We’re all imperfect. On this podcast, founder of The Resilience Project Hugh van Cuylenburg, his good friend Ryan Shelton, and only one of their brothers, Josh van Cuylenburg, talks to a variety of interesting people who vulnerably share their own struggles and imperfections, or expertly pass on their wisdom on the subject of imperfection. Whether it’s in The Vulnerabilitea House, The Academy of Imperfection, or with our very own psychologist, Dr Emily, The Imperfects are here to find some valuable takeaways we can all apply to our own imperfect lives.
Your values are perfect - according to our resident psychologist Dr. Emily Musgrove.
Although this sounds counter intuitive to what we usually say…it’s actually a beautiful place to start.
Figuring out what your values are, and where they come from can be a pretty intense experience. Lucky we have Dr Em to help, breaking down why they are important and how they can add purpose to your life. As she explains, our values work like a compass, and when used responsibly, can point us in the direction of the person we want to be.
Links mentioned in the episode:
🎧 Previous episodes of The Imperfects
Pat Cummins - Love, Loss & Life - https://link.chtbl.com/patcummins
The Academy of Imperfection - Ben Crowe - https://link.chtbl.com/bencrowepurpose
James Clear - Down The Habit Hole - https://link.chtbl.com/jamesclear
Chrissie Swan - Honesty - https://link.chtbl.com/chrissieswan
📺 Things to watch
Life of Brian “Individual” - https://bit.ly/4bLR74U
📖Steven Hayes books to read
A Liberated Mind - https://amzn.to/4bRIHJz
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - https://amzn.to/3Wp95ou
🛠️ Tools to use
The Resilience Project 6 month journal - https://bit.ly/3RUBke7
Steve Hayes’ research into values - https://bit.ly/4fhrsnU
📺 To watch the full episode on YouTube, click here: https://bit.ly/46795xC
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the ultimate power move, we interview Zan Rowe, ‘one of Australia’s best interviewers’. Talk about pressure.
Champion of the airwaves, TV presenter, music journalist and podcaster, Zan has soundtracked the lives of many Australians. In this episode of the Vulnerabilitea House, Zan draws the card; ‘how would your ambitions change if you only had one year to live?’
In between getting ‘death ready’ and facing burnout just when her professional dreams were all coming true, Zan and Hugh fan-girl hard for Johann Sebastian Bach.
You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/g-ABdHgMKyE
Links mentioned in this episode:
🎧 Previous episodes of the imperfects
📺 Things to watch
🎧 Things to listen to
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you ever made a really bad decision? Made a call that you couldn’t undo? It's a fear for many, and for others, living with the reality of a ‘roll of the dice’ gone wrong, is cause for great sadness, and discomfort.
But, there is wisdom in mistakes. And for Poh Ling Yeow, learning to own her bad decisions, meant she could move forward with empathy and acceptance.
A skill she's honed through a life of ‘magooing’ to her way onto our screens through Master Chef, into our kitchens through cookbooks, and very much into our hearts. (Ref. Mr. Magoo).
In fact, the level of maturity Poh is able to bring to so much of her life, is unlike anyone we’ve ever met before.
Links mentioned in this episode.
📺 Things to watch
🍽️ Things to cook
🎨 Art to see
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How does food affect our mood? Does diet actually impact our mental health? What is a gut micro-biome, and can we still eat a few chips without ruining it?
In this Academy of Imperfection episode, we are joined one of the worlds leading experts on the relationship between what we eat, and how it effects our mental health, Professor Felice Jacka.
And if can we trust anyone to get to the bottom of the vagus nerve ‘highway’; our hippocampus shrinking; our mitochondrial reaction to ultra-processed foods (don’t worry we didn’t know these words before either) - it’s her.
There was a lot to 'digest' in this chat (so to speak), but thankfully, there is so much we can do, by making informed choices about what we put in our bodies, to improve our mental health.
See below for links & research mentioned in this episode, information on Felice and her work and extra resources:
📖 Things to read
🎧 previous Imperfects Episodes mentioned in this episode:
This episode with Professor Felice Jacka includes a discussion about disordered eating. If this feels like too much for you right now, please come back to this episode when you're feeling ready.
If you or someone you love is experiencing disordered eating, we recommend the following organisations:
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Last season we met Chanel Contos from Teach Us Consent and we were completely blown away by her courage and the work she's taking on. So much so, that within minutes of Hugh opening and reading Chanel’s book, “Consent Laid Bare”, he had nominated her for Australian of The Year.
In this snippet from the full episode, Hugh, Ryan, Josh and Chanel discuss the normalised and systemic nature of sexual violence against women and the pervasive issue of rape culture; including what it is and how we can all take steps to dismantle it.
To learn more about Chanel, her work and the Teach Us Consent campaign, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3QVhlK0
🎧 Things to listen to
📖 Things to read
Consent Laid Bare - https://bit.ly/40Z0Xgh
To view a version of the 'rape culture pyramid' - https://bit.ly/49XPFgh
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What would it feel like to have the very thing that mad you great - your body, strength and co-ordination - slowly and painfully taken away from you?
