In M Scott Pecks book “The Road Less Traveled “ he points out that the cause of most mental illness is avoidance of problemsThe fact of the matter is problems just don’t go away …… they just get bigger and bigger.Often times they even reach the point where problems can affect one’s mental and physical healthIts difficult to argue that many people who unhappy are so because they avoid their problems.Once one actually admits they have a problem—- which is the first step to many self improvement programs like the 12 step program etc One has to actually quantify and figure exactly what the problem is so they can come up with the right solution.In fact Albert Einstein was supposedly to have said “ "If I had one hour to save the world, I would spend fifty-five minutes defining the problem, and only five minutes finding the solution."One person who focused on helping people and businesses first quantify their problems then solve them and move forward strategically is Darren de Vink.Darren is a business consultant who has helped organisations improve communication, structure, and problem solving — and today he joins us to help listeners better manage challenges in both life and business.

How is it possible that we have more technology, more convenience, more comfort, and more opportunity than any generation before us… yet so many people feel emotionally drained, anxious, disconnected, and lost?Australians are now working some of the longest and most pressured weeks in decades. Mental health conditions are estimated to cost the Australian economy more than $220 billion every year through lost productivity, absenteeism, and reduced wellbeing.At the same time, rates of anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and stress-related illness continue to rise. The World Health Organization officially classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon caused by chronic unmanaged stress.But this conversation goes deeper than just work.Because many people aren’t simply tired physically…
they’re tired emotionally.Tired of carrying expectations.
Tired of trying to hold everything together.
Tired of smiling on the outside while internally feeling flat, uncertain, or disconnected from who they used to be.And what makes it even harder is that many of the people struggling the most are often the high performers:
the business owners,
the parents,
the leaders,
the carers,
the people everybody else depends upon.On the surface they may appear successful.
But internally many are quietly asking:
“Why do I feel empty when my life looks fine?”
“How did I lose myself?”
“Is this really how life is supposed to feel?”Yet despite feeling this way… many people still don’t change.Why?Sometimes it’s fear.
Fear of uncertainty.
Fear of judgment.
Fear of failure.
Or even fear that things may never improve.Sometimes it’s because people have lived under pressure for so long that stress begins to feel normal.And sometimes people simply lose belief —
belief that they can change,
belief that they deserve better,
or belief that it’s possible to rebuild their confidence, peace, purpose, and identity.But tonight’s conversation is also about hope.Because people can change.
Lives can change.
Mindsets can change.
Patterns can change.People can rebuild themselves emotionally, mentally, and spiritually — even after years of burnout, overwhelm, disappointment, or feeling stuck.One Person who is dedicated herself to helping people who feel trapped by emotional pressure in modern life…
who seem to stay stay stuck…
and help them take practical steps that can help them regain clarity, resilience, confidence, and meaning is Jodie MacDonald founder of sunshine within mindset and self development Coaching and she joins us here today

Tonight on Change the World with Matt McQuinley, we are going to tackle something millions of people are feeling… but many struggle to explain.We live in the most technologically advanced and connected time in human history — yet people have never seemed more overwhelmed, exhausted, distracted, and stressed.In both Australia and the United States, burnout and chronic stress are reaching alarming levels.Recent Australian studies found up to 40% of workers are experiencing burnout, while nearly 90% report work-related stress or emotional strain. But the issue goes far beyond the workplace.In Australia, government data shows nearly 60% of people experienced at least one major personal stressor in the last 12 months. Financial pressure, relationship strain, rising living costs, loneliness, lack of time, and emotional exhaustion are becoming part of everyday life for millions of people. Studies also show one in five Australian adults experiences high or very high psychological distress, with younger Australians and families under financial pressure hit particularly hard. And perhaps the most revealing of all… is the fact that People are busier than ever, yet many feel they’re falling further behind.We rush from obligation to obligation.
Work to bills.
Emails to appointments.
Kids’ activities to social pressures.
Notifications to deadlines.And somewhere in the middle of all that busyness… many people feel like they’re losing themselves.Medical experts warn chronic stress is linked to anxiety, depression, heart disease, sleep disorders, emotional burnout, and declining relationships. Four in ten Australians are now not getting enough sleep — one of the clearest signs of a society struggling to slow down. We’ve become busy — but not necessarily fulfilled.
Connected — but often isolated.
Productive — but emotionally exhausted.So tonight, we ask:
How did we get here?
Why do so many people feel trapped in survival mode?
And most importantly… how do we reclaim balance, purpose, peace, and control in a world that never seems to slow down?Our person who has struggled with these challenges and feels he has come out the other side, joins us here tonight and he’d like to share with you what he has learned and what has helped him.Karl Palin is. The founder and director of one big heart.He also is the owner of Australia’s National Yoga Studio of the Year 2023 & 2025

