AMY'S BLOG

Listening back to this week’s Focus on WHY episode 492 featuring Alison Maitland and Liz Walker , one theme rose to the surface: the liberating idea that being enough, exactly as you are, isn’t merely acceptable but vital for genuine leadership and a grounded sense of self.   Alison spoke openly about the significant challenges she has faced, including breast cancer, yet her instinct has always been to operate from a place of possibility. She wasn’t striving to become someone

This Sunday will be a day filled with celebration. Not only is is St. Andrew’s Day, it’s also my birthday!   How has it crept up on me so fast again? It only feels like yesterday I was in Rhode Island with my husband and cousins celebrating turning 50, wondering what the next decade might hold. Then suddenly another year has zoomed by. Instead of feeling startled, I’ve learned to treat my birthdays as gentle invitations to pause. Nothing overly serious, just a quiet moment to

Letting go can feel like an impossible ask. You’ve been taught, both subtly and openly, that certain hurts are better held onto or tucked neatly out of sight. You might not realise that releasing them could be the key to easing a lifetime of shame, resentment or grief. Listening to Dr Jane Lewis in Focus on WHY podcast episode 490 Forgiveness Heals Toxicity, you hear from someone who hasn’t only explored release as an idea, but lives its raw and human truth.   Letting go does

Rigour isn’t a word you’d usually connect with purpose, impact or wellbeing. It often suggests rules, discipline or even restriction. Yet when I recorded Focus on WHY Reflections with Actions episode 489 , I discovered a different truth: rigour is the steady thread running through every story of transformation, empowerment and meaningful change my guests shared.   You probably talk about philanthropy, entrepreneurship, leadership, health or money in emotional terms — instinct

Ever feel like you’re rushing around, getting loads done, yet somehow not moving forward? You’re not alone. Most people I coach aren’t stuck because they lack motivation or talent. It’s because, somewhere along the way, they’ve drifted away from their purpose.   That quiet feeling of restlessness, burnout or the sense that ‘something’s missing’? That’s what I call a purpose gap . It’s the space between your intention and your actual impact. The difference between what really

London Poppy Day this year took place yesterday on 30 October 2025. It’s the flagship fundraising event for the Royal British Legion’s annual appeal, bringing together over a thousand serving personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force alongside civilian volunteers at 70 train stations across the capital.   Being a Royal British Legion (RBL) poppy seller on London Poppy Day fills me with so much joy. The 12 hours I spent volunteering yesterday at London Br

Today marks exactly one year since the publication of my book, Focus on Why: Create a Purposeful Way of Life . It’s a milestone that invites reflection, not only on the book itself but on the themes that have shaped my life and work for as long as I can remember.   It’s no coincidence that my favourite book ( The Count of Monte Cristo ), my favourite film ( The Shawshank Redemption ) and Focus on Why , the book I wrote, all converge around the same core idea: that purpose and

Last weekend at the Professional Speaking Association’s annual summit, I witnessed what I can only describe as the most powerful and unforgettable talk I’ve ever experienced. Flight Lieutenant John Peters’ keynote, Tornado Down: Performance Under Pressure , was captivating, haunting and yet delivered with remarkable humour and humility. His story reached deep into the audience’s hearts, reminding us of the extraordinary strength of the human spirit when faced with unimaginabl