As a swimmer, Michael Klim was on top of the world - he was literally ‘World Swimmer of the Year’. Trips to the Olympics, medals of every colour, 21 world records AND his face on the cover of a Foo Fighters Album, Michael really did have it all.
However, in 2022 Michael was diagnosed with a life changing condition, wherein your body attacks it’s own tissue - chronic inflammatory demyelination polyneuropathy (CIDP).
In this episode, Hugh, Ryan and Josh chat to Michael about his equally impressive life out of the pool, and how his CIDP diagnosis has taught him a lot about identity, grief and relationships.
In 2023, Michael partnered with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to help raise awareness for the vital role blood donation plays in not just his life, but the 1 in 3 Australians who will need blood products in their lifetime. To help recipients like Michael and countless others book a blood donation here. https://bit.ly/4c8Z6tN
To watch the full episode on YouTube, follow this link. https://bit.ly/3RHPUoi
Links mentioned in the episode and extra resources:
📺 Things to watch
🎧 Previous Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode:
📖 Things to read
⛑️ To support
🎧 Things to listen to:
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you have boundaries? Have you ever crossed someone else’s boundaries? How would you react if someone crossed yours? It is WAY easier to ignore it. Avoiding potential conflict and awkwardness is second nature to most of us. For those of us with people-pleasing tendencies, telling someone they have violated a boundary can be an acute version of living hell.
Luckily for us, our resident psychologist Dr. Emily is here to help us navigate what a healthy boundary looks, feels and sounds like. And why understanding, implementing and protecting heathy boundaries is good for all of us...even if it does feel a little awkward.
Links mentioned in the episode and extra resources:
🎧 Previous episode of The Imperfects
📱 Things to follow
📖 Things to read
📺 Things to watch
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not a life sentence, as Rick Davies so eloquently tells Hugh and Josh in this episode of The Imperfix. Best known as Jimmy from the TV show 'Offspring', Rick is unbelievably vulnerable in sharing his story with OCD - from the awkward and painful compulsions, to the relief of a diagnosis at 18 years old.
Here Rick share's how he was inspired by the trailblazing work of Penny Moodie and talks through finding peace and happiness amidst the torment.
🎧 Things to listen to
📖 Things to read
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From being ‘canceled’, to alcoholism and post-natal depression, Yumi Stynes knows how to get vulnerable in the Vulnerabilitea House.
Starting as a magnetic, music presenter on Channel V, Yumi’s career spans more than 20 years on our screens, on the radio, or in the very successful books she’s written. However as she shares with Hugh, Ryan and Josh, there were times when the phone simply didn't ring and her career felt like it was at a stand-still.
In this episode, Yumi shares stories from her childhood, from feelings of isolation; to being the victim of racism in 1980s Swan Hill; we discuss the loss of her father and how that experience shaped her perspective on life; to what it was actually like being 'cancelled' and the role friendship played in her lowest moments; above all, Yumi tells us of her struggles with alcohol, and how her decision to quit transformed her life.
So buckle up for a big one! We know you’ll love this chat as much as we did!
📖 Things to read
📺 Things to watch
⛑️ For help & support with post natal depression
⛑️ For help & support with alcohol abuse
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Unfortunately, we all know what bad leadership looks like, for many of us, it doesn’t take long to think of examples…but what does it actually take to be a ‘good leader’?
This week in the Academy of Imperfection, Hugh, Ryan and Josh are joined by a legend of the sport, former rugby league player and current coach of the Queensland Maroons, Billy Slater. Billy has been called the best fullback ever to have played the game. As a player, he’s won more awards than we could possibly list. As a coach and a leader, he is nothing short of inspiring.
In this episode, Billy talks about leadership, coaching and how he approaches it. He shares how playing to your strengths can actually be more beneficial than lingering on weaknesses; he discusses how sometimes, good leadership requires ‘letting go’; and he shares why he spends so much time creating feelings and moments for his players, reminding them that what they’re trying to achieve is something bigger than themselves.
You can watch the full episode with Billy on youtube here. https://bit.ly/4c45lih
Links mentioned in the episode and extra resources:
📖 Things to read
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How kind is your inner voice? What does it say to you when your with friends, having family dinner, at work, when you mistakes, or, when you look in the mirror?
We all have an inner critic and for lots of us, that voice can be loud and relentless - holding us back from thriving, from living the life we want to live and being the person we want to be.
In this episode of the IMPERFIX, we jump back into an episode with Dr Em and get up close and personal with ‘our inner critics’.
In this snippet we explore the role of the inner critic, what’s its purpose? How can we learn to live with, and maybe even befriend it.
To listen to this full episode with Dr. Em, follow this link: https://link.chtbl.com/Innercritic
Links mentioned in the episode:
📺 Things to watch
📖 Things to read
The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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