We are living in one of the most advanced, comfortable times in human history…
yet internally, something is going very wrong.Right now in Australia, 1 in 5 people are dealing with a mental health disorder every year… and nearly half of Australians will struggle with mental health at some point in their life. Anxiety affects around 1 in 5 people, depression hits millions… and substance use disorders impact hundreds of thousands more. But here’s where it gets even more confronting…When it comes to men—
the very people often expected to “hold it together”—
around 75% of suicides in Australia are men, and on average, six men take their own life every single day. So what’s going on?For a lot of people, especially men, it’s not just what’s happening on the outside…
it’s what’s happening on the inside.Stress. Pressure. Anxiety. Numbness.
Feeling out of control emotionally…
and not knowing how to switch it off—
or worse, needing alcohol, substances, or distractions just to cope.And that’s the real problem…People don’t know how to control their internal state.They’re either stuck in it…
or escaping it.Today’s guest is someone who has lived that reality—
addiction, mental health collapse, rebuilding from the ground up—
and has turned that experience into a system to help others do the same.Dan Bogan works with men and women around the world, helping them regulate their emotions, break dependency patterns, and take control of their internal state—without relying on substances.Through his work, including his flagship program Get High On Your Own Supply,
he teaches people how to use their breath, body, and nervous system
to shift how they feel—on demand—
and actually build a stronger, more resilient life from the inside out.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed… stuck…
or like you’re just coping rather than living…This conversation could genuinely change the way you see yourself—
and what you’re capable of

“Right now in Australia, we have lived through and will continue to live through a quiet shift — one that most people haven’t fully caught up with yet.According to the Australian bureau of statistics The average worker changes jobs every 3-5 years . In fact, n Median job tenure sits at just over three years. And across a typical career, most people will have well over a dozen different roles.Redundancy, restructuring, layoffs — they’re no longer rare events. They’re part of the modern working world.And yet… most people still rely on a single income source.So we’ve got a situation where income is dependent on something that is, by nature, unstable.That’s not a criticism — it’s just reality.And it raises a powerful question…If your income depends on something you don’t control… is it really secure?That’s exactly the problem my guest today helps solve.After facing three redundancies in just ten years, he realised something most people only realise when it’s too late — job security isn’t something your employer gives you… it’s something you build.Today, he helps experienced corporate men create what he calls a ‘portfolio career’ — multiple income streams built around their skills, so they can create real security, without blowing up their life or taking reckless risks.Wei, welcome to the show…”

Right now…Over 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’sIn Australia, it’s estimated more than 200,000 people are affectedAnd around 10–20% are diagnosed before the age of 50 — what’s called Young Onset Parkinson’sSo this isn’t rare.This isn’t “someone else’s problem.”This is happening… in our communities… to people in the middle of their lives.Parkinson’s doesn’t ask for permission.It doesn’t wait until life is convenient.It doesn’t care how successful you are… how strong you’ve been… or how much you still want to do.It simply arrives…And begins to take… slowly.Your movement.Your certainty.Your control.But here’s what’s powerful…It doesn’t have to take your spirit.In fact in many cases, When you look closer…You don’t just see struggle.You see something else.You see people who were told their world would shrink…And instead…They expanded their impact.People like 6 time Emmy award winner Alan Alda —who didn’t step away from life…but leaned further into learning, curiosity, and contribution.Like SingerLinda Ronstadt —who lost her voice…but not her truth.Singer/songwriter Neil Diamond —who stepped off the stage…but never stopped creating.Ozzy Osbourne —who showed up… even when it wasn’t polished… even when it was hard.Pope John Paul II —who led millions… visibly… vulnerably… And powerfully.Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson —who kept fighting for others… while fighting his own battle.Closer to home…Allan Border —a legend of Australian sport…reminding us that strength doesn’t disappear…it just evolves.And even Charles M. Schulz creater of peanuts Charlie Brown, Snoppy, and the rest of the gang —who continued to create joy for the world…while quietly navigating his own challenge.Different people… different paths…But the same truth:They didn’t wait for life to be easy…To keep showing up.One person who was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s. AT 41 instead of letting that be the end of the story…She made it the beginning of a new one.And has has committed herself to not allowing a disease dictate the terms of her life is Steph Vaughn who is the founder of infinite styling A national award winner, international award finalist, and co-author of an award-winning #1 bestselling book who has worked with brands like NIKE .And by using some of what she has learned on her journey has also made it her mission help to women navigate their own challenging life transitions We are lucky to have us join us here today

