Peter is a professor, published author and good friend. He has taught students for decades across a range of different subject matters and in this conversation he shares his research and personal experience on the importance of the relationships we have with our parents.

Join this conversation as we explore the synergy between science and faith, parental relationships and their enduring impacts on our happiness, finances and family, as well as the capacity for growth we unlock by breaking the restrictive vows we make with ourselves.

I extend my sincerest gratitude to Peter as I learned so much from this exchange. Reflecting on the seeds that were planted in my garden from this were:

- The most important skills a parent can impart unto their child is the capacity to love and to trust. As love and trust form the bedrock of all our meaningful long-term relationships.

- A lifelong inability to manage one's anger was the single biggest contributor to an unsuccessful and unfulfilling work life.

- The vows we make against our parents or traits they possess can cause us to repeat the same poor decisions time and time again.

- We are more than capable of changing our behaviours and vows, we can utilise three mechanisms to do so: the Conviction Mechanism (Reviewing evidence that convinces us we are doing the right thing), the Faith Mechanism (Reaffirming our path through belief, gratitude and prayer) and the Community Mechanism (Seeking support, role modelling and engagement from our community)

- Our parents are only human, they make mistakes and they can't teach us everything and so it is ok to seek mothering and fathering from others for different things.

I am so appreciative for your parents, for without them we would not be blessed with the wonders of you!

Until our next exchange, continue to embody all that you seek and you will plant seeds of synergy in the soil of every moment.

Links:

Peter's book: The Father Factor

Harvard GRANT study

Andrade and Ariely's paper: Search "The enduring impact of transient emotions on decision making"

In this exchange I am joined by my friend Ben {Norto}. We have known one another for over a decade and I can confidently say that he is one of the most electric, engaging and enchanting personalities I have come across.

So join us as we navigate friendship, storytelling, addictions and our experiences as gen z’s living in Brisbane.

The seeds that were planted in my garden from Norto's insights were:

- Enjoy every moment life has to offer. We get dealt good and bad hands throughout, play with a smile.

- The profound impact that reading and movies have on fostering creativity, vocabulary and story telling ability.

-  How to find it within ourselves to forgive people, especially friends, for mistakes they have made.

- Use 'black and white' mode on your phone to reduce stimulation and in turn screen time.

-   Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Afterall, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering” - Yoda

Until our next exchange, continue to embody all that you seek, and you will plant seedsof synergy in the soil of every moment

In this series we will unpack and explore the why, what and how of discovering who we are.

It is a blueprint for finding personal truth through questions that have been asked for millennia—questions that, only we can answer for ourselves. Foundations covers the five foundational truths:

1. Humans experience suffering due to our attachment to desires

2. Our Ego is responsible in part for our desires and attaches our sense of self to forms (material, mental and emotional)

3. Our thoughts, words and actions shape the reality we experience

4. Awareness is the key to the cessation of our suffering

5. The present moment is all that we have to learn, love and experience.

The foundational approaches to raising awareness of ourselves are:

1. To observe our breath - therein lies the present and so too, the answer to all that we seek.

2. Consciously stretch and move the body. Through this we foster a mind-body connection.

More to come in later episodes!

Until then continue to embody all that you seek, and you will plant seeds of synergy in the soil of every moment.

Link:

Immortal Arts QiGong website

Immortal Arts Qi Gong Youtube

In this reflection I share my perspective on Frameworks.

Everything operates within a framework, whether its religions, governments, educational institutions or careers, there is always a desired future state (a goal) and a structure within which we can move towards it.

Through this reflection I share my desired future state as well as the personal framework I am currently adopting as a means of making subtle strides towards it.

The framework is; Each day how am I developing my mind, body and spirit. For all three, its the same recipe:

1. Food - what are we nourishing our mind, body and soul with. Physical foods, knowledge and meaningful connections.
2. Exercise - how are we practicing and tangibly working towards strengthening and expanding our muscles, neural pathways and awareness/presence.
3. Sleep - How much sleep is right for us? Are we getting sufficient sleep to rest, recover and channel inspiration?

There are a million different ways to achieve what you are wanting to achieve in this lifetime. And I hope no matter what your desired goal is, that the framework you choose to adopt works for you and most of all is enjoyable!

That's all from me for the time being, until next time, all the best and keep planting seeds of synergy everywhere you go and in everything you do!

Get in Touch:

⁠SOS Website⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SOS Instagram⁠

⁠SOS Linkedin

Frederic is a mentor of mine that has been on the podcast before (Remember you) and Ombeline is a new friend that I actually met during this conversation. She is French/Swissand has a PHD in chemical engineering - specifically plant medicines.  After experiencing a managerial capacity, she decided to move to Peru and take a big leap into the unknown of the self-development path.

