Better Than Yesterday with Osher Günsberg

Matthew Mitcham is a retired Olympic Diver who has a life full of firsts. He’s the first openly gay athlete to ever win an Olympic gold medal, winning that gold medal with the highest-ever single dive score in Olympic History. 

While his career was incredibly high profile, and he indeed achieved dominance in his sport - it was what happened out of the pool that has in my opinion shaped the wonderful man who came over to our apartment this week. 

Matthew wrote a memoir in 2012 called “Twists and Turns”, and is currently topping off a linguistics degree as he grows into a superb cabaret performer. 

He’s got a show coming up this week in Sydney - 

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

with Matthew Mitcham

Saturday 27 October, 7pm

Bondi Pavilion Theatre

http://www.bonditheatrecompany.com.au/shows/up-close-and-personal

This conversation talks a bit about diving. 

A bit about sexuality, and a LOT about addiction and recovery. 

There’s quite a bit of stuff in here that might trigger you if you or someone you know has a history of crystal meth use - and if you need someone to talk to in Australia please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or reach out to the crisis counselling service in your area.

Speaking of reaching out. 

In this conversation Matthew and I speak a lot about meetings. The meetings are everywhere, they’re not hard to find, and if you need help, and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to not need to drink or use again, you’ll find what you need in those meetings. I can’t recommend them enough. 

If you’ve never had a problem with drinking or using - I hope this conversation gives you a window into what life can be like in recovery, and the daily work that can happen so that life doesn’t need to be a repetitive downward spiral heading to the foregone conclusion of institution, hospitalisation or incarceration, or worse. 

That’s not the chirpiest intro I’ve done - but this is a solid chat with a guy that’s got some solid time, it was good to talk about recovery this way. 

You can find Matthew on twitter he’s @matthew_mitcham and instagram @MatthewMitcham88- let him know you heard him here, and enjoy this conversation with Matthew Mitcham. 

That was he’s on Twitter @matthew_mitcham and instagram @MatthewMitcham88- let him know you heard him here

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Emma Roche is an Australian author and whole-food plant-based food advocate who lives year-round in Belgium. 

You can find her on instagram @plantplate

I’m very aware of the privilege that I have as a white, male, middle class guy that I can afford to live a plant-based life. 

Indeed at times in my life I have definitely gone overboard and bought the $20 jar of organic virgin dirt single origin solar-powered peanut butter.

However it doesn’t have to be like that. 

And lately I’ve been getting more and more frugal about how I feed myself to live this way, and you know what - chickpeas are cheap. Rice is cheap. Veggies are cheap. 

It doesn’t have to be a Gwennyth Paltrow $470 a week for one person grocery bill. It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. 

This is where Emma Roche comes in. 

She’s written a couple of brilliant books about living a whole-food plant based life on a budget. In fact they do what they say on the box 

“Whole Food Plant Based on $5 a day” is the book I first found, and it spread the message that you can feed yourself and your family well, and cheaply, on less than $50 a week per person - which is a pretty excellent price point if you ask me. Her books are available at plantplate.com

If you’re new to the idea of eating this way, or you’ve been curious about it but don’t know how to make the first steps away from the food you grew up knowing, or you're befuddled at the $10 macrobiotic sprouted tempeh that you think you need to put in each meal - this episode is for you. 

A warning, if you haven’t eaten yet and you’re listening to this on an empty stomach, you’ll want to cook something delicious today I can guarantee it. 

Emma’s a great chat, and we caught up over Skype from her home in Europe. Enjoy this conversation with Emma Roche.  

Until we speak next time, do what you can where you are with what you have, and urge those in power to do the right thing. 

Our Prime Minister’s number is:

Telephone:

(02) 6277 7700

Fax:

(02) 6273 4100

Angus Taylor the Minister for Energy is 

Phone: (02) 6277 7710

And Melissa Price, Minister for the Environment is at 

Ph:  (02) 6277 4242

It’s up to us my friends. 

You can’t do everything, you can’t do nothing, but you can do something. 

So let’s do it.

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Jarrad Seng is an Australian photographer, videographer, artist and former contestant on the toughest game on the planet - Survivor. 

I’m very aware that as a white, straight, male, middle class person - that I was always seeing people that looked like me not only in the world but also on TV. 

Jarrad didn’t have that. 