Matthew 16:26 (KJV) states: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?On the surface, success is something most people admire.We celebrate the business owner who built something from nothing.We admire the leader who carries responsibility.We respect the person who keeps showing up, keeps producing, keeps pushing forward, keeps providing.From the outside, that person often looks strong.Disciplined.Capable.Respected.Maybe even enviable.But what people don’t always see is the hidden cost that can come with that success.Because sometimes the very people who look like they’re winning on the outside are carrying a private battle on the inside.Sometimes success comes with exhaustion.Sometimes it comes with pressure.Sometimes it comes with loneliness.Sometimes it comes with disconnection from your family, from your purpose, from your peace, and sometimes even from yourself.There are people who have built businesses, built careers, built reputations, built teams, built income, built a life that others admire……yet somewhere along the way, they lost something.Maybe they lost joy.Maybe they lost perspective.Maybe they lost closeness with the people they love.Maybe they lost the ability to sit still and feel at peace.Maybe they became so busy being needed by everyone else that they no longer knew who they were underneath the role, underneath the pressure, underneath the performance.And that’s what makes tonight’s conversation such an important one.Because this is not just a conversation about achievement.It’s a conversation about identity.About alignment.About what happens when the world sees your success, but doesn’t see your struggle.About what happens when people praise your strength, while privately you feel tired, stretched, frustrated, or stuck.And maybe for some listening tonight, this is personal.Maybe you’ve worked hard.Maybe you’ve sacrificed.Maybe you’ve done what you thought you were supposed to do.Maybe you’ve carried the weight, paid the bills, solved the problems, put everyone else first, and kept moving because that’s what responsible people do.But maybe, deep down, there’s a question rising in you:What has all this cost me?And perhaps an even deeper question:Is there a way to succeed without losing yourself in the process?So tonight, this won’t just be a conversation about business.And it won’t just be a conversation about mindset.It will be a conversation about the hidden emotional, relational, and spiritual cost of striving.We’ll talk about why some successful people still feel stuck.Why achievement does not automatically create peace.Why high performers can still carry wounds, fears, and limiting beliefs.And most importantly, how people can begin the journey from silence… to significance.Not significance in the sense of ego.Not significance in the sense of applause.But significance in the sense of living truthfully.Living aligned.Living with courage.Living in a way where what you build on the outside no longer comes at the expense of who you are on the inside.So wherever you are tonight — whether you are driving, working late, sitting at home, or quietly wrestling with things nobody else sees — I think this conversation may speak to you.Kornelis Berkelaar is someone who understands that question not just intellectually, but personally.Kornelis is someone who has lived through challenge, pressure, hardship, reinvention, and deep personal growth. He has spent years helping people break destructive patterns, reconnect with what matters most, and move from merely surviving… to living with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose and is the director of the international coaching institute and he joins us here today .

