The You Project

Hi Team, I'm tied up with PhD commitments today, so we’re revisiting one of my favourite episodes with Farmer Dave (David Graham). See you tomorrow with a new ep. *I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to this chat because unlike a lot of people, I knew virtually zero about farmer Dave (my bad) but what ensued, was an hour of captivating conversation with a bloke who’s had (and continues to have) a fascinating life. After years navigating all kinds of darkness and eventually finding his way into the light of happiness, purpose, love and connection, he’s now helping others do the same. A movie could literally be made about Dave’s journey. Here are a few snippets. He was in charge of feeding, cleaning and caring for twenty farm dogs when he was 3. He is the youngest of 11. Was an international model at 19. Grew up on 100,000 acre farm. ‘Came out’ on national television (Big Brother). Has travelled to more than 80 countries. Was crippled with depression and anxiety as a teenager. Is a father of five. Currently lives on his farm in the country with twenty-something dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, dwarf goats, alpacas, ducks, goose and a horse. Created RuffTRACK: a farm-based youth charity that protects kids, keeping them out of prison and up skilling them for a secure future (the story he shares around this is amazing), is an animal behaviourist, TV Presenter, speaker and good bloke doing good things. Enjoy. rufftrack.com@rufftrackSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this brief solo episode, I discuss a very simple but effective idea that I have incorporated into my day-to-day operating system over the last few weeks. It's free and for me, the benefits have been physical (I have more energy, I'm leaner, a little fitter and I'm sleeping better), cognitive (brain power, focus, clarity), emotional (I feel happier and calmer), practical (it's improved my efficiency) and professional (I've integrated the idea into the way I work). My specific protocol might not be for you but the general idea is transferrable across contexts, tasks and situations. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite being born without the lower half of his left leg, it didn't really occur to Don Elgin or his parents that he had a 'disability' until he was in high school. In fact, when he told his parents about a thing called the Paralympics - a big event called for people with disabilities - his dad told him in no uncertain terms that he didn't have one. Well three Paralympics, four World Championships and one Commonwealth Games later, we catch up with the one-legged bloke who doesn't have a disability. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does sugar really cause ADHD? The answer might surprise you. In this Episode of TYP, our resident exposer of bullsh*t, revealer of truth and all-round killjoy (David Gillespie) takes us on another rollicking ride into the world of nutritional deception, misinformation and dubious health tick endorsements by dubious organisations recommending junk food masquerading as nutrition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you don't already know, play therapy is a real thing. An actual evidence-based treatment protocol that's currently being used with children in a broad range of settings and with great success. Less pills, more monkey bars, I say (do monkey bars still exist?). This was a fascinating chat with Dr. Sam Casey about the power of play as a potential tool for the treatment and/or management of a broad range of psychological, sociological, emotional and behavioural issues and as l often do, I learned a lot in this chat. Enjoy. **Oh and BTW, Dr. Sam's natural talking speed is about 1.5 (she gets excited) so, you've been warned. You might need a coffee (lol).@drsamcaseySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Stedman wears a number of hats to cover his delightfully bald head; he's a resilience workshop facilitator for businesses and organisations looking to support their employees in challenging work environments, a men's behaviour change facilitator with a large nonprofit organisation working with domestic violence offenders, and he works one-on-one with people navigating grief and trauma through the Rural Fire Service. As someone who grew up in a household that revolved around his stepfather's violence and mother's heroin addiction, he draws deeply from his own experiences. *Warning: some people might find this conversation triggering. It wasn't an 'easy' or typical fun TYP chat, but it was definitely an important conversation, with important messages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 17, Matt De Gruchy was legally blind, morbidly obese (over 150kgs at 170cm), on numerous drugs, dealing with a rare disease, trying to survive crippling anxiety and depression, becoming more and more isolated and socially disconnected and understandably, hating (his version of) life. To say that he has turned it all around, is a massive understatement but as you'll hear in this episode, he is indeed an inspirational young man with a great vision doing amazing things and helping countless people. I loved this chat and I loved meeting Matt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retirement is an interesting idea. In our culture, it's seen as a good thing. A reward for decades of toil, work and sacrifice; the trophy at the end of the career marathon, with the idea being that our life will be better (and so will we) once we transcend the work phase of our existence. Without spoiling what's to come in this episode, I'm of the opinion that retirement is not arbitrarily 'good or bad' but I do think it's important to consider the 'when, how and why' behind our retirement and the potential physical, financial, emotional, social and psychological implications (good and bad) of what a post-work existence might be. My 'work' has never felt like a job, a slog, an anchor or something I want to escape. Over the decades, I have consciously created a paradigm that is (for me) an intersection of connection, fun, learning, unlearning, purpose, service, peaks, troughs, meeting awesome people, travel, sharing my passion, personal growth and making a few bucks. What I share here is not a recommendation but rather, a reflection. You might find something interesting in it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heston Russell has been through some horrible sh*t; physical, mental, emotional, personal and professional. Some of it he was highly trained for, some of it he wasn't. Some of it he chose, some of it he didn't. And while you might think his biggest challenges would have been as a Special Forces Officer in the middle of combat situations around the world, the reality is different. If you haven't watched the Channel 7 'Spotlight' doco that unpacks Heston's fascinating (and harrowing) journey to hell and back, I strongly suggest you do. I thought I’d share the channel 7 synopsis here because they did a great job. **With a proud lineage of military relatives, Heston Russell enlisted in the army at 17 and rose through the ranks to become a highly decorated officer with more than 10,000 hours of leadership in combat operations, including four combat deployments to Afghanistan and a fifth to Iraq to fight against ISIS. He proved fearless in battle, iron-willed in his personal convictions and prepared to put it all on the line. As a soldier, Russell led our troops into countless battles and when he retired, he kept fighting. He campaigned for the royal commission into veteran suicide, built charities for soldiers and even ran for a seat in the Queensland senate. But his toughest fight came several years after his discharge, when Russell became the target of a relentless attack launched by the investigations unit of the ABC alleging that he was the worst kind of soldier - leaving a trail of destruction in Afghanistan and involved in fraudulent behaviour back home. Russell's battleground this time: the Australian Federal Court, where he spent almost three years fending off the ABC's allegations of war crimes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just over four years ago, D'Andre Ricks was coming to the end of a lengthy prison sentence for selling drugs. Specifically, he went inside for being in possession of a kilo of cocaine. Today the guy who was fighting on the streets and involved in criminal activity from the age of twelve, is a dad (of three), a fiancé to Demi (hurry up and get married Mate), a business owner (Iron Monk Fitness), an Exercise Scientist (who topped his year at Uni), an Educator and one of the nicest blokes you'd ever meet. I loved him, so will you. @ironmonkfitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.