Content note: This episode addresses recent acts of terror and may be difficult for some listeners.
In this solo episode, Trisha responds to the recent Bondi Beach shooting with a gentle but powerful reminder: cultural intelligence isn't just for crossing borders—it can be lifesaving in times of crisis.
What happens when fear spikes and communities fracture? How do we stay motivated to understand rather than retreat into tribalism? Trisha explores how CQ's four capabilities—Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, and Action—offer a framework for navigating tragedy, trauma, and rising tensions. She honours the diverse heroes who ran toward danger, from Ahmed Al Ahmed to Jessica Rosen, showing how humanity transcends cultural boundaries in moments that matter most.
This episode asks: Who are we standing with? Who are we standing for? And what does it mean to stand together when the world tries to pull us apart? Trisha offers practical guidance on processing trauma while maintaining the curiosity and connection that CQ requires, even—especially—when it's hardest.
If you're struggling, help is available 24/7:
For Australian listeners:
NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
Lifeline: 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online
Join Trisha in this journey of growth and discovery throughout the year via Substack or LinkedIn.
Transcripts
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[00:00:55] Today I am going to be speaking about recent events of terror and trauma, the Bondi Beach shootings and the rising tensions that we are seeing, not just in Australia, but globally. If you're not in a place to listen right now. Please know it's okay to step away, take care of your heart and your mind.
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[00:01:49] Just over a week ago, the unthinkable happened in Sydney. People were gunned down targeted simply because of who they were. Jewish Australians celebrating the first night of Hanukkah by lighting the first candle, and because it is a beautiful place where many would've been enjoying their Sunday very warm evening.
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[00:02:40] Young and old. May peace be upon them. May their memories be a blessing to us all. At the memorial service, two nights ago, the leaders of the local Jewish communities asked us all to stand together. It stayed with me. In a world that's fragmenting, polarizing, and hurting, what does it mean to stand together and what does it take?
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[00:03:07] CQ is made up of four core capabilities, and each one of those matters now more than ever. So firstly, CQ drive motivation. You see when fear spikes as it tends to after something like this, motivation , we retreat, we turn away, we might go inwards, focus on other things. Or we might ignore completely the source or the potential source of our fear, or as we see for many people, some on social media, some in political positions, they attack and they move against people who are different to themselves.
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[00:04:12] There were many helpers, many heroes who intervened on that Sunday night.
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[00:04:51] Ruben Morrison, who threw bricks at one of the gunmen to drive him away and to draw attention to himself instead of the rest of his community was also killed.
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[00:05:28] There were others who shielded and comforted people during the attack. Chaya Dadon, a 14-year-old girl recited a Jewish prayer aloud, to calm two children as she shielded them with her body. She herself was shot in the leg. And Jessica Rosen, a pregnant mom, shielded a stranger's child with her body saying, "I've got you. I've got you. I've heard that recording. It's the calmest voice with gunshots and screaming in the background. Hopefully that will be the memory that stays in the mind of that young child. There was the Bondi Lifesaver who paddled out to save a swimmer who was trying to avoid the gunfire by staying in the water, but he ran outta strength to keep swimming.
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[00:06:40] Many of these people came from different ethnic groups, different religious groups, and we can focus on them. Celebrate them. Name their courage. Let their stories renew your motivation to see the good in people, especially those who are different from you.
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[00:07:34] CQ knowledge means taking the time to learn and to understand. To learn why an attack on a Jewish community isn't just a local crime, but it's rooted in history and political complexity, why oversimplification is dangerous. The temptation to say all Muslims are dangerous has been voiced in social media since it was identified that the gunmen were Muslim, and yet we also know that some of those heroes, the very first one that we all noticed, Ahmed Al Ahmed is himself Muslim, so oversimplification is dangerous.
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[00:08:31] The third capability is CQ strategy. It's where we are leaning into our metacognition and listening to what our thoughts are telling us. And the key strategy that we can use in this area is to pause and reflect. How am I interpreting this event? What assumptions am I making? How am I being influenced by the media I consume? Polarization thrives on fast thinking. CQ strategy teaches us to slow down to question our first reactions. To reflect on how we are being shaped by our background, our values, and perhaps our echo chambers When we say something like this must be because of, and I know I'm guilty of it. Let's pause. Let's ask what else could be true here
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[00:09:44] To gently remind Uncle Bill that Ahmed Al Ahmed genuine Aussie hero is also a migrant, also a Muslim. When we speak about these events online or in real life, to speak with empathy and nuance, not binary, blame, CQ action is what allows us to be brave without being brutal and to challenge hate without adding more harm.
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[00:10:37] Firstly, name your emotions. It's not indulgent, it's survival. Emotions named are emotions tamed. Secondly, move your body. Trauma lives in the body. Walking, breathing, stretching, all help. Release it. Connect. Reach out to someone who feels safe and talk with them. Don't just bottle it up. Switch off the scroll.
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[00:11:35] Let CQ be the framework that sits in your brain. How's my drive? What do I know or what do I need to know? How's my strategy? What am I thinking and what do I need to do? Action. Drive knowledge, strategy, and action For listeners outside of Australia, you might be listening from far away. Perhaps you are numb to another tragedy.
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[00:12:31] So wherever you are, lean in, let your curiosity outpace your outrage. Let your learning of new things spark understanding. Let strategy interrupt stereotypes and let your behavior speak louder than your fear.
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[00:13:17] His cousin spoke about him at the memorial service. His cousin is also a rabbi, and recalled that the message of Hanukah was one of optimism and hope a bit like the message of Christmas. The world is a good place and it's filled with billions of good people. Rabbi Lewis said in remembrance of his cousin, we have to believe that the billions of good acts can dispel the darkness. This is what Eli would be saying, so take care of yourself. Take care of each other.
