Animated Living

IMAGINE

… knowing what your kids care about,

… having them listen to what you care about, then 

… doing something about it, together! 

That’s the dream of Susy Lee. 

Susy has just launched “Raising Kids Who Care”. Far from being full of platitudes and cliches, this book is jam packed full of practical ideas for 1) having great, enlightening conversations with kids AND 2) moving from caring ‘ideas’ to caring ’action’. 

Susy Lee is an educator, a passionate advocate for social justice and a skilled communicator. This podcast is a must, if wanting to see a more caring world is something close to your heart. 

As a young, blind, surfer, Derek Rabelo, had a "crazy" dream to surf the legendary 'Pipeline' in Hawaii. Achieving that goal thrust him onto the world stage (literally!). Since then Derek has gone on to surf feared big wave destinations such as Nazare, in Portugal. Derek will make you laugh, he will challenge and inspire you to achieve beyond what you could ever dream. Derek truly is living 'One Unstoppable Life'

Ian Freestone sits down with Andrew Ranucci (from Soul Life) and talks about his work in getting alongside pastors (in particular) to help nurture a ‘healthy soul’. Andrew’s insights don’t just work for pastors but for anyone looking to have a more fulfilling and life-giving life. 

We are made to do life together. That's been challenged during a global pandemic, but the truth still stands. We've all freshly appreciated the value of community, but what simple steps can we take to invest in our relationships. In this episode, Ian Freestone, outlines some practical but often overlooked strategies for relational health.

Leonie Klaric was sent to live in an orphanage with her 3 siblings, all under 5. Her transition to doing life beyond institutionalism was challenging and so, Leonie, at 21 years of age, found direction in life by beginning her own business. Many years later, Leonie is sharing her life lessons and helping others get their finances in order so that they can enter into financial freedom and live a more animated life. 

Shelley Taylor Smith is a champion - in more ways than one. A multi-world record holder, a feature in the Guinness Book of Records, and a pioneer leader for both women and swimming in world competition. During the early/mid 90s, Shelley was the most dominant sportsperson, over women and men, in open water swimming. She is a national icon; a living legend. 

But adversity has always been there alongside the wins. Not just the near death experiences of marathon swimming, but childhood scoliosis, death of her father in her teens, a paralysing injury, and a state of mental and physical exhaustion that brought her to the very edge of life itself. 

Shelley has faced recent hardship and, in this very special podcast episode Shelley openly discusses with Ian Freestone her battle with depression, the trauma of a family tragedy and the joy of doing life with others who have shown her what having a caring ‘team’ is all about.

Maggie Mackellar lost her husband and her mother in the space of a year. Hers is a story about grief, loss, recovery and reconnection - a full life reset. Maggie moved to her uncle’s farm with her two young children in rural NSW to recover, and began to write. Her memoir ‘When It Rains’ was hugely popular and led to a feature on Australian Story. Soon after she met a sheep farmer Jim (in an unusual way). In this very special Mothers Day themed podcast - Maggie and Ian Freestone talk about her incredible mother, and how suffering can offer up a surprising reset. We also talk about memoir writing and the value of putting pen to paper. 

“Adventure” is foundational to the Animated Life, but what are the critical components of a life-giving adventure? In this podcast episode Ian Freestone discusses the four criteria needed for a successful adventure and why adventure in life is so important. 

Join Ian Freestone and multi-award winning businessman, John Cunningham, as they explore how to grow a Life-Giving Business. Along the way they discuss questions such as, What the heck is happening in the property market? How do you lead a team during a time of rapid change and upheaval. How do you work remotely and build community at the same time? How do you get the “best” out of team members, rather than the “most”? What is the importance of “family” in value formation? What can a business do to become more socially responsible? How do you develop a service ethos in business? And ‘how can working in your comfort zone be a good thing?’

Business leader and mentor, Laura Kuimba, for a long time was leaving the house at 6am and getting back after 8pm. She describes her home as being a ‘bed and breakfast without the breakfast’. She decided with her husband that a ‘reset’ was required. For Laura, that began a journey of exploring her personal values and how she wanted to live in the world. The obstacles she identified and the questions she asked herself can unlock for you a fresh and more animated way of living  

Visit myanimatedlife.com/resources to access the accompanying resource: “30 Key Questions for a Reset”