With a mum from Christmas Island and a Dad from Malaysia - the phrase ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ was very real for him growing up in Western Australia. 

Today we speak about what life was like growing up where he did - his path to becoming a professional photographer, and indeed what affect instagram is having on us as a society. 

Then somewhere around the 1/2 way mark we start talking about Survivor. 

If you don’t know what survivor is - as far as I’m concerned it’s probably the greatest game invented by people. 

Part hunger-games, part battle of the minds, it’s an incredible exploration to the nature of humans in the face of adversity. If you’ve never watched an episode - it’s more than just shirtless dudes throwing coconuts through a hoop - it’s so much more. It’s like the hardest game of chess you can imagine, combined with the back-channeling and politics of a climate-summit, mixed with the toughest crossfit class you’ve ever taken, while living in the outdoors in a way that would make Bear Grylls wish for a sleeping bag. 

I’m grateful that Jarrad made the time to come on the podcast, and since we recorded this - we’ve both attended the finale show - and let me tell you, it’s going to blow the roof off when you see who wins. 

So without any further delay, come to a hotel room in Sydney where my family is living while the bathrooms in our apartment are being renovated, and enjoy this conversation with Jarrad Seng.

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I’m sad today. 

Because even though Wayne Coyne from the flaming lips tells us that everyone we know someday will die, it’s still tough when they do. 

Over the weekend my friend, Disability Advocate, Author, Playwright, director, producer, actor and multiple podcast guest Quentin Kenihan passed away. 

He was 43. 

He was also a man that had been told he’s not going to live to see his next birthday since he was a child. 

Anyone that knew him will know what a titan he was. 

I am so very sad that he is gone. 

He and I met in 2003 when we were still recording Australian Idol, before an episode had even aired - and he helped me understand what life in the public eye worked like.

We stayed close through the up times and were there for each other over and over on the dark times.

For all the late night phone calls, Skype and FaceTime across the planet, I’m grateful we were there to support each other as we navigated this journey.

The presence and joy he had in every breath he took was always evident, even when he had to start using an Oxygen generator to take those breaths. 

I’ve never known anyone to truly live every day with the joy and deliberate purpose as you, but when you’ve been told that you won’t live another year every year since you were a kid - I guess life becomes immediate quickly.

His fierce independence, his tenacious drive and his incredible creativity will stay with me forever.

He touched many people. 

I’m grateful that I had a front row seat to his world, and that Audrey was indeed able to share some of those times too - I’m glad she got to know him as I did.

Here’s the first time I had Quentin on my podcast, back in episode 21. 

I’ll miss you Q.

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I am so excited to be sharing my conversation with Susan David with you. 

Her book "emotional agility” was one of the books I devoured in the first few months of coming off of meds, as I tried to learn more about my head and about what’s going on when I get triggered with panic or rumination. 

The wide angle view of Susan’s work is that discomfort or indeed uncomfortable feelings is the price of admission to a meaningful life. 

When I first saw her Ted Talk, “The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage" which has well over 3 Million Views by now - this was like a revelation to me. 

I say to Audrey all the time - I have these moments where it’s like we’ve hit the “release” button on the pressure cooker - just one small string of words or an idea can free me from the swirling vortex of rumination. 

And when I first heard Susan’s hypothesis, this was like permission to have this discomfort within my body - and that indeed absorbing it and realising that not only was I bigger than it but also that it would pass - well that was incredibly liberating. Bear in mind that I needed to be on meds for a long time until I was able to hear such things and have them stick - when I was sick and experiencing psychosis it wouldn’t have mattered if A Harvard Ph,D psychologist like Susan David sat in my kitchen and told me this like she does today - it simply wouldn’t have mattered. 

But thankfully I have healed a lot and I’m getting about doing the daily work so that ideas and concepts like this can indeed stick in and make a difference to my day. 

In fact just this morning, Audrey and I were coming back from the airport after a lovely week away in Bali, when I did something I shouldn’t have done on three hours of sitting in a chair plane sleep. 

I opened twitter and saw an article claiming that the Trump administration was using an unstoppable and cataclysmic climate change projection of a 7ºC rise by 2100 was justification that car emission regulations weren’t going to make a difference to why not lift the restrictions and just go to town on emissions since we’re all going to die anyway. 