 This conversation is an introduction to the Apu Lin University and hopefully gives you a better idea of who I am and what this collaboration will look like going forward. Through this we navigate my desire to be an actor growing up and how that has shaped my communication style and expression.

We touch on what leadership means and the distinction between inspiration and motivation. I briefly share my journey with escapism mechanisms and how it fueled addictions and feelings of fear and insecurity. I provide some insight into my message, vision, motivations, why and for what.

At its core this is a call to action for anyone listening to join this life-long learning journey, as a means of connecting, growing and sharing - one day at a time.

The seeds that were planted in my garden as a result of this conversation are:

1. Motivation is equally as, if not more, important than inspiration when leading a team. Motivation is what keeps the tough going when the going gets tough.
2. The choice is yours as to whether you go down the path of fear or the path of love. You need to keep moving forward but make sure that its not your fear that is pushing you forwards. But welcome the fear and so too welcome the confidence that comes with embracing the unknown. The connection to the earth, to yourself and to your roots (family, where you came from) is the key for people in fear and confusion to go back to stability.
3. Always focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want.

Links:

Ombeline YT

Frederic FB

Get in Touch:

SOS Website

⁠⁠SOS Instagram

SOS Linkedin

Dayat is a close friend from Lombok, Indonesia. He is currently running an educational foundation, a travel agency and a motorcycle tour company. His story so far is fascinating, despite coming from humble beginnings and dealing with continuous set backs from earthquakes to COVID, he has managed to continue the pursuit of his mission - to connect travelers with the Lombok community.

In this conversation we explore Dayat's backstory as well as his story yet to be fully written. How he dealt with social alienation in school, societal judgement through his early adult years and his more recent business setbacks. He highlights the importance of learning English in his own journey and for the local community as well - to equip them for the emerging tourism industry in Lombok. He explains the difference between travelers and tourists. How travelers have supported the foundation and expanded his perspective of the world.

His vision is to foster cultural exchange in Lombok. The local community sharing their way of life, culture and traditions with international travelers and vice versa. A mutual exchange where both the locals and the travelers learn, connect and grow. I really align with his vision and have had the privilege of seeing first hand the impact this project is having on students, locals and travelers alike!

The seeds that were planted in my garden as a result of this conversation were:

1. Education is the key to opening opportunities in life. There are many different ways to learn either through schooling, conversations or experiences. Regardless of the method an open mind and a willingness to do your best is all that matters.
2. In Islam - when you go through a struggle there is something there. The bigger the struggle the greater the outcome will be. So dream big and keep making strides towards that dream!
3. When you travel or go somewhere else, always try to leave a positive impact because something positive will always come back to you.

Thank you for listening, please find the links below and keep planting seeds of synergy wherever you go!

Links:

Lovin Lombok

Feel Lombok

Lombok Loop

Get in Touch:

SOS Website

SOS Instagram

SOS Linkedin

What does it mean to live in alignment with our natural frequency?

In this personal ponderment I unpack and share my interpretation of Nikola Tesla’s timeless insight: “If you want to unlock the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”

Through a grounded blend of physics, neuroscience, and lived experience, we journey into the rhythms that shape our inner and outer world. From electromagnetic fields and quantum mechanics to the emotional resonance of breath, sound, and attention—this episode invites you to reflect, realign, and re-tune.

Seeds that I am integrating and that you might find useful are:

• What energy, frequency, and vibration are. As well as how they govern the physical, spiritual and quantum world we find ourselves in.

• How emotions, attention, and biology form our unique “inner signal”.

• Practical ways to elevate your state through sunlight, sleep, movement, music, and more.

• Methods of attention-tuning I am currently trying out - box breathing, grounding, stillness, gratitude.

This isn’t just theory—it’s a call to presence, to practice, and to participation. Tune in and begin the journey of aligning your field with clarity, coherence, and conscious creation.

Join the conversation with #SeedOfSynergy and share your resonance.

Get in Touch:

SOS Website

SOS Instagram ⁠⁠

SOS Linkedin

Erica is a friend I met on the train from Machu Picchu in Peru - the perfect example of the strength of weak ties. She has spent a lot of years working with start-ups and since 2014 has started The Reliants Project - an initiative designed to promote understanding around networks. Erica is originally from the US but now spends her time rotating between Mexico City, London and Hong Kong.

In this conversation we explore the wonderful world of networks: network theory; network graphs; networks types; and the importance of a diverse network. How to build a network and the major changes that tend to disrupt our networks: moving to a new place; changing jobs; becoming a couple or breaking up; having children; and illnesses . We explore Erica's approach to forming meaning connections, network fragility and being 'adopted' when travelling.

Her desire to increase the value of social capital, to support the development of a more relationship-oriented society and reduce male loneliness and isolation, all serve as real-world examples are synergy in action!

