The You Project

But enough about my school reports. If this conversation could be represented on a map of Australia and our destination from Melbourne was Sydney, then Patrick and I drove to the Harbour Bridge via Perth. We eventually arrived at our intended verbal destination but only after we’d taken a swim at Cottesloe Beach. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These are questions that I have asked myself repeatedly over the years to find clarity, perspective, focus, meaning, momentum and purpose. They are questions which have helped me identify my reasons, goals, drivers and values and to build a corresponding operating system, in order to (hopefully) live an aligned, fulfilling and meaningful life. Sometimes I get it right. Sometimes not. If you're familiar with my work, you'll be familiar with most of the themes and ideas I explore but perhaps think of it as a repository of powerful questions which encapsulate my philosophy and might be valuable on your journey of self-discovery and personal empowerment. For your convenience, I will be posting a list of the questions on our TYP Facebook page. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diet. Who to believe? So many experts. So many claims. So much contradiction. So many agendas. So many pills, powders, potions, programs, and products. In this episode, Nutritionist Perry Venakis and I do our best to sort through some of the myths, madness, and mysteries of food.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a departure from the normal TYP fare, with zero personal development, self-help or human behaviour discussion. As the title suggests, Tiff and I explore the practical process of setting up a podcast for the purpose of sharing one's thoughts, passions and genius with the world. I've been asked hundreds of times for advice about creating a show, so from now on I'll simply direct those enquirers to this chat. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people do well with traditional meditation. I don't. I love it as an idea (and have recommended it) but for me, I find working out, nature and music to be much more calming, aligning and meditative. For some people it's a very effective tool in the old mind-management toolkit but not for me. Some people get great results by sitting down with a professional and talking about their problems but I don't. I like to work through things myself. I don't pretend there's not an issue or problem but for me, talking about the problem is (typically) not helpful. And it's not that I'm against meditation or therapy (of course), it's just different things work for different people. Not good or bad, right or wrong, just different. This is a chat with Dr. Lillian Nejad about all of that. drlilliannejad.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Cunningham from the Fit Shop is back on deck and this time we talk about staying (or getting) functional, strong and healthy as we head into our 'mature' years. Part of my health mission is to encourage and support people in improving their strength, fitness and physical performance (capacity) at an age when some 'experts' would advise anyone over fifty to "go gently and age gracefully" (whatever TF that means). Personally, I'm more a fan of the disgraceful approach to aging.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every so often, I hand over the question-asking responsibilities to my listeners and what transpired this time was some interesting (and diverse) topics and questions. I'll let you decide whether or not it is an interesting listening experience but nonetheless, I enjoyed it. *I'll remind you (as I always do) that this episode is not individual advice, direction, or prescription but rather, me sharing my thoughts, ideas and perspectives. If you need specific health advice (mental, physical and/or medical), see a relevant professional.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it a good idea to try to 'impress someone’ or can it lead to the opposite of what you were trying to create; disconnection not connection, less respect not more, a negative experience, not a positive one? To what extent can we 'be ourselves' in front of people, while still finding a way to connect with different personalities, expectations, communication styles, social groups and cultures? What causes me to 'feel a certain way' (good or bad) when you say a particular thing; is it the actual words or is it my interpretation of (and response to) those words? Is the experience of 'being offended' a personal reaction (created by me, for example) or is it the unavoidable outcome of your 'offensive words'? All this and more gets explored in this TYP chin-wag. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first fifteen minutes of this chat was strangely about our collective experience (David, Tiff and I) with recreational drugs. Let's just say that, as a group, we're not exactly party animals and underwhelming' might be the appropriate adjective. Having said that, Tiff has "pulled a few cones” (whatever that means) in her younger years, so there's that (lol). The more sophisticated part of the conversation focused on how sunscreen came into existence (it's only been around for 76 years), how effective it is (or isn't) for protecting us against cancer, the astounding increase in the incidence of melanoma despite a huge increase in awareness, education and sunscreen use and lots more. *Spoiler alert.. sunscreen isn't a scam (as such) but it might not be the magic pill we thought it was.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Daniel Ellenberg is back and of all our chats over the last few years, this is my favourite. I love how he thinks and explains, what can be complicated topics, in an uncomplicated manner. This time we talk about good and bad therapy, why 'talking about it' doesn't work for everyone, the idea of a 'self-audit' (what's my life telling me?), our capacity to change the way we think, our evolutionary need to be part of a group, the 'people-pleaser' virus, our ability and willingness to 'unlearn' and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.