The Mind Mate Podcast

Tony is the owner of Doherty’s Gyms around Australia, a highly sought after public speaker, interviewer, and media personality. Above all, he is a generous, humble and motivating individual. I love talking with him.  We head back into Tony's history including how he came from humble beginnings with a clear vision and how that vision became a reality, culminating in a befriending with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Together, they run the Arnold Classic Fitness Expo's. Tony's passion, pragmatic approach to life and positivity make me want to interview him regularly. Every time I leave having learnt a bit more about what it means to truly fulfil your potential in life. 

Siobhan Macleod (@siobhan_macleod) is opening a business! Coming early September, The Breathwork Shed uses a specific form of meditation (breathwork) to help people come to know themselves a little more personally, understand how things that have happened to them in the past have influenced their train of thought, behaviours and habits AND the best thing is, #theshed is a community of legends going through the process together. THIS WEEK’S PODCAST explored breathwork: What it is, how it works, what comes up, how you come to know yourself and how you can create a better life based on what you now know!

Stephen James "Steve" Moneghetti, AM, is an Australian long-distance runner and physical health consultant. Moneghetti has a degree in civil engineering, a graduate diploma in education and an honorary doctorate from the University of Ballarat. This was a legendary podcast and, believe it or not, we hardly spoke about his on-field performances! We got right into the philosophy/psychology of how to live life by finding your lane and sticking to it. 

Grant is a holistic psychotherapist and a member of the Australian Somatic Psychotherapy Association (ASPA). He has been a holistic educator and workshop facilitator for over 10 years. His focus is on the healing of the "traumatised soul", and holding the space that enables the safety and support necessary for change and growth to occur.  Head to http://www.consciouscounselling.com.au/ if you are keen to work with Grant :).

Born and bred in Melbourne, Adam is a fully qualified clinical psychotherapist. He owns Bayside Psychotherapy and publishes much of its content. He's been practicing in the Bayside area for 13 years. His main treatment orientation is psychoanalysis (Lacanian).   You can find more information about him here: https://www.baysidepsychotherapy.com You can find and subscribe to this podcast and all other Mind Mate podcasts in audio form via audio platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher etc.  Keep up to date with what's happening in my world through Instagram @tom.ahern or via my Facebook page /tom.ahern.life   Additionally, you can download a copy of my book 'Yes I'm fine, just tired' on kindle, audiobook or purchase a paperback copy through amazon by searching Tom Ahern and / or 'Yes I'm fine, just tired'.

My take on Carl Jung's insights, stepping into your future by becoming who you could be and reconciling with the past. Carl Jung said, “What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Herein lies the key to your earthly pursuits.” It’s so powerful when you, in the most productive sense of the expression, ‘let your mind wander’. And I mean really let it wander. Get rid of all the distractions that are disallowing it to go where it actually wants to go and you’ll learn a thing or two. Either those lessons will be difficult because they’ll reveal some potential truths that are difficult to come to terms with or — which is also just a liberating — they’ll bring to the table what underlay your conscious experience up until that point. I believe there is so much truth in the unconscious. We just have to remember to listen to it and the more disconnected we get, the harder that becomes. Harder, but not impossible and if it is harder, then it is all the more worthwhile. Yes, Carl Jung was right about me in that my “earthly pursuits” lay hidden beneath a pile of A4 paper, pens — ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’ and Microsoft word software but this personal realisation did not necessarily come about when I read what Mr Jung had to say. I knew writing was for me — and I really knew — when it saved my life. In ‘Yes I’m fine, just tired’, I spoke about my ten tools that truly helped me through that rough trot. Learning about anxiety and mental health disorders proved more than worthwhile but it was the learning through writing, about objective and subjective truths that proved to be the game changer. After a panic attack one night, my mum told me to write my thoughts down as a way to to come to an understanding about what the real, internal issues were and I never looked back. Things take time and I lied to myself, even on paper, for many months before I could stare truth in the face but the journey began with those first, written words. What did you do as a kid and what’s really helped you when life gets in the way? What did you learn? Maybe therein lies your “earthly pursuits”? Enjoy!

Will Balme is a writer, a football player, an introspective and wise young man with a heart full of gold, and avid contributor to Thick and Thin which is a player led initiative primarily focusing on: Creating awareness of men's mental health within the VAFA - The Victorian Amateur Football Association. This is round 2 with Balmey on The Mind Mate Podcast.

“I yelled out (on repeat mind you), ‘GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!' Dad wasn't too sure what to do but, like I said, his presence was all I needed. For those of you lucky enough never to have experienced a panic attack, let me paint a picture. Panic attacks make you feel like the world is going to end. Every physical sensation is preparing you for the worst and you are stuck in a constant state of worry. Panic attacks represent the most severe manifestation of high anxiety and, evolutionarily speaking, when you experience one your mind thinks you are about to die. It is evolution's best answer for keeping you alive and safe. Everything is telling you to vacate the premises because 'everything' thinks you're in peril danger. This is why they are so fucking unbearable. This is why it is true bravery going against what your anxiety is telling you. In a way, you're facing death.” THIS WEEK WE HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER FROM MY UPCOMING AUDIOBOOK - ‘YES I’M FINE, JUST TIRED’.  I was feeling generous and loved the feedback from last week’s episode so here’s chapter five, dearest mates.

This radical episode is very exciting for me to release! It is chapter four from my first book, 'Yes I'm Fine, Just Tired'. I am halfway through completing my audio book which should be available in under 15 days. This chapter, chapter 4 as you can already tell, is titled, "The most important moment in my life" and details my experiences with psychedelic mushrooms on Schoolies. Here is a snippet from the book. Enjoy mates!  "In terms of the actual trip itself, it wasn't the most insane I've heard of but considering the person I was back then and the repercussions that would befall me, it was a massive event. I was unaware how significant this experience was because I had no idea how dramatically my life would change in response to it. I now had a new heightened level of anxiety. I’d developed a phobia of being out of control. I succumbed to it after the whole experience yet I didn't realise that my general anxiety level had risen. I thought the experience was a one off and that would be that. In any case, it led me down a road of self discovery, new friendships and a more profound understanding of the struggles people face every day with various forms of mental health disorders. As a kid, I experienced worry and general slumps. We all did and still do today as adults. Nevertheless, the panic attacks that would follow and the OCD not yet considered; ghosts, stolen toys and mushrooms were only the beginning."

Sarah Florence is a weightlifter, CrossFitter, and founder of Mind Gold where she details and takes us along her journey in the physical and mental worlds; building the mindset of an athlete (something that can be formulated into all facets of life).  Sarah uses her story to help others but I think the best thing about her story is that she details it in a way purely to give back. There isn't any "me", "me", "me". She gives us the facts then speaks about what she learnt and how we can apply those lessons to our lives. We ALL have a story and the more we can reconcile the negative aspects of them—talking about them can help but there are many other ways too (meditation and solitude being some of those)—the more united we may become as a bunch of happy humans. This podcast has some really fantastic insights into the development of a mind that embraces the journey as opposed to the destination. The truth is, we are all going to die, we will never be fulfilled externally (can you beam with happiness by sitting along!?) and none of us have all the answers. I got heaps from chatting with Sarah. She's an absolute bloody legend, and someone who is exceptionally down to earth which is very inspiring for hairy old me over here. Enjoy the show mates!