Human Kinder

When we look at the world today, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Ecological collapse, war, economic instability, division, mental health struggles — there is no shortage of reasons to feel afraid. And yet, beneath all of that, there is still beauty. There is still wonder. There is still the possibility of living with an open heart.
David has held CEO roles at organisations including Weleda and GoVita, and has spent much of his life exploring the intersection between business, consciousness, service, and personal transformation. In this conversation, we explore what it means to “tend your garden” in a chaotic world — to take responsibility for your inner state, practise awareness, and choose how you want to show up.
We speak about fear and insecurity, the practice of awe, spiritual seeking, conscious leadership, random acts of kindness, and the quiet power of doing what you can from where you are.
This conversation is a reminder that loving life is not about ignoring suffering. It is about staying open enough to see the beauty, honest enough to face the pain, and grounded enough to take the next small step.
I hope you enjoy this one.
More about David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-johnston-867b1245/
More from Human Kinder: https://linktr.ee/humankinder
Show Notes
00:00 Falling in Love With Life
01:48 Tending Your Inner Garden
04:06 Early Encounters With Death
07:30 Seeking Through Youth
13:17 Life Inside an Ashram
14:26 Three Pillars of Practice
16:24 Random Kindness and Ego
17:44 Soul Alignment Break
18:51 Head Heart and Gut
23:05 Rumble Strips and Life Lessons
25:02 Journaling and Emotional Tracking
31:54 Leading Culture Change at Work
35:46 Spiral Dynamics and Society
42:12 Future View Leadership Method
44:27 Leading With Honesty
45:50 Stepping Through Fear
49:57 Coaching And Support
51:11 Awe Wonder And Work
53:46 Spiral Dynamics Explained
01:00:16 Living Strategy One Page
01:02:59 Future Questions For Society
01:08:10 Circle Of Influence
01:11:17 Workshops Warm Data
01:20:06 Purpose Chair Story
01:21:43 Ubuntu And Boardrooms
01:26:07 Final Reflections And Contact

Trauma is often spoken about as a psychological problem to be cured.
But in this conversation with Dr John A. King, we explore it through a deeper lens: as a sacred path of remembering, reconnection and surrender.
John’s story begins with unimaginable childhood sexual abuse, a total life implosion, and years of fear, shame and survival. But it also becomes a story of grace, love, country, lineage, God and the slow return to himself.
We speak about what trauma does to the nervous system, identity and relationships; why healing cannot happen in isolation; and how reconnection with partner, community, ancestors, place and the divine can become part of the journey home.
This is not a conversation that minimises the darkness.
It is a conversation about what can be found inside it.
More from Dr John: https://drjohnaking.com/
More from Cian and Human Kinder: https://linktr.ee/humankinder

Show Notes
00:00 Life Implosion After Recall
01:10 Podcast Intro and Guest Setup
02:55 John 1.0 to 3.0 Framework
05:25 Early Abuse and Trafficking
07:22 Fear Spiral and Isolation
08:30 Men and Trauma Blind Spots
11:51 Indigenous Lineage and Empathy
15:47 Self Love and Healing Tools
18:03 Building a Recovery Toolkit
22:59 IRAT and Lifestyle Discipline
27:39 Progress Over Perfection
32:24 Melissa and Support Networks
38:11 Soul Friends and New Identity
40:18 Reconnecting to Deeper Self
41:04 Identity And Exclusion
41:46 Cherokee Roots Challenge
42:58 Guided Homecoming Australia
44:49 From Orphan To Tribe
46:51 Why Lineage Matters
48:20 Place DNA And Belonging
52:11 Support The Show Break
26:12 Inner Ancestor Connection
56:21 Faith Spirituality Integration
01:02:26 Christ Coffee Cigars Ritual
01:08:05 Raft Dream Surrender
01:14:28 Daily Compass Trust
01:18:50 Programs Legacy Farewell

It's kind of strange to be human...

We move through life with all of these patterns, reactions, fears, longings, defences and desires operating inside us — and so often we think they are us. We try to fix ourselves, improve ourselves, analyse ourselves, shame ourselves, and somehow become the kind of person who never struggles, never reacts, never gets triggered, never feels messy.
But what if there was another way?
In this episode, I speak with Carey Davidson, author of The Five Archetypes, about an ancient map of human nature rooted in the five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.
Carey explains that we all carry these five archetypes within us. They are not simply personality types, but living patterns of body, mind, emotion, relationship and spirit. Each of us has one primary element — a gift, an Achilles heel, and a doorway into deeper self-understanding.
For Carey, and the people she works with, discovering this primary element brings transformation and relief: a way to stop fixing oneself, understand our patterns, and meet them with more humour, compassion and freedom.
In this episode, we explore how we can see ourselves more clearly, stop identifying so tightly with our patterns, and return to balance so we can grow spiritually in our own unique way. 

