guidebooks and maps/trails.
    • The difficult of the trail is something worth considering here.
    • What time of the year do you intend to walk?
      • Summer months can be extremely busy particularly on the French Camino which is the most popular trail.
      • Early in the year and also late in the year can have inclement weather conditions and also less hours of daylight.
    • Jean Pied De Port, Portuguese Inland or Coastal, English, Northern, Coastal and Primitivo. Other start must further afield.
  • Consider whether you will undertake a full route camino or just a section/stage of it. For example, the French Camino is nearly 800 kms versus the last stage of this Camino is from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela which is just over 100km.

Perhaps you have time constraints so rather than take on the full Camino you might decide to walk just a stage at a time – returning a number of times to complete it entirely.

 

No 2 Your Physical fitness

  • When it comes to walking Camino’s knowing your physical fitness helps.
    • I know that the distances I walk now versus when I started walking Caminos in 2014 differs greatly. I am comfortable with up to 15km these days. So know your limit.
  • Walking consecutive days is quite different to just going for a walk a couple of days a week or just doing 30 minutes a day.
    • Use your guidebooks and maps to suss out the terrain and the difficulty of a particular stage or section and make adjustments accordingly.
    • Walk with backpack or sent luggage forward.
      • When it comes to carrying your backpack be sensible about it. Obviously keep it as light as possible goes without saying.
      • Another thing to consider is there is a facility to send your luggage forward with a transfer luggage taxi service. Some purists shun this. If it comes down to completing your camino or not because of stress of carrying a backpack, I know what wins out. I have tried both ways. I believe sense needs to prevail here.

 

No. 3 Backpack

  • Keep it light and cater for the time of year.
  • Pack essential first aid. Include Comped or equivalent plasters are invaluable and can aid a lot of blister discomfort.
  • Socks – buy socks with a combination of mixed material. All cotton while light can retain moisture and lead to blisters which can severely limit your walking and comfort.
  • Absolutely essential is investing in good quality footwear – shoes or boots depending on the weather/terrain. Remember to bring another pair of shoes for the evening so your feet can relax and breathe after your day’s trek.
  • Mobile charger – have your mobile fully charged when staring out every day.

 

No. 4 Booking Accommodation

  • If you are on your one or with friends, you will need to book accommodation. The advice here is not to book too far ahead in advance until you get to grips with walking and know with confidence that you will be able to reach your target destination at the end of each days walking.

 

No. 5 Joining tour companies, friends or walking solo.

  • Going with tour companies – they will arrange your accommodation and provide other services such as backpack transport and emergency backup. Just remember that with most of these companies all the routes are self-guided.
  • If you have come on Camino with friends just a reminder that you may not walk at the same pace. You might start off walking with them in the morning, but with your different pace you may not always be walking with them. Also, there may be days or sections that you may want to walk alone or have sometime on your own. It is important to keep this in mind. So, having an upfront discussion before undertaking a Camino might prove beneficial.

 

No. 6 Enjoy your Camino

  • Walking in nature is wonderfully peaceful
  • Listen to nature – let it talk to you on your trails
  • Reflection is a natural part of a Camino and it is good.

 

Buen Camino

An Alignment Check

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This afternoon while relaxing on the couch my mind got to thinking about my activities/projects so far this year and how aligned or otherwise, they were in Astrology with the Chinese year 2026, the Horse. I was nudged to check this out with AI – a novice attempt for me.

I hope that what follows below  might spark your interest in checking your alignment with the Horse Energy  of 2026/27.

The main themes for me in 2026  to date are

  • The launch of my latest book – 28th May 2026-

(Note: I did not enter the title of my book into the AI Query)

  • Planning to Walk the beginning section of the French Camino over the Pyrenes – because in all the Caminos I have done to date – I have not attempting the start section in France over the Pyrenes and into Spain.
  • Redesigning my website
  • Refining in business offering in Seminars, Retreats and Coaching to the Retirement Phase of Life.

The results presented were as follows:

The Horse is traditionally associated with movement, independence, adventure, visibility, personal freedom, communication, and taking decisive action. The year favours momentum over hesitation and experience over theory.

The alignments revealed –

  1. Launching Your Latest Book

Fits strongly with Horse energy as the Horse is associated with:

  • Public visibility
  • Sharing ideas widely
  • Personal expression
  • Inspiring others through experience

Publishing a book is not only the completion of a creative cycle but also the beginning of a journey for the ideas themselves. Horse years often favour projects that “travel” beyond the creator, reaching new audiences and creating movement in people’s thinking.

Theme: Taking your accumulated wisdom and sending it out into the world.

