A former international powerlifter, now highly sought after Human Behaviour and Performance Consultant, was joined by 350 people on Sunday 19th January in a collective bid to quash the Blue Monday concept.
West Belfast born Ciaran May, shared the stage with Annette Kelly of Little Penny Thoughts at the Europa Hotel, where they were joined by 350 guests, all eager to kick start 2025 with a sense of optimism rather than the frequently felt feeling of despair.
Ciaran comments:
“Blue Monday was a term created by a UK travel company in 2005 in a bid to encourage people to book a holiday! Since then it has evolved and companies from across every sector have tried to use it to their advantage. Whether it’s a local gym encouraging sign ups or a hotel advertising a self care package, individuals are almost encouraged to feel some level of hopelessness and depression.
“I am incredibly passionate about human connection and firmly believe that we, as humans, thrive in a community. You often hear it takes a village to raise a child and it’s that very mantra that shaped our Find Your Tribe event. We encouraged our guests to challenge what has become known as the most depressing time of the year and, instead, use it to create meaningful connections and relationships.
“In a world steered by technology and fuelled by social media – the growth of the Blue Monday concept being case and point – I wanted our guests to come away feeling a sense of belonging and genuine connection and event feedback points towards doing just that.”
Commenting on the event, attendee Anthony Kieran, Proprietor of The Regency Belfast said:
“As a business owner I am constantly seeking out opportunities where I can grow both on a professional and personal level. I’ve been part of Ciaran’s Natural Resilience movement for a while now and I knew the Find Your Tribe event was going to be as life affirming as everything else he puts his hand to!
“Ciaran delivered an outstanding 4 hour seminar that was undoubtedly the perfect tonic for the New Year. His exploration into the power of true networking, facing your fears and making the most of your time was nothing short of inspiring and I look forward to implementing his ideas and principles into my everyday practices and interactions.”
Also in attendance was Rob McConnell, CEO for ICC Belfast and Ulster Hall, who was joined by his son Tristan. Reflecting on the event, Rob commented:
“There were so many significant takeaways from this event. Using fables and proverbs, delivered in a way only Ciaran can, Ciaran explored and emphasised the importance of genuine connections and the value in giving over taking. He discussed the power of using your time in the best way possible and consistently striving to ‘play your best hand’ every week. It was a personal development masterclass!”
Alongside coordinating seminars akin to the scale of Find Your Tribe, Ciaran is the founder of Natural Resilience, the umbrella movement from which several communities have evolved. Natural Resilience was conceived in an attempt to establish and grow communities that promote self-discovery and connection with others.
Ciaran comments:
“As more and more individuals and companies begin to acknowledge the effectiveness of a
holistic approach to success and fulfilment, the demand to join our network and participate in
our events have grown rapidly. We currently have almost 200 members in our ‘The Knowing
Doing Gap’, a thriving online community that helps business owners, founders and
entrepreneurs connect, collaborate and, ultimately, grow towards their potential.”
Alongside ‘The Knowing Doing Gap’ platform, Ciaran also coordinates and delivers the Rising
Tide Network.
Ciaran continues:
“The entire ethos of our Rising Tide network is to challenge the traditional concept of networking
and motivate business owners to think beyond established norms.
“Our Rising Tide Network swaps the suit for the dry robe as 25 participants enjoy a guided sea
swim and post dip sauna, as well as a hot breakfast attended by two guest speakers. Because
more and more businesses are experiencing the benefits of adopting a much more progressive
and people-focused ethos, we’ve had to extend the network into locations outside of the
immediate Belfast area, including Ballygally and Moneymore.”
For further information on Ciaran and the Natural Resilience movement visit @naturalresilience_ on Instagram or Home – Natural Resilience.