Baskets Of Knowledge

Close your eyes for a second and try to imagine that the first flight that you take to leave New Zealand, the country you have always lived in, is Bolivia! And you then spend next 7 weeks in the middle of the jungle caring for some of the worlds apex predators, this is what our guest this week speaks about. Before we even get to that adveture our guest Michaal Fox talke about how caring for the environment has always been something he has been passionate about. This has led him to being involved in exciting research projects during his study that firmed up his goal on studying for a PhD. Along the way Michael talks to us about his other passion which is working with young people and how that has been a strong part of his life so far. As we explore this journey Michael leaves us with one of the most profound pieces of knowledge to put into our Baskets of Knowledge. Have a listen to find out what this awesome piece of knowledge it is.

What does a super hero look like? Tane and Prajesh think that our guest this week is in a pretty strong place to be considered a superhero! Lauren speaks to us this week about how she has navigated life and study while balancing the curve balls Musculocontractural Ehlers Danlos Syndrome throws at her. Lauren calls herself "A small human with big dreams", and in this episode we touch on some of those dreams. We speak about the impact that she has made in advocating for students with a disability, she speaks about her passion for well being, her passion for being a community health worker, but more importantly on how she has not let her condition stop her from doing all the awesome things she has done. This is part 1 of conversation that you will not want to miss.

We live in a world where success is a narrative that is pushed on us. Whether it be being the fastest, the fittest, the smartest, the richest etc. It is a narrative that we are all too familiar with. This chase for success to be the fastest and the fittest is what led this week's guest down a path that nearly ended his life. Harry Averill speaks to us about how being diagnosed with anorexia not only saved his life, but also put him through some of the hardest and darkest times of his life. Through this episode Harry navigates his journey and how he has changed his perspective in life. Instead of chasing success everyday, look for happiness and that will enable you to live a more fulfilling life.

Harry has written a book about his journey which can be purchased at https://www.harryaverill.com/

Growing up in the small town of Fielding in the Manawatu and having parents what had never been to University Sam always had a passion and drive to enter the health care profession.This was clearly apparent when at school students were asked to bring in their favourite book/reading they had done as a year 9 and Sam brought in a book that details a very specific health process, whilst his peers brough in books like Harry Potter etc. This focus did not waiver when Sam did not get into Medical School after Health Science First Year, instead it allowed Sam to focus on other areas of interest. When he did get into Medical School a number of corridor conversations allowed him to explore various oppurtunities that have given him a skill set that is pretty special. Please enjoy listening to this episode with Dr Sam Grainger.

What do you get when you are raised in a familiy where education and standing for the rights others is a core value? You get a person who tries to avoid that life, but life knows better and leads you down the pathway of being involved in education, in politics and being a voice for students around the country as well as representing those around the world. Our guest this week, Ellen Dixon, describes herself as a creative metatheorist (someone who corrects incorrect or imbalanced social science theories) and has been elected in some amazing roles both nationally and internationally. However, at the end the day she is a fantastic human with an amazing story to tell.

Growing up on a farm our guest today has had to go through a number of life changes where he has been pushed out of his comfort zone. This started from leaving a tiny school in the country into an inner city urban school, followed up by leaving a very tight knit community to attend a University very far from his hometown, and a whole lot more! Our guest has used these changes to develop as a person and to realise that by engaging with all sorts of people he will experience immense growth. He also has an entrepreneurial spirit that sees him running two businesses. Check them out on www.pesttosociety.com and on Instagram @Np.thrift_

Growing up being a super active team sport person Sophia had a plan to be involved in the fitness/sporting industry, a conversation with her dad changed things up for her slightly. This one conversation has led Sophia down a path that she would not have imagined. It has presented her with oppurtunities and learnings that she has embraced and taken on board. She has started to share these learnings on her podcast "Chapter24podcast". Find her podcast on Spotify and give her a follow on @chapter24podcast

Today we reflect on the year it has been. Through 42 episodes there have been plenty of learnings, so we take this time to reset, reflect on success and the biggest takeaways the podcast has given us this year.

Growing up in a religious family, this weeks guest spent her formative education years being homeschooled. This presented both pros and cons for her as a young person. One of the key growths for her was her acute understanding of being aware. This awareness led her to challenge the religious dogma she grew up in, awareness on what really drove her as a person, awareness on how the path towards self destruction was not the life she wanted and finally awareness on taking on massive project at work that would accelerate her career growth. This episode has lots for everyone to learn from and relate to.