Like most things in life, our greatest strengths can also become our greatest weaknesses — and sometimes what feels like a weakness, properly understood and supported, can become a source of extraordinary power.Such is the case with certain mental health challenges.One of the clearest examples of this paradox is bipolar disorder.Individuals living with bipolar disorder often exhibit visionary thinking, high charisma, elevated risk tolerance, relentless drive, and astonishing levels of productivity and output. In its elevated states, it can look like bold leadership, creative genius, and fearless innovation. It can look like someone who sees possibilities others simply cannot.Research suggests that bipolar spectrum conditions affect approximately 2–3% of the global population, and up to 4–5% when broader spectrum traits are included. Studies have also shown higher prevalence rates among writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders — particularly those in highly creative fields.In other words, some of the very traits that destabilise can also catalyse greatness.Some of the greatest men and women in history are believed to have struggled with bipolar disorder, yet went on to make monumental and positive changes in the world.Writers like Virginia Woolf and Ernest Hemingway.Poets such as Emily Dickinson and Lord Byron.Musicians like Beethoven.Artists like Vincent van Gogh.Leaders such as Abraham Lincoln — who freed the slaves and held the United States together in its darkest hour — and Winston Churchill, who led Britain through World War II and, in a recent poll in the UK, was still voted the nation’s greatest Briton.And figures like Theodore Roosevelt — Medal of Honor recipient, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the first progressive U.S. president — who fought fiercely for environmental conservation and labour rights with unstoppable energy.History shows us something profound:The same fire that can illuminate the world can also burn the person carrying it.Because at its worst, bipolar disorder can lead to dangerous risk-taking, fractured relationships, financial ruin, profound depression, and suicidal ideation.Globally, suicide rates among individuals with bipolar disorder are estimated to be 20–30 times higher than in the general population. Nearly one in four will attempt suicide at some point in their lives.This is not a personality quirk.It is not simply being “moody.”It is a serious, complex medical condition.But — and this is critical — it is also treatable. It is manageable. And with awareness, support, structure, and the right interventions, people can live extraordinary, meaningful lives.The question is not whether the fire exists.So the question becomes —If you carry that kind of fire inside you…will it destroy you —…or will you learn to harness it?How many people listening right noware fighting a battle no one else can see?High functioning.High performing.Showing up every day.Leading teams.Building businesses.Holding families together.…while privately wonderinghow much longer they can keep it up.What if the very thing you struggle with —the intensity…the emotion…the restless drive…isn’t proof that you’re broken —…but evidence that there’s power therethat hasn’t been directed yet?Because maybe the difference between breakdown and breakthroughisn’t the size of the fire —…it’s whether you have the awareness,the structure,and the supportto control it.Greatness is rarely born from comfort.It’s forged in tension.You are not weak.You are not alone.And your story is not finished.So how do you take the fireand turn it into fuel?One person, Ron Hashiro, who has made it his mission to share the message that mental health challenges do not have to be the end of the story — that there is light at the end of the tunnel — joins us here today

Before we talk about business…Before we talk about leadership…Before we talk about changing the world…We have to talk about something even more fundamental.Your health.Because you can’t lead your team…You can’t grow your business…You can’t show up for your family…If your body is fighting you every single day.Right now, nearly 1 in 2 Australians live with a chronic health condition.Almost 1 in 5 live with persistent pain.And for women, conditions like endometriosis and pelvic pain often go years — sometimes a decade — without answers.Imagine waking up exhausted…Trying to focus at work while your body aches…Feeling dismissed by the system…Being told “it’s normal”…When you know something isn’t right.It’s frustrating.It’s isolating.And for many people… it quietly steals their confidence, their energy, and their future.But what if the solution wasn’t another pill…or another specialist…or another appointment where you feel unheard?What if the answer was someone who actually walked beside you…someone who could help you understand your body…reduce pain…rebuild strength…and take control again?That’s the mission that today’s guest has committed herself to Cherie Noble is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and health coach who helps people — especially those living with chronic pain, complex conditions, and women navigating endometriosis — move from confusion and limitation… to clarity, strength, and real progress.She doesn’t just prescribe exercise.She helps people get their lives back.Because when your body works…everything works.You lead better.You think clearer.You show up stronger.And that’s how we really change the world

Before the written word… before recorded history… humanity recognised—perhaps deep in the reptilian part of our brain—the value of strong leadership.Across time, we’ve honoured our leaders by carving them into stone, raising statues in their image, and even placing their faces on the coins and currency we used to secure the goods and services that sustained—and improved—our lives.That reverence continued through the Industrial Revolution, the Information Age, and it may be more important now than ever before.Because here’s the paradox: we are more connected than at any time in human history… yet we’re seeing record levels of depression, unhappiness, and disconnection.As this trend continues, leadership becomes critical—not just at the top, but in the home, in the workplace, and in our communities.Joining us today is someone who has dedicated his life to helping organisations lead their people better—creating cultures where both teams and results can thrive.David Arnfield, from Leading Teams, brings over 40 years’ experience working with leaders and organisations to build the environments where individuals and teams can achieve their full potential.