We like to think our memories are reliable, that they tell the truth about what really happened. But in reality, what we remember is shaped by how we felt, what we believed, and the lens we were looking through at the time. Our recollections are stories our minds create, not perfect recordings of the past.
Can we trust our own recollection of events?
Surprisingly, the answer is no.
What we remember is not the event itself, but our perception of it at that moment in time. Our mind stores that perception as fact, even though it’s only ever our interpretation, sometimes accurate, sometimes not.
In truth, our bodies and minds can hold very different memories of the same experience. Our mind might be rational and insist everything was fine, while our body carries a quiet unease that we try to ignore.
Or perhaps we were deeply affected by something that, in hindsight, was more benign than it felt at the time. The lens we were looking through shaped our experience.
When we revisit past events from our current perspective, we can see them with fresh eyes. As the younger version of ourselves, we often interpreted experiences through a lens of more limited understanding, shaped by our need for safety, love, and belonging.
As adults, we have the capacity to see those same moments with greater awareness and compassion, recognising what our younger selves couldn’t yet grasp. This new perspective can bring understanding, compassion, and often that long-awaited sense of closure.
“We can’t change what happened, but we can change how we relate to it.”
Bringing the past into the present
This is the essence of systemic coaching and constellation work, bringing the past into our awareness in the present, so we can unpack it and consciously choose the meaning we attach to it.
When we do this, we make the unconscious conscious, and loosen the grip those old stories have on us.
Grainne’s support made a remarkable difference to my
wellbeing. She helped me manage burnout during a crisis and provided
tools to make me feel resourced and supported.
Grainne has been instrumental in helping me balance my work
and home life more effectively. She gave me frameworks, offered thoughtful
questions, and relevant resources that helped me feel grounded while managing
competing priorities, making this balance not just achievable but sustainable.
‘Beyond Brainstorming: Unleashing Collaborative Innovation’ was a real game-changer for our team! Grainne McAnallen and Andrea Langlois created a space that went far beyond conventional ideation, guiding us through powerful techniques that shifted our perspectives and unlocked new levels of creativity towards a shared challenge.
Their unique approach, blending group dynamics with deep, purpose-driven exploration, helped us connect not just to ideas but to each other in a deeply transformative way.
We left the session feeling re-energized, together stronger, and equipped to tackle a challenge, and future challenges with fresh insight and innovative thinking.
This experience is a must for any team ready to take their collaboration to new heights.
My coach Grainne guides and nurtures all of me, as a leader and as a human being.
I am the co-lead of a team of 89 FTEs in Europe, going through an internal change process in Europe and I highly appreciate Grainne’s professional background. She knows what I am talking about when I tell her about the challenges in my leadership role.
Her powerful coaching enables me to look at my challenges from different angles. I love the unique mix of tools and methods Grainne brings to our sessions – always showing up with her heart and mind. She lives her values and her teachings. We structure my organigram, we put major topics or colleagues into constellations so that I can see more clearly where I stand thus being able to act in a more thought through way. Grainne guides me through Yoga Nidra sessions that empower me on stressful days. I particularly enjoy it when Grainne takes me on a visualization journey that enables me to go so much deeper and discover hidden solutions.
While the value of our work goes far beyond finances, the increased clarity, confidence, and effectiveness in my role have positively influenced my professional growth and long-term earning potential.
I communicate more clearly, manage challenges more calmly, and approach complex situations with a solutions-focused mindset. I understand people more and speak to them in terms they understand.
I feel less overwhelmed, more grounded, and better able to manage stress. Grainne’s approach helped me build resilience rather than simply pushing through pressure.
I highly recommend Grainne to anyone looking to develop
professionally while maintaining balance and wellbeing.
Grainne and Mark [Harrod]’s work with our senior leadership team at The Young Foundation created a genuinely safe and productive space for us to work on some of the key issues relating to culture and ways of working, both within the leadership team and more widely.
I can wholeheartedly recommend their approach, their professionalism, wisdom and empathy in this work.
Grainne skilfully helps individuals and teams tap into a hidden energy, resource, wisdom and power to reach new levels of productivity and performance.
She brings a wealth of her own knowledge, wisdom and techniques to resource the people she supports and does so with a calmness and energy that is always welcomed.
Grainne has a super style, she is an individual who puts individuals at ease whilst also being able to ask the questions which will open up both the individual and team thinking.
She also has an innate curiosity and therefore researched all the key information which would enable us to consider some key questions and get some key answers!
She is a skillful influencer as not everyone on the team was originally supportive of our approach but now recognise the value of the work we have done.
I think the proof is in our results, we have surpassed our wide ranging goals.
Personally I am truly grateful to Grainne for her support as initially I was the person driving this change, the great thing is that it is now owned by the team which speaks for itself.
