From across the ditch to Oz, Dave beats the odds to achieve success
Living Beyond Limits is not your average motivational book. It maps out the trials and tribulations of a very gifted and talented Dave Brebner. He outlines how he has achieved personal, social and academic success, when many thought he was simply not able to. Journalist Darren McErlain reviews Brebner’s new book that showcases the stories behind the stories. Grab your copy today. You won’t be disappointed.
If determination was measured on an earthquake richter scale, Dave would have generated enough energy to rattle every building for the next thousand years. Grab a copy on your Kindle and find out why and how simple words on a page can move mountains! If you write down five goals, you will be highly motivated to chase them after reading Dave’s story.
In this book, Australian Comedian Anthony Ackroyd describes Dave’s psychologicial circuitry as an “acrobatic Brebner brain” when it comes to his mental energy. Dave uses his self-confessed “grasshopper mind to show how he has battled the challenges associated with Tourettes Syndrome, tics, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). After reading his story, I have concluded that he is one of the most successful human beings on this planet. Dave’s spiritual drive will help you reflect on your own life, and will help you overcome your own obstacles, to achieve things that you thought were impossible.
It is evident in this book, Dave has used his beautiful family values, his Christian faith and his musical creativity to beat all odds to work beyond one of his first jobs, of packing rubber bands in boxes. A lifetime of learning experiences has seen Dave become a qualified electrician, receive several diplomas, and earn Masters in neuroscience. The icing on the academic cake is that he is now writing a PhD thesis investigating neuroscience and diversity in education and the workplace. No doubt about it, he is one very smart cookie!
All this hard thinking has helped millions of people across Australia, New Zealand and now the world in so many ways. If this this book doesn’t reset your frame of mind today, it will open a new passion to improve yourself tomorrow. After reading the book cover to cover, and re-reading some chapters, I am in awe of his amazing sense of humour to overcome adversity. There is a key theme in this book that highlights the importance of building resilience in life. Dave uses real-life stories to show how a person can build personal courage, to move beyond the obstacles that get in the way of success.
Securing your copy should not be delayed, so you can learn about his near brush with the rich and famous on the global stage. Dave writes about the inspiration he experienced when his school received a visit from New Zealand MP David Lange. Mr Lange eventually went on the become the Prime Minister! Australians may fondly remember him as a celebrity guest on Sale of the Century back in the 1980s on Channel 9. It was the words that Mr Lange said at the school assembly that “social justice awakened me”. There is a theme of equality, fairness and justice throughout the book and Dave uses this drive to bring these values to the world with his words on the page, and when he leads by example in society. He is a truly remarkable human being.
Dave also has a history of using music to bring messages of faith to Christian groups. He played guitar in the band Hedgerow in New Zealand and worked closely with late singer Margaret Urlich! In addition, his personal experiences and the relationships he formed at the Rehab League were truly inspirational, and reading the connections he made and the concepts he learnt have proved invaluable for Dave. There are certainly no spoilers here, but the stories he has shared and the words he has chosen to bring that connection into the heart of what he is passionate about. You will feel this as you hang off each word in his book.
Dave has enlightened the world on how his tourettes, and tics are not a disability, but have given him the ability to leap over obstacles, resist setbacks and rise to the occasion. From simple play as a child with siblings, to work-related challenges, to high-order thinking as an academic – this book encourages those who are disheartened by their challenges to redefine their (dis)ability. Dave has worked in blue collar and white-collar jobs and is now a leading academic inspiring many across Australia, New Zealand and around the world.
Dave has a strong heart and is driven by those around him. The strong sense of family values comes through all stages of his life to show a deep appreciation for his role as a son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather. He has extended this value system to work colleagues and is now helping others build resilience around the world with his new book. He speaks about a “strong sense of social action” and “values of compassion, generosity, and helping those less fortunate.” The tireless hours of developing this text is destined to change the lives of many, and the guidance he has brought me through his selected words on the page were very moving. There are some ideas in the world which I no longer see as the same, because he has redirected my thought processes with personal motivation towards life’s objectives. This book will do the same for you.
The spirit of Dave’s Catholic school education sets the framework for this book that brings light to the way we approach the challenges in life. The elements of forgiveness in the book are heartwarming, when he reflects on his education by the Christian Brothers and their response to the involuntary noises he would sometimes make in class. This book has a beautiful recount and reflection of his early education by Mary MacKillop’s Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in their brown habits.
It brings true inspiration to the reader and helps anyone become a good leader. The flashback to his observations of the nun in full habit rolling around the playground to wrestle his misbehaving brother with “rosary beads flying” brings good humour to his narrative, and the importance of being humble. It is the true spirit in this story and how being humble helps one rise above unwelcomed experiences in life. Dave doesn’t wear a cape, but he is certainly up there with all the other superheroes in the hall of justice.
This book will teach you about who you are and what you can become. The importance of knowing yourself comes through the book very strongly and the importance of self-esteem and identity is paramount. Dave knew his own body better than the medical profession, and he would try and seek ways to mask or solve the issues as a way of trying to move forward beyond the barriers. This book is a true reflection of self-empowerment and is written in a certain way that inspires the disheartened and downtrodden. It is driven by compassion, and it is this empathy that will want you to read on for more.
Dave adds on to this compassion with the designated words that he uses. Dave energisers the different parts of his life to keep the audience in suspense with where his experiences of life will take him next. He was once described by a family member as a “grasshopper” and you can hear him passionately jump from idea to project to be successful in a busy world. He sets the scene of his early life in New Zealand with descriptions that will take you beyond your own visualisations to immerse you in the scene as if you are there.
This book will make you feel truly blessed for what you have and what you know. You will also feel truly blessed after hearing Dave’s stories, and you will feel honoured after getting to know him through this book. I have known Dave for more than 20 years and I had no idea there were so many stories behind his stories. I am honoured to know him, I am in awe of his perseverance, I feel so fortunate after reading this book.
Dave deserves to be highly praised for his work, and the world will forever live in gratitude for sharing your journey. I strongly encourage everyone to order your own copy read it. Dave has enriched so many lives and he deserves the best of success. Congratulations, my brother…
Darren McErlain is a journalist with Australian Independent Radio News. He presents Drive on Newy 87.8FM in Newcastle 7 days per week, and has worked as a Primary teacher for more than 20 years in Sydney’s west.
Living Beyond Limits – My Struggle and Triumph over Tourettes Syndrome. By Dave Brebner & Anthony Ackroyd, Published by Write my Fire (2024). Launched on Kindle on September 10 through Amazon.
