Sometimes we need to listen to ourselves, too.

Sometimes we need to listen to ourselves, too.

World Mental Health Day 2026 - A personal reflection on grief, identity, community and finding a different direction.

Behind every business, every idea and every community are people. And behind those people are stories, challenges and experiences we don't always see.

This World Mental Health Day, I've been thinking about the importance of listening. Not just listening to others, but sometimes remembering to listen to ourselves.

And perhaps understanding that we're not always as okay as we tell ourselves we are.

Grief doesn't follow a timetable

Three years ago, within months of each other, I lost my mum and one of my best friends, Mike.

Two people who meant the world to me.

And looking back, I don't think I ever really stopped to grieve.

Instead, I threw myself into trying to save my previous business, Mashbo. A business I'd spent years building, a business I absolutely loved and one that had become such a big part of who I was.

I was so focused on trying to keep everything together that I forgot something pretty important.

I needed looking after, too.

There was always another challenge, another conversation, another problem to solve. I convinced myself I didn't have time to stop.

And then Mashbo came to an end.

Something I've come to recognise is that there was grief in that too.

Of course, losing a business isn't the same as losing my mum or Mike. But it was still a loss. I'd given so much of my life to Mashbo that it had become part of my identity.

People knew me as Gavin Mashbo.

So when that chapter ended, I wasn't just losing a business. I was losing a part of how I'd understood myself for years.

And perhaps I hadn't given myself enough time to process any of those losses.

What's really struck me this year is how much the grief of losing my mum has affected me. In fact, it's been stronger and hit me harder this year than at any point since losing her.

Three years on, and in some ways it feels more difficult, not less.

There's no simple explanation for that. Grief doesn't follow a straight line, and it certainly doesn't work to anybody else's timetable.

And this week, grief came knocking again.

We lost our cat, who had been an amazing part of my life for the last 20 years.

Twenty years of companionship, unconditional love and simply being there through so many different chapters of life.

Another loss, another reminder of how much the people and animals we love become part of who we are.

And perhaps all of this has made me realise something.

You can't just keep moving forward and expect grief to stay behind you.

Sometimes you need to stop, feel it, talk about it and give yourself permission not to be okay.

And that's something I'm still learning.

A different adventure, with no anchors

Fast forward to today, and I'm building GoodShip*.

I loved Mashbo, and I'll always be proud of what we built, the people, the experiences and the opportunities it created.

But I love GoodShip* even more.

Not because I've forgotten what came before, but because this is a very different adventure.

An adventure with no anchors holding us back.

There's a freedom in that. The freedom to try things, challenge the way things have always been done, bring good people together and create things that have genuine purpose.

And maybe, in some ways, this adventure has been a kind of therapy.

Not because keeping busy makes grief disappear, or because building another business is a substitute for looking after yourself.

It isn't.

But because I've started to understand more about what really matters to me, the people I want around me and the difference I want to make.

GoodShip* is a business, but it's also given me the opportunity to reconnect with the things I love. Creativity, curiosity, community, helping others and occasionally causing a little good trouble.

Perhaps, without even realising it at first, I've been rebuilding something in myself along the way.

Learning to listen, including to myself

This year's World Mental Health Day theme is "Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change."

And that really resonates with me.

We spend so much time talking about listening to customers, communities, partners and the people around us.

But how often do we genuinely listen to ourselves?

I've certainly not always been very good at it.

One thing that's different about GoodShip* is that we're becoming much more focused on why we do things, not just what we do.

We want to work with people and organisations who share our values. We want the things we create to have purpose, to make a difference and to leave a positive wake.

And we're getting better at saying no.

That might sound strange when you're trying to grow a business. Opportunities are opportunities, aren't they?

But not every opportunity is the right one.

Sometimes saying no is about understanding your own direction, recognising what matters and protecting the things you're trying to build.

It's also about protecting yourself and the people around you.

Maybe the experiences I've been through have made me more aware of the importance of having the right people on this voyage, the right purpose behind our work and the confidence to change direction when something doesn't feel right.

We don't need to chase every opportunity to prove we're moving forward.

Sometimes progress comes from knowing who you are, what matters and where you want to go.

And being comfortable enough to say no when something doesn't feel right.

People are the most important part of the voyage

Through GoodShip*, KinShip, AI Activator, AI & Tech for Good and our work with Liverpool Chamber, we're fortunate to spend time with some incredible people.

People with brilliant ideas, people facing challenges, people rebuilding confidence, people starting again and people trying to make things better for others.

And one thing I've learned is that you never really know what somebody else is carrying.

The confident person running the business might be struggling.

The person who's always helping others might need somebody to listen to them.

The person who appears to have everything under control might be holding things together by a thread.

I know I've been that person.

Sometimes the most valuable thing we can offer isn't advice, a solution or another opportunity.

It's our time, our understanding and the willingness to listen.

And that includes giving ourselves the same kindness we'd offer someone else.

The Hub of Hope, a project that means a lot to me

There's another reason World Mental Health Day has always been important to me.

The original Hub of Hope was created by the Mashbo team for the brilliant Liverpool charity Chasing the Stigma.

It was a project that meant a great deal to us.

The idea was simple but incredibly important. Make it easier for people to find mental health support when they need it, bringing together local and national services in one accessible place.

It was exactly the kind of work I loved doing at Mashbo. Using creativity and technology to solve a real human problem.

And it's the kind of work that continues to shape what we believe in at GoodShip* today.

I'm incredibly proud that Mashbo played a part in bringing that original platform to life, and it's wonderful to see how Chasing the Stigma has continued developing it and helping people across the UK.

It's a reminder that the things we create can go on making a difference long after our own involvement has ended.

And perhaps that's one of the most important measures of meaningful work.

Not simply what we build, but the positive impact it can continue to have on people's lives.

If you or somebody you know needs mental health support, please explore the Hub of Hope:

https://hubofhope.co.uk/

I'd also encourage everyone to explore the Mental Health Foundation's World Mental Health Day campaign, which includes resources to help us talk more openly and listen more effectively.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/world-mental-health-day

Thank you for listening

I don't pretend to have worked everything out.

Grief doesn't follow a timetable, and I know there are things I probably should have dealt with differently.

This year has been a reminder of that. Losing our cat this week, and feeling the loss of my mum more deeply than ever before, has made me realise that grief doesn't simply disappear because life moves forward.

But I also know that the experiences I've been through have shaped the way I'm approaching this next chapter.

Perhaps they've made me stronger in some ways. Perhaps more thoughtful in others. Certainly more focused on what really matters.

I don't want GoodShip* to be defined simply by how big it becomes, how much money it makes or how many projects we deliver.

I want it to be defined by the people we bring together, the doors we help open, the opportunities we create and the positive impact we leave behind.

And I want to enjoy the adventure along the way.

So, to everyone who's heard me out, really listened to me, challenged me, supported me, shared an idea, opened a door or helped shape GoodShip* into what it's becoming, thank you.

You probably don't realise just how much that means.

And to Mum, Mike and my cat, you'll always be part of my story.

Maybe that's what I've learned from all of this.

We can't always control what happens to us. We can't always avoid the difficult times, and we certainly can't navigate everything on our own.

But we can listen, learn, look after each other and choose the direction we travel next.

And sometimes, the person we most need to listen to is ourselves.

We give a ship* about people. And that includes ourselves.

Mental health isn't just a day of awareness. It matters every day, in our workplaces, our friendships, our families and our communities.

So don't let the conversation end when World Mental Health Day is over.

Keep on talking. Keep on listening. Keep looking after each other.