  1. Walking the French Camino Through the Pyrenees

This may be one of the most literal expressions of Horse symbolism.

Horse energy is strongly connected to:

  • Travel
  • Pilgrimage
  • Exploration
  • Freedom
  • Physical movement
  • Personal transformation through experience

The Camino is not simply a walk; it is a journey of meaning. The Horse archetype values learning through direct experience rather than remaining stationary.

Theme: Forward movement, both physical and spiritual.

  1. Changing House

Horse years frequently coincide with shifts in environment. The Horse dislikes stagnation and often seeks:

  • New horizons
  • Fresh perspectives
  • Greater freedom
  • Better alignment between lifestyle and purpose

A house move can symbolize shedding an old chapter and creating a base that better supports the next phase of life.

Theme: Creating space for the future rather than maintaining the past.

  1. Redesigning Your Website

This is another strong Horse alignment – socially oriented and connected with:

  • Communication
  • Visibility
  • Outreach
  • Personal branding
  • Expanding influence

A website redesign is essentially creating a more effective vehicle for connecting with people and sharing your message.

Theme: Refining how your purpose is presented to the world.

  1. Delivering Seminars and Retreats

This is perhaps one of the strongest resonances. Horse energy thrives in:

  • Teaching
  • Speaking
  • Leading groups
  • Inspiring others
  • Bringing people together around a shared experience

Retreats and seminars create movement in other people’s lives, which is very much a Horse quality. The Horse is less concerned with abstract knowledge and more interested in helping people take action.

Theme: Guiding others into new territory.

  1. Coaching People Through Retirement and the Next Life Phase

This is particularly interesting because it combines Horse energy with the wisdom of maturity.

Retirement is often misunderstood as an ending. The Horse archetype would frame it differently:

  • A new journey rather than a conclusion
  • Freedom rather than withdrawal
  • Exploration rather than limitation
  • Purpose beyond conventional work

Your focus appears to be helping people navigate a major life transition with intention and meaning. That aligns well with the Horse’s role as a guide into new landscapes.

Theme: Helping others ride into their next chapter rather than retire from life.

The Bigger Pattern

When I step back and look at everything together, I see a common thread:

Activity Underlying Theme
Book launch Sharing wisdom
Camino pilgrimage Personal journey
House move New foundation
Website redesign Renewed visibility
Seminars & retreats Leadership and influence
Retirement coaching Guiding transitions

The common denominator is movement toward a new stage of life while helping others do the same.

That is remarkably consistent with Horse symbolism.

The Horse is not primarily about accumulation; it is about progression. Your projects are less about building something static and more about:

  • Expanding reach
  • Deepening purpose
  • Embracing freedom
  • Traveling physically and psychologically
  • Guiding others through transition

In that sense, what you’ve described feels less like a collection of separate projects and more like a coherent shift into a role of guide, teacher, traveller, and mentor.

From a symbolic perspective, the strongest Horse message in your year so far appears to be:

“Move forward with purpose, share what you know, and help others navigate the journey into their own next chapter.”

 

09/06/2026

 

Where I usually find inspirations for new book ideas?

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Where do you usually find inspirations for new ideas?

Let me begin by saying that my life purpose is deeply important to me. A few years ago, I felt a growing sense of frustration because I knew I was not fully aligned with that purpose. Although I was successfully running training programmes, coaching, and supporting clients, I sensed that something was still missing.

Through meditation and reflection, I gained the clarity to redirect the focus of my work toward the retirement phase of life — or what I prefer to call the Third Act. During this time, I was also given the image of the “3Cs” in meditation. This became the first inspiration for writing about retirement and developing a personal growth model centred around three essential elements for living authentically in retirement and aligning more fully with the True Self.

Walking Camino has been a regular and meaningful part of my life since 2014. While walking the Camino in 2022 and listening to the quiet whispers of nature along the trails, the ideas behind my self-development model began to deepen and take root. The 3Cs — Conscious Presence (present moment awareness), Connections (the relationships in our lives), and Contribution (the legacy we leave behind) — became the foundation of this work. During that particular Camino journey, I received great clarity and direction for my second book, Power of W: Women Thriving in Their Third Act.

Since then, and especially with my third book, On Camino Once More: 7 Keys to Embrace the Freedom of Joy, I have moved into even greater alignment with my True Self. The lessons and insights I have received on Camino have naturally found their way into the pages of this book. As an added blessing, I have now developed programmes, seminars, and a coaching practice specifically focused on supporting clients as they transition successfully into this significant and transformative stage of life.

To conclude, meditation and walking Camino remain my most trusted practices for inspiration, clarity, and creative insight.

Ann McGarry 24 May 2026