The seeds that were planted in my garden from this conversation were:

1. The strength of your relationships is the strongest indicator of whether you live a long and healthy life. This is particularly important for males, who generally speaking, tend to have 'shoulder to shoulder relationships' and usually outsource the responsibility of maintaining relationships to organizations (Their company, sports club, gym etc.). This can mean male networks can lack the necessary depth of connection or are fragile to organizational/circumstantial changes.
2. Unstructured time with friends and family is also really important. Unlike structured time, where there is an agreed activity and timeline, it allows us to have emergent play and fun. To go with the flow and create together.
3. "The small group is the unit of transformation" - A small group of people working together is the best means of transforming our world.

It was such a pleasure to converse with Erica and an even greater fortunate to be able to share what was discussed with you. I really hope there was something you were able to get out of this conversation and until next time, keep planting seeds of synergy everywhere you go!

References:

Harvard Business Review: Better People Analytics

Harvard longitudinal study

Max Dickins Podcast with Chris Williamson

Mapping your network

Links:

Erica Young Linkedin

The Reliants Project Website

Get in Touch:

⁠⁠⁠⁠SOS Website⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠SOS Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠SOS Linkedin⁠

Sebastian is a dear friend of mine from Brisbane, Australia. He has not pursued the 'traditional path', at the age of 19, he decided to walk his own journey in the entrepreneurial world. That decision has come with many ups and downs but has allowed him to experience a broad range of emotions, people and opportunities.

In this conversation we explore the key to successful marketing - not what you do or how you do it, but why you do it - who you are. We journey through Seb's experience with mentorship - as an alternative and more tailored means of learning for his own journey. We discuss spiritual beliefs and the desire to feel deeply. To creatively express the whole palette of human emotions in a lifetime. Lastly, the idea of uncertainty. That there is no point in playing it small, we have but one life in this world, dream big and embrace the uncertainty!

A seed is always planted when I talk with Seb, but in this particular conversation the seeds that were planted in my garden were:

1. When fears, doubts, insecurities start to creep into the mind, ask Is this real? Or is this just a mirror to myself? What usually makes us the most frustrated, sad or annoyed is not other people but what their words, actions or demeanor shows us about ourselves.
2. The origins of Tall Poppy Syndrome in Australia. When the British settlers first came to Australia they were outnumbered by the convicts they brought with them. So to keep the prisoners in line and prevent a revolt, the guards would punish everyone when one person broke the rules. Over time the guards did not even need to punish the prisoners when someone stood out of line, because the other prisoners would punish that perpetrator for them. Fast forward to today and that collective need to bring others down and on an individual level, a fear of standing out, is still prevalent.
3. Seek different mentors in life. mentors with different mindsets, lived experience and approaches. Most importantly, find yourself in that search, no one can do a better job of being you, than you!

It was a true pleasure to converse with this 'old soul' and I hope you found some value in what was discussed. Until next time, keep planting seeds of synergy, wherever you go!

References:

5 Monkey experiment

Our Deepest Fear poem ⁠

Links:

Sebastian Silanesu Linkedin

Your Marketing Machines Linkedin

Your Marketing Machines Website

Get in Touch:

⁠⁠⁠SOS Website⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠SOS Instagram⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠SOS Linkedin⁠

Frederic (French), Ana (Lithuanian) and Guillermo (Spanish) are three journeyed souls living in Pisac, Peru. Their work with the local community, the Viacha people (a Quechua tribe) is building bridges from the ancient to the modern world. Their experience with plant medicines and nature has allowed for deep personal discovery and profound insight.

In this conversation we discuss the factors that contribute to collective manifestation - nature, intentions, community, plant medicine. We explore the ability to connect to ourselves and align with the collective will of you. We briefly touch on ancient architecture, particularly Machu Picchu and the knowledge that would be required to build a structure of that complexity. Primarily, this discussion centers around connection to ourselves, taking time to be with yourself and reflect on how your life is currently playing out. What is going well, what is not and explore where you might want to go, feel or experience instead.

The seeds that were planted in my garden as a result of this conversation were:

1. The definition of Synergy. Everyone connected to themselves, following their own guidance, passion and curiosity with no established hierarchy.
2. The mind has no perfection, the conscience is perfection. You have to cross check your whole belief system to see what is actually grounded in truth and what has been subliminally imposed onto you. Once you have found your truth and your belief system, it guides your actions.
3. The act of Recapitulation. You are coming from your current consciousness (who you are now) and you go back into an emotionally charged memory and you observe what your consciousness was doing at that point. What were you feeling, seeing or experiencing? You take the energy out of that past experience and channel it into present - you reclaim that stuck emotion.

Links:

Frederic Swierc

Ana Linktree

Get in Touch:

SOS Website

SOS Instagram

SOS Linkedin