Now if you’ve read my book you’ll know that Climate Change was my trigger - and indeed the paranoid delusions I was experiencing convinced me that such a scenario as this projection was happening today and I was the only one that knew about it. 

So as I sat in the back of a cab, my body just teetering on the edge of sunburn and tan after a week reading my Yuval Noah Harari book in the sunshine, my wife texting the dog sitter trying to reunite us with Frank later that day, the familiarly cool and punishing stab of fear pierced my stomach. 

Crisp and precise, my intestines turned to macrame and my heart nearly bursting through my ears. I could hardly breathe and as I look at the peerless blue sky and a man walking past in shorts I feel the icky tendrils return into my brain, the blue sky is bad, it should be cloudy this time of year - why’s he wearing shorts? It’s supposed to be cold? These two things clearly mean this article is correct, fuuuck here we go… I’m suddenly completely disconnected to the present. I’m no longer in the cab, no longer with Audrey, no longer basking in the glow of a week in Bali lying around by a pool reading books with my lover. 

I’ve been hijacked and I’m now imprisoned in a cage of future fear that feels completely real in my mind, utterly disconnected with where my body actually is. 

So I go straight to my tools. Breathe. Get control of my breathing. Feel my feet in my socks. Get into this moment. Get into my body. Reach out and touch Audrey on the hand. Connect with her and this reality right now, not the one in 82 years from now. 

Breathe some more. 

Where is this feeling in my body?

It’s in my...

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Marcus Engman is the head of Design at Ikea of Sweden. 

With one billion customers on this planet - I’d be surprised if you have never lived with a piece of Ikea furniture. 

This podcast was recorded as a part of a special Ikea event in Sydney, and they’d invited me to interview Marcus on the night and have a conversation about design. 

But don’t worry this is not a conversation about furniture. 

Because for a moment - just think about the importance of design. 

A phrase I’m hung on at the moment around my book is ‘thoughts become things’. Look around you right now - every single object that is non-organic or non-geological in origin was once a thought in someone’s head. It was conceived in totality by someone, existing only in a mesh of neurones in their brains until it was created into being out of raw materials and now is something you can hold, touch, or use. 

This is true for every object around you. 

That chair, that rug, your car, your undies, every single object around you was once a thought. 

And thoughts, as we know - become things. 

This is true for both positive and negative thoughts, with enough deliberate and inspired action, they manifest into reality.

And as Marcus describes that object can be designed not only for you to use, and hopefully make your life better - but perhaps be designed to change the way you behave, as a way of influencing you in a way that words or actions cannot. 

Marcus is a fascinating man, we get into his story in this chat so I won’t repeat it here - however I was absolutely thrilled to speak with him in front of a sold-out crowd of about two hundred people at the MCA in Sydney. 

I’d love your thoughts on this one - so please email me [email protected] 

Enjoy this conversation with Marcus Engman

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Today I’m joined by LA Radio Superstar Natalia Perez. 

She’s an announcer on the super-important radio show Big Boy's Neighborhood on Real 92.3 in LA. 

To give you an idea about how important this show is, the reason you first heard a Kendrick Lamar track on Australian radio is because Big Boy played it on his show first. He’s the one that breaks records to market. His endorsement gives music directors the world over permission to also start playing these songs. 

He’s a true legend of the industry and by legitimising artists on his show has helped create more music superstars the I’ve had hot dinners. 

Natalia worked together for three years on a radio show called The Hot Hits Live from LA, and as soon as I met her I knew she was something special. 

The way Natalia has crafted her career path, how she’s worked, and learned, and worked some more, and used a combination of super-hard work, willingness to learn more skills and a kindness that will knock you out of the park - this one will leave you so inspired about what’s possible in life, and indeed how you might be able to level up your own career. 

Next to my wife, Natalia is the kindest person I know. 

She’s also one of the most hard working people I’ve ever come across. 

If you’re at all interested in a career in media, or a career in an area that has a high barrier to entry - this conversation is a masterclass in how to achieve what you dreamed of achieving. 

I can’t thank Natalia enough for staying up super late to talk to me on this one - late being 4pm which for breakfast radio announcers is essentially midnight. 

You can find Natalia at @heynatalia on instagram, let her know you heard her here. 

This woman is one of the most dear people I know, and that I can share this conversation with you, and indeed give you a glimpse into the kind of person she is and that incredible career success can be yours through hard work and kindness - well it’s pretty special.

