Stories that Stir

When Amanda’s world shattered with one call - her father’s terminal diagnosis - she faced an identity crisis.

How do you move forward when the person who shaped you is gone?

What if suffering isn’t just pain but a doorway to something more?

What if loss doesn’t just take, but also gives?

Through her story, Amanda explores how small perspective shifts create massive change, and why curiosity is an underrated superpowe...

Tilly’s story is one of wild expansion—growing up with a conservative Dad and a strict Seventh Day Adventist upbringing, where sex before marriage was a one-way ticket to hell. Fast forward to now, she’s leading The Open Circle, a vibrant community of over 500 people exploring alternative relationships, and co-running FAR, the Festival of Alternative Relationships. Along the way, Tilly has reclaimed the parts of her sexuality once ...

Minie is a special needs mum who shares her daughter’s journey with a rare genetic condition, Kabuki Syndrome.

With honesty, compassion and a witty sense of humour, she shares how the roller coaster of special needs parenting has expanded her world into a multiverse that looks almost like a story from a comic book.

It’s an incredible story of fights against many fears, driven by a mama’s love for her baby.

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Tracie Allan’s life was profoundly changed at the age of 30 when her beloved mum passed away from cancer. 

Being at her mother’s bedside, she felt her spirit leave her body - a moment that sparked a yearning to understand where her mum had gone.

This led to Tracie's journey into mediumship and learning how to connect with the spirit world which has brought her great comfort in knowing that love never dies.

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After a brain injury during a New Zealand backpacking trip, Matt’s life was shattered—24 hours in a coma, a week in ICU, and a month in rehab. At 27, Matt's journey of resilience is a powerful testament to the human spirit. His story reminds us that even when life breaks us, we have the strength to rebuild and emerge stronger than before. 

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This journey unfolds as Tara navigates the shadow of loss after her mother’s death on her birthday. For nearly 20 years, she wrestles with grief, until a transformative milestone at the age of 50 opens her heart to love. Tara comes to realise that life didn’t end that heart-breaking day; instead, it began anew. As she surrenders to the grief, she learns to embrace joy and love amidst the chaos of sorrow. " 

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Rugare Gomo is the first gay, Black, African-Australian to write and publish his memoir. He came to Australia by himself at 16 years old with one suitcase, a backpack and $300. In his story he shares his journey of thriving and loving himself and others despite facing discrimination and racism in every facet of society.

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Growing-up in London as the youngest of 10 children, Roger had to rid himself of being the anxious people pleaser and take responsibility for what he wanted in life. After running and growing his family-owned businesses, then Roger faced the daunting risks of moving his own family to Australia at the age of forty with no plan, no visa, no job and no network. Roger shares his inner battles with his loss of identity, self-confidence ...

Maedeh, a devout Muslim woman, has lived her life strictly adhering to religious rules and societal expectations. However, everything changes when she makes the unexpected decision to remove her headscarf. This choice sets off a chain reaction, with her family turning against her and pushing her to the verge of a breakdown. Her world collapses under a cascade of life. Despite the turmoil, one thing remains clear: her three-year-ol...

From his earliest days, Brent was raised amidst turmoil and strife. He found solace in the seductive allure of addiction and descended into a spiral of crime and violence, weaving a tangled web of lies and deceit. Guided by the gentle hand of spirit, Brent forged bonds of connection—with the natural world, with kindred souls, and with the depths of his own being. Through the transformative power of love, he began to unravel the tan...

How one bad Korean Drama lead to a full blown Kdrama addiction that saw Marie, a mother and marketer rip through 70 shows in two years and counting. Addict or expert? You be the judge, but either way, this is one random story of Kultural discovery.

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Anick Patry had a crazy, wild, adventurous idea that took her on the most unknown and tumultuous journey. She decided to travel to Australia from Quebec by sailboat. While her sea journey forced her to face her greatest fears, it also led her into accessing her inner resources and her inner GPS (intuitive guidance). During that incredible expedition, Anick discovered how powerful mother nature is, especially when she found herself ...

Imagine discovering that everything you’ve been taught to believe is a lie – having been drummed into you by a high-control cult since birth. When Dave came to this realisation in his early 30’s, he recognised that the only way to be true to himself was to leave his past and start afresh. This path of discovery has led him to freedom and joy but at great personal cost.

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What was true and authentic to our 11 year old self is not necessarily the same when we turn 30, nor even when we turn 40, or in Rob’s case, 60.  But as the years pass, and perhaps through wisdom from aging, he is getting closer to the truth, and as a result becoming his authentic self.  Most who suffer trauma understand this very well, let alone have lived it. 

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“Nina’s story goes from strength to strength. From the survival of her parents from where they met in Auschwitz concentration camp, and the loss of all her Polish Ashkenazi maternal, and Greek Sephardic paternal families. Nina, who was their first new life, also survived with her strength, faith and commitment from stirring up a stage 4 Lymphoma.  

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When Jessie was 30 years old, she lost her first child at birth. The grief she experienced after was painful, enlightening, and ultimately re-formative. This led to a decade of social entrepreneurship, attempting to crack the cultural collusion of avoidance when it comes to talking about death.  

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How do you shut up a talkative person? You send them to a country where they don’t speak the language and don’t know anyone. Oksana shares how she turned a short 6-month visit to Australia into building a new life, business and a massive network of friends. All thanks to her strength, curiosity and talent for talking to strangers. After all, strangers are just friends that we haven't met. 

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It's taken Felicity 10 years to get bloody good at walking the bipolar tightrope without mania or depression throwing her off the path she is destined for. She was lecturing marketing at Uni when a 10-month-long manic episode derailed her entire career. She's back, baby-in a big way too!

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As a child, Jack dreamed of living in a van and making his way around Australia. By taking action on his intuition, and leaving the opinions of those around him behind, at the age of 21 he realised his dream.  Little did he know that the attainment of this dream would eventually lead him to despair, but life had just the right situations in store for him to see what he was truly longing for.

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