Take the 5 archetypes questionnaire : https://www.fivearchetypes.com/questionnaire/

More from Carey: https://www.fivearchetypes.com/

More from Cian: https://www.humankinder.com.au/

Cian’s work with the Soul Alignment Method and upcoming Remember your Soul Purpose course: https://thesoulalignmentmethod.com/remember-soul-purpose-course

What if your purpose is not something you need to find, but something you are here to remember?
I sit down with Soul Alignment Method founder Myles Treanor and psychotherapist Shane Murphy to explore soul purpose, spiritual alignment, and what it means to live from the light.
As someone now training in and working with clients using the Soul Alignment Method, this conversation is close to my heart. It has changed the way I understand purpose, not as a vague idea or a career choice, but as something that can be felt, clarified, and lived through every part of life.
Together, we explore how your soul purpose can express through your career, relationships, health, lifestyle, creativity, and service. We also speak about how your wounds are often connected to your gifts, and how the struggles we move through can become the very material we transform into healing, teaching, connection, and contribution.
Shane shares his experience of moving from uncertainty into a life that feels more effortless and aligned. Myles shares the deeper philosophy and practical structure behind the method. And I share why, after years of psychological and spiritual work, this path helped me listen to something deeper within myself.
If you feel like there is something more you are here to do, express, or become, the Soul Alignment Method is here for you. 
Our 6 week ‘Remember Your Soul Purpose Course’ starts on the 17th May 2026. Learn more here:https://thesoulalignmentmethod.com/remember-soul-purpose-course

Show Notes
00:00 Soul Purpose 
01:19 Podcast Intro
02:28 Myles Origin Story
07:26 Purpose As Light States
11:11 Shane Turning Point
17:09 Cian Meets Myles
20:13 Remember Not Find
24:27 Blueprint With Structure
28:58 Letting Go Effortlessly
32:07 Spiritual Structure Matters
33:28 Phases of the Method
35:50 Alignment Equals Happiness
40:12 Purpose Research and Attention
44:53 Redefining Success
48:35 Staying in the Light Practice
50:54 Soul Aligned World Vision
55:09 Purpose Compatibility Relationships
01:01:59 Course Structure and Dates
01:03:15 Final Reflections and Farewell

In this conversation, I sit down with Mark Edwards to explore what it really means to stay awake in ordinary life.
Mark has spent decades working in high-level consulting, helping large organisations drive results and lead change, whilst also walking a deep inner spiritual path. What I loved about this conversation is that it refuses the false split between spirituality and the rest of life. We explore how the very conditions we often imagine are getting in the way - work, pressure, relationships, uncertainty, responsibility - are actually the most fertile ground for practice.
Mark shares a beautiful framework for understanding his own journey through three phases: pre-belief, belief, and post-belief. We speak about the movement from striving for validation, to seeking spiritual frameworks, to slowly embodying a deeper way of being. We also explore self-love, awakening, leadership, and what it means to bring presence into systems that still need to function, perform, and meet the demands of everyday life.
The deeper invitation of this conversation is simple: to stop waiting for a more spiritual life, and to begin meeting this one with more presence, honesty and love.

More about Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-edwards-consultant/

More from Human Kinder: https://linktr.ee/humankinder
Interested in a Free/Donation based Purpose Blueprint session? Contact Cian via website: https://www.humankinder.com.au/contact
Show Notes
00:00 Awake in the Real World
01:30 Welcome and The Double Life
06:35 Three Phases of Awakening
10:17 Letting Go in the Boardroom
13:06 Mentors and Self Worth
17:41 Soul Alignment Break
18:56 Falling in Love With Self
24:29 The Gardeners Path
29:29 What Awakening Really Means
32:46 Channels of Consciousness
35:40 Neurodivergence as Strength
47:09 Joy and Spiritual Superpowers
48:18 Joy And Attention
48:37 Reading Leaders Clearly
50:41 Neutral Presence Superpower
54:58 Pre Room Rituals
58:48 Honoring Human Systems
01:04:24 Judgment And Open Heart
01:13:03 Practices For Self Love
01:20:10 Spiritual Closet Discernment
01:27:03 Compassion With Boundaries
01:28:51 Humility And Closing