It took me years to admit that I needed to see someone. Even longer to actually do it. It seemed as if talking to someone would be admitting I wasn’t strong enough somehow. I don’t have depression. I don’t have a mental illness. On the whole I’m a bright, bubbly person. But I had created a false persona around myself that had caused to me to hate the person I had become. And that was a cause of great unhappiness in every aspect of my life – from work, to love and family. Hercules’ gift is to see through all the layers I had created. And give me the tools to help myself to discover who I actually am, rather than tell me who I should be, to help me to understand why I had subconsciously created my life around me. There is a certain amount of pain involved in coming to these realisations of life-long patterns, but also a huge sense of relief and release of finding truth and beauty hidden somewhere in there. Hercules can see that truth in you even if you can’t. To then help you to be able to see that truth in yourself is a very rare gift indeed.

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr Hercules Kollias talk on how your thought process can be changed to benefit you in everyday situations. His talk was informative, fast paced and very funny at times, yet gave a strong message that anyone could understand.

I can now apply this way of thinking to my personal and professional life to enhance any situation.

Regarding Hercules Kollias, the first thing that comes to mind is a quote from U.S. auteur David Lynch. Lynch said something like, “If you can describe a film to your friends, why make it?” Hercules is similarly difficult to describe. If I could explain to you exactly what he does, you probably wouldn’t need to see him. Me neither.

But I can tell you these things: he listens to you speak and then he says something. What he says usually strikes me as being exceptionally perceptive. He is, without a doubt, the most perceptive person I have ever come across. Yet it is not for this trait alone that I recommend him to you. For instance, he has many other fine traits; he’s empathetic, friendly and funny, he even looks suave in a hat, something I’ve never achieved, no matter the hat or the occasion.

No, I recommend him to you first and foremost because he leads by example. He is a prime example of what he teaches. Coming to grips with the problems life presents to each and all of us, is no easily achieved feat. When I took action, I found I needed a good helper and a source of inspiration. Hercules Kollias is such a person.

When I started working with Hercules I was feeling lost and empty. Despite having a very successful career as a professional Engineer and at the same time being an Australian Champion and record holder in Powerlifting I felt I was not living my purpose and had reached the point where I was screaming on the inside that there must be more to life than this.

Hercules quickly helped me let go of the parts of me that that were not the real me and helped me find my passion in life. Now I love my life and feel I am living my purpose, speaking to inspire and motivate people to be all they can be. I have learnt to transition from success to significance.

Firstly it is important to note that the privilege to attend talks by Hercules Kollias has not only increased my understanding of how to give a good speech, but has also enriched my own knowledge of how to stick to goals and achieve happiness with what I do.

What strikes me the most about Hercules’ talks is his approachable nature without compromising the validity of what he is talking about, a skill achieved by balancing his natural charms against his almost unnatural knowledge on human nature.

Not only can he achieve this balance, Hercules can also intuitively adapt to an audience. He appropriately simplifies abstract ideas into simple analogies, which ease almost any crowd into understanding what is often esoteric but importantly relevant information about human nature and psychology. I must also add that Hercules has a savvy knack for using imagery during his talks, always adding a rich visual guide to what he talks about. Hercules offers a rich understanding of what he speaks about to those who listen.

I met Hercules in a tumultuous time of self-imposed darkness and despair. Not only did Hercules sense my inner turmoil, but he proceeded to give me a detailed account of my journey to that point. He did all of this without any prior background knowledge of my circumstances. This on it’s own would be remarkable, but Hercules’ gift goes well beyond this point. Hercules has the ability to see into a person’s heart and soul. Upon sharing his insight with a person, he then shows them a clear path to their healing and development.

Hercules sheds light on our past, our current situation, and on the possible journey to recovery and fulfilment. I say ‘possible’ because I have learnt that ultimately, once we have been given the light, it is our choice whether we follow it.

Who the hell am I? At the ripe young age of 40, I was in crisis. I had spent so many years morphing into what I thought others expected of me (partners, my ex-husband and parents) that I had forgotten who ‘I’ was. Being a people pleaser does have it’s draw backs! I had just been divorced, had returned to the workforce into a job I was grappling with and most importantly was struggling with being on my own. I was scared. I was living with a stranger. I didn’t know who I was and emotionally I was like a pendulum swinging from one extreme to another in the quest, and ultimately disappointment, of trying to find out ‘which personality’ fit. Such an exhausting and painful period on reflection.

A very dear friend of mine (and client of Herc’s) had the courage to say to me “You need to speak to Hercules, and right now.” I was sceptical – I am not one for psychobabble or self-help, but I do respect a friend’s courage to speak up. So I called Hercules, and the rest is history. Hercules has a ‘straight between the eyes’ approach that is refreshing and liberating. He put all the theory into a language I could stomach and understand and helped me to find myself. No “Under the Tuscan Sun’ romanticism here. There was pain, there the dreaded reality checks, but at no time did I feel judged or uncomfortable. Hercules is very honest and his ‘way’ forced me to be honest too. He made me be authentic in his presence and trained me to be authentic on my own. I learned who I was and learned to love me.The gift of being back at the helm of my life is invaluable and I am grateful to my dear friend for pushing me to see Hercules. I met Hercules a shell of a woman and today I stand tall – confident, strong and very ‘true’ to me. Turns out the best person to fit me was me all along.

When I was in my early twenties, life took a strange turn. From the outside, I seemed fine to most of my friends and family. But inside, I was an absolute mess.

Most people would assume that the one person you can always understand is yourself. However, I had managed to reach a point where I had totally lost touch with myself and life was heading in the wrong direction – fast.

When Hercules came into my life, I was close to giving up. But after our first session I already felt a change in my situation. Hercules has a gift of seeing the ‘real’ you, even when it is clouded by things such as anxiety. I trusted him immediately and when I began seeing results after only two or three sessions together, I could barely believe it. Although it was Hercules guiding me through the process, he always made me feel as though it was me who was achieving the change. He helps you find the strength and positive qualities that have always been there. Two years on, I have to pinch myself to believe that so much change has occurred. As a writer, I need the clarity and strength to communicate my thoughts confidently. I’ve enjoyed seeing the improvements not just in my life but in my writing. I feel as though Hercules has given me the tools to independently go through life achieving my goals and truly being myself.