Enjoy this conversation with the wonderful Natalia Perez.

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My guest today is Jarrod McKenna.

Jarrod McKenna the is the Teaching Pastor at Cornerstone Church in Perth, he is the co-founder of "First Home Project", a community welcoming housing and “giving a hand up not a hand-out” to recently arrived refugees, and is a peace award winning nonviolent social change trainer.

Jarrod obviously a very smart and charismatic man - not many pastors are anything less - but Jarrod is also a man who is voracious in his drive to campaign for positive social change when it comes to asylum seekers and refugees.

Not many folks are willing to risk their lives for a cause - and Jarrod did just that, when he was smuggled onto Manus Island to spend time with and speak with people that our Australian government has detained.

Among those people - are 107 children.

Children like your kids and mine.

Kids who are far from home, scared and needing care and support.

When I pay my taxes, that money gets used for many things that I’m happy about.

Roads, hospitals, infrastructure and social services.

That money is also being used to detain children who had no choice in their situation.

That’s my money. Your money.

Personally - I’m not too happy about it.

Do I have an answer to people arriving to Australia by boat?

Nope.

Is locking up children the answer?

Not as far as I’m concerned.

Jarrod belongs to a church that I have had a few things to do with over the years - and not all of those experiences were positive, but as you’ll hear me say to him - I’ve learned to be quick to see where religious people are right.

Just because I have a different idea of what might be ‘god’ or a ‘higher power’ doesn’t mean that I can’t powerfully share values of kindness, compassion and caring for others in our community that a man like Jarrod does.

Jarrod is a good man, a kind man, and I’m very proud to support him and bring this conversation to you.

If you’d like to support Jarrod and his work - www.kidsoffnauru.com is where to start.

We do talk about some pretty heavy stuff here - including talk about suicide. If you or anyone you know needs support - please take control and call lifeline on 13 11 14.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Jarrod McKenna.

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My guest today is my wife, Audrey Griffen. You can find her on instagram @audreygriffen.

Long time listeners of the show will know her through the stories I tell about her, and if you’ve read the book you’ll know all about her and how we met. You’ll also know how she’s played an enormous role in helping me heal and indeed come back from the edge of sanity.

Last week on the show you heard me tell Todd Sampson about how Audrey saved my life, and today you’ll hear her side of the story - and truth be told, I learned a thing or two about Audrey today that surprised me too - and I’ve been with her for four years by now!

You might not all be my wife - but listening to her journey with her choice to have a child as a single mother in her early 20s, to how she managed to start and maintain a relationship with someone who was clearly quite sick - well it’s one I’m grateful to help her tell, because I know we’re not alone in our relationship dynamic. I know there’s a lot of people listening who are the partner of someone who’s going through some tricky times, or they themselves are going through tricky times and might not have considered their partner’s perspective. Either way, I’m very grateful that Audrey found time to do this today. Come now to our kitchen table and enjoy a nice cuppa and a chat with me and my wife, Audrey Griffen.

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My guest today, once again is me.

A few weeks ago legendary human, documentary maker, story teller, adventurer and all-around super-human Todd Sampson came onto my show and when he did, Todd insisted that one day he interview me.

Part one was last week, and if you’ve not listened to that, please go back and check it out, because it will make this conversation have much more context.

In this second half of the conversation with Todd, we get into the darkest of the darkness. We discuss the stuff that I cover in the book - including alcoholism, psychosis, and suicidal ideation.

If you or someone you know is struggling please call lifeline 13 11 14.

It’s of course an incredible honour to have Todd do this - he’s a very smart, very busy man, and he took nearly three hours out of his day to come to our kitchen and interview me.

It ended up with us both in tears and there’s a point at the end when Audrey even joins in, and thanks to your requests, I’m going to get her on as a guest in coming weeks so we can talk about what she does to get through life living with a guy like me who’s capable of incredible intensity from time to time.

If you like what you hear - please reach out to @ToddSampsonOZ on twitter and let him know.

If you like it a whole lot - come see the live show on August 30th which is basically this, but with a songs. osher.is/live the link is in the show notes on your podcast app.

If you really like what you hear - buy the book.

The link is live now at oshergunsberg.com or in my instagram bio.

Ok are you ready?

Come back to my kitchen table in Bronte for a nice shot of espresso and a chat with the wonderful man that is Todd Sampson.

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