An Irrepressible Journey

February 19, 2020 Emma Collins

‘I sometimes feel we are sold a myth that we somehow download our purpose in our twenties and then work on that until we “achieve our dreams”,’ speaker, writer and coach Cathy Madavan shares with SPCK ahead of the launch of her new book, Irrepressible: 12 principles for a courageous, resilient and fulfilling life. ‘That’s not my experience,’ she continues, ‘generally, we unwrap our gifts and passions one step at a time; we probably build our purpose rather than suddenly discover it. So, I am still on that journey of discovery!’ Here, Cathy tells us a bit more about her journey towards writing and living, irrepressibly.

Cathy, your book is an open invitation to being irrepressible. What does being ‘irrepressible’ mean to you?

For me, being irrepressible is about having the capacity and flexibility to deal with life’s curve balls, but also to grab life’s opportunities with both hands. It is certainly not about having a perfect life or feeling like you’re nailing everything all the time! That’s unachievable, but if we know our values and make wise choices, we can often achieve more than we realize, despite the challenges we face.

The book is very much written in a way that will be accessible to people of all faiths or none. Can you explain a bit more about this decision?

My faith is extremely important to me and forms the basis of everything I write and speak about. But hopefully the principles in this book will apply in many spheres: in business, in leadership, in the home and in almost any area where we have influence. Everybody wants to live life in all its fullness, and I hope that God’s truth and values permeate the pages.

There are 12 principles explored in your book Irrepressible. Which would you say is your favourite?

Tough question! One of the most memorable chapters is called, ‘When the horse is dead, dismount!’ This principle considers how sometimes we need grit and persistence, but other times we just have to face facts: the horse is dead, the project is over, the season has passed – it is time to dismount! Most of us find endings hard, so I hope this chapter helps people to deal with those transitions.

And which of the 12 was (or indeed is!) the hardest to learn?

For me, the principle called, ‘Fill your own tank’ has been a steep learning curve. We all have a drain on our energy tank, where our resilience drips away due to the demands and busyness of life, and I have almost let my own tank run dry too often. This principle challenges us to learn how to fill up that tank with rhythms and behaviours that hopefully will also maintain healthy levels. We won’t ever be irrepressible if we’re running on empty.

What would you say to someone who wants to grow in resilience but just doesn’t know where to start?

I really hope this book will be a toolkit with principles that build resilience and courage in the reader. However, there is a specific chapter called, ‘Commit to resilience training’. My experience tells me that as we train to lift smaller weights well, we increase our capacity to lift heavier ones. Occasionally we are thrown a weight that feels too heavy to bear, and that’s OK to admit. I share the story of some of our heaviest and most challenging burdens in this book but, while life doesn’t always get easier, we can always get stronger. Not every opportunity will appear or every problem disappear when we want, but I believe it is still possible to build a fulfilling, courageous and irrepressible life that genuinely makes a difference.

This interview was originally printed in the Spring 2020 Edition of SPCK Today

Popular speaker and author Cathy Madavan deploys her trademark humour and down-to-earth wisdom to identify twelve ways we can become irrepressible.

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