The You Project

Today (June 7, 2023) David wrote a fascinating article for substack.com titled 'Nicotine: The Free Will Assassin'. *An Insight into the Destructive Consequences of Smoking and Vaping, and the Uphill Battle Against Nicotine's Grip on Society. This episode is a chat about that and as always, it's great.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Samantha Gash is a corporate lawyer turned international endurance athlete, inspirational speaker and social change advocate, who you may have seen on seasons two and seven of Australian Survivor. Sam is a five-foot package of inspiration, courage, intellect and passion and I loved chatting with her. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bobby and I have been friends for decades and he's been on TYP many times talking about personal development, sociology, psychology and all-things human behaviour. But this episode is very different. We've chatted briefly (before) about him growing up in a violent, abusive and loveless home but this time, he opens the door wide and we discuss the numerous challenges of navigating life with brain damage, Tourette's, ADHD, learning difficulties, behavioural and emotional regulation issues, severe anxiety, trust issues and lots more. I know it sounds like a depressing conversation but I found it fascinating, educational, and ultimately, uplifting. Enjoy. theselfhelpantidote.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Scott Lyons is a recovering drama addict. And no, I'm not using that term as a metaphor or analogy. As a clinician, Scott describes himself (and many others) as having been (or still being) addicted to drama. Who knew it was a thing? Well, it is and this was a fascinating and different conversation that l'm sure will resonate with many. Who is Dr. Scott Lyons? He is a licensed holistic psychologist, educator and author of the book ‘Addicted to Drama: Healing Dependency on Crisis and Chaos in Yourself and Others.' Scott is a renowned body-based trauma expert, Doctor of Osteopathy Mind-Body Medicine specialist and has been featured in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, ForbesWomen, Fast Company, The Telegraph, The Guardian, INC., CNBC Make It, Fortune, Bustle, and Reader's Digest. And now, in what is clearly the pinnacle of his career, he drops by TYP Central to wax lyrical about the human condition. Enjoy. drscottlyons.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bart Walsh is a younger, smarter me. He is the head of fitness for Jetts (gyms) Australia and he's a deep-thinking, talented, interesting, interested, and inspirational young man, who has been through some serious sh*t and somehow, just keeps rolling on. I had no real expectations (good or bad) going into this chat because I knew very little about Bart, but it's fair to say I was impressed. I won't share any of his story here because I don't want to ruin the listen but I'm sure you'll enjoy it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our intended tech-talk with Patrick didn't eventuate, as our pre-show catch up turned into a 45-minute chat about his surprise recent illness, a hospital stay and some lightbulb moments and realisations to come from that experience. I know it sounds obvious and cheesy to suggest that kindness is powerful, healing and potentially transformational, but sometimes life has a way of reminding us, grounding us, and providing us with an attitude of gratitude that's easy to lose in the mayhem. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Planet Me, there's an absolute correlation between the quality of the questions I ask myself and others (solution-focused, intelligent, curious questions) and the quality of my subsequent decisions, actions, interactions and outcomes. In short, better questions produces better results. This episode is me riffing about that. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Different episodes resonate with different people, but from the almost 1,200 episodes of TYP that I've recorded, this conversation sits comfortably in my all-time top 5. I truly loved it and wish it could have gone for longer. In 1991, Shaka Senghor entered prison for committing second-degree murder. Today, he's a best-selling author, lecturer at universities, and leading voice on criminal justice reform. Raised in a middle-class neighbourhood on Detroit's east side during the height of the 1980s crack epidemic, Shaka was an honour roll student and a natural leader who dreamed of becoming a doctor.  But at age 11, his parents' marriage began to unravel. The beatings from his mother worsened, sending him on a downward spiral that saw him run away from home. On the streets, he quickly turned to drug dealing to survive, running crack houses and getting caught up in the hopelessness of the life that surrounded the epidemic. At 18, he was shot in an altercation in front of his home. By 19, he was in prison for murder, fuming with anger and despair. During his 19 years incarcerated- including seven in solitary confinement -Shaka began a journey of self-reflection, inspired by reading and writing as a means of understanding his past, his present, and his future potential. By embracing forgiveness, hope, and everything that's possible when you refuse to be defined by your past, he's become a leading voice on the potential inherent in us all when given support and a second chance. In the decade since his release, he's garnered awards and fellowships, lectured at universities, started and worked with non-profits seeking to lift people up, visited the White House, been interviewed by Trevor Noah and Oprah Winfrey, given award-winning TED talks, featured in a song with Nas, and tirelessly worked to help create the personal and societal change we need for a more inspired, just, fulfilling future. shakasenghor.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The other day I had the pleasure of joining Mark LeBusque on his poddy (Simply, Practically Human) and he wheeled out an assortment of my whiteboard lessons (from Insta) to unpack. Among other things, we spoke about being an Opsimath (it's a thing, you might be one), chest-beaters (and the quiet ones up the back), sharing a 'selfie' of your mind (versus your body), becoming aware of our conditioning and programming, the value of leaning into the uncertain, unfamiliar and unpredictable and of course, we covered all-things mind, self-awareness, self-regulation and self-optimisation. The Simply Practically Human PodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Training your mind. Herding Cats. Same. Same. Feels like, anyway. So much of how we manage our lives, is dependent on our ability to manage our mind and potentially, to train it to 'perform' better. And while there's no three-step plan or fail-proof protocol (of course), a lifetime of training my own mind and a career (four decades) of helping others do the same, has given me some insights that I believe are worth sharing. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.