The You Project

Like the myriad of philosophers, psychologists, stoics, gurus, researchers and deep thinkers who have preceded him, Derek Sivers has been observing, analysing and explaining human thinking, human doing and human being, for years. He is an out-of-the-box thinker, and I loved our conversation. Derek is (and has been) a successful musician, entrepreneur, creative, author, speaker and philanthropist. Interestingly, these days Derek gives away pretty much everything he earns. Enjoy. *His best-selling book is called ‘How to Live: 27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion.’ sive.rsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The trouble with trying to understanding consciousness (and more broadly, the mind), is that we can't see it, touch it, measure it, or quantify it. And in a field which is largely quantitatively driven (science), the science of the consciousness, is a source of great debate, disagreement, divergence and let's be honest, confusion. How can we observe, analyse and measure a non-physical thing? I loved this chat with Professor Philip Goff, who is a world-renowned philosopher, author and consciousness researcher at Durham University, UK (England's 3rd oldest university), who spends most of his time trying to work out the ultimate nature of reality and other fascinating shit (that last bit is not in his bio). Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Hannah is back wrapping up our ten-part series on the brain. This time we talk about trying make sense of our busy brain and the ever-present challenge of trying to find some calm, clarity and focus in the middle of our overthinking mind. Enjoy. @nobullpsychSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, not a teetotaller and not an alcoholic but you still have a propensity to do dumb things with booze and wake up regularly feeling like complete shite? Well, you might just be a grey area drinker. Yep, it's a real thing. Sarah Rusbatch is a Grey Area Drinking Coach, Author and Key-Note speaker sharing her journey to sobriety and the impact of alcohol on mental health to global audiences. She is the face behind Perth's growing Alcohol-Free Movement, a brilliant communicator and a great storyteller. Even as a life-long non-drinker, I found this chat fascinating and insightful. Enjoy. sarahrusbatch.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We Earthlings have a propensity to do things that don’t work and for some reason, keep doing them; with our lifestyle, finances, health, relationships, personal habits, diet, social behaviour and more. And despite the overwhelming evidence that our current operating system is broken, we often stay in a pattern of thinking, choosing and doing that keeps us trapped in a prison of our own making. If that sounds like you, tune in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Elrington is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who recently introduced himself to me at the airport, informing me he was a listener (of TYP) and a fan. And now, after meeting him and hearing his music, I'm also a listener and a fan (of him and his music). I honestly believe Mike is an undiscovered musical gift to the world. He writes, sings and plays from the heart and is wildly talented. Chatting with him, I suspected there was an interesting back-story, a few life lessons, some laughter and tears and selfishly, a good podcast to be recorded. I was right and this is it. Enjoy. mikeelrington.com@mikeelringtonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a moment in this episode when the entire conversation came to an abrupt standstill because Patrick revealed something the world didn't need to know. I was literally left to fill dead air because he and Tiff lost their collective shit and left me hanging. Nonetheless, we didn't edit it out and it's definitely one of the funnier moments in TYP history. If you want to see the actual video footage, you can find it on my Insta. Apart from that shenanigans, we spoke about why EV's (electric vehicles) may not be the saviour we imagined, the potential therapeutic benefits for kids with ADHD using old-school typewriters, diesel generators powering electric charging stations in the outback (not even joking), a new fibre that can optionally cool or heat the wearer, a new treatment for hoarders, dating apps and ghosting, self-flying air-taxis (zero chance I'm getting in that), the one time Patrick kissed a girl and lots more. genesisfx.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food and I have always had an interesting relationship. And by interesting, I mean anything ranging from healthy to destructive. In this very-relevant (for many) conversation, Nutritionist Matty Lansdown and I discuss the myriad of psychological, emotional, physical and practical challenges of navigating life with anything ranging from disordered eating, all the way through to a life-threatening eating disorder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The other night on the news, there was a story about banning the 'beep test' from schools because it made (some) kids nervous and uncomfortable. Fear of physical discomfort. And comparison. And embarrassment. And anxiety. And while I (kind-of) get it, I also thought about how all those things (discomfort, embarrassment, comparison, fear, anxiety) also exist in the spheres of academic performance, exams, social media, sporting performance, school friendships, social groups and lots more. And for grown-ups (us ex-children), these things are an unavoidable pert of the human experience. If we constantly shield our kids from discomfort in all its forms, are we protecting them or taking away an opportunity to develop resilience, understanding, confidence and personal power? Of course, "it depends" is the right answer and yes, there are a myriad of variables but nonetheless, it’s worth considering. As an ex-fat (obese) kid, I truly understand the aversion to beep tests but at the same time, I think we need to find a way to help prepare our kids for a reality beyond childhood, where mum and dad aren't there to constantly make things comfortable, convenient and safe; a practical reality where life doesn't care about an individual's feelings, fear, discomfort, embarrassment, anxiety or results. It's not an easy fix (of course) but it's probably worth a chat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas Erikson is a speaker, educator, expert in human behaviour and one of the biggest selling Swedish authors of all time. While he has written six books, his biggest seller (Surrounded by Idiots) has sold somewhere in the ballpark of 8-10 million copies (he's not sure), been translated into almost sixty languages and sold in over 100 countries. This was a fun chat and I think you'll enjoy it. *Thomas's new book is called 'Surrounded by Energy Vampires: How to Slay the Time, Joy, and Soul Suckers in Your Life.' surroundedbyidiots.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.