This Season II Finale is a double feature - Enjoy 80 minutes of crying, laughing, real talk and allowing ourselves to hang loose and be silly with improv actor, teacher and facilitator Stacie B.

I know that this finale will inspire you to think of how you express yourself, what things may be repressed within you, and an overall picture of how expression impacts us through a lot of our trademark vulnerable storytelling which we hope you know us for by now.

It’s been an honor to create these episodes for you. Please help us fund the third Season by becoming a paid subscriber!

Thanks for listening and supporting this work.

I love you,

Omar

I traveled to Switzerland to reconnect with my old roommate to discuss this very important question on my quest for gumption. 

Read more

In today’s polarized world, this episode could not be more timely.

My guest, Dr. Gautam Gulati - or Dr. G- is a speaker, doctor, and “Status Quo Agitator”. He is the founder of The Well Home and host of the multiple award-winning podcast SuperHumans.

He takes us with him on a trip to Kenya, where a treacherous accident opened him up to the power of storytelling, and created the framework that shaped his current life and work.

After listening, we want to hear from you in the comments, what stories shaped who you are? Which of your stories do you feel are important to share with the world?

Leave a comment

Read more

Read more

Staci Haines, Somatics teacher and practitioner and Author of The Politics of Trauma breaks this down for us in an another authentic and vulnerable Gumpcast conversation about why Somatic therapy is changing people’s lives, how it can help you embody your declarations, heal your heart and tap into your deepest longings.

Leave a comment

Members - don’t miss out on the Bonus Clips and show notes included in your subscription!

Soundbite #1: 10 mins - How do we heal our relationship with the body? Practice ways in everyday life to start reconnecting with your body. Learn how to grow your ability to hold complexity in the world.

Soundbite #2: A longer (30 min) Demo of the coaching session Staci gave me for a deeper dive into how the Somatics process works.

Member Zone: Show Notes, links and Bonus Episodes below.

We appreciate the support and offer many more perks for members in addition to exclusive soundbites for $7 a month or $65 a year. This makes our work possible.

If this cost is prohibitive and yet you want access to this information and to be part of the intimate conversation just send me an email telling me what is going on with your life and I will grant you complimentary access. No questions asked!

Read more

Scroll below for Spotify and apple podcast versions.

In this most vulnerable episode, I discuss all of the above with my Sherin Wafaai, my ex-partner. Together we tell our two-sided story and then dive into what her vision for a place that can tend to heartbreak is. If you stick to the end, you'll also get to hear one of my poems read by her called "Heart Break Hotel" 

Let me know your thoughts in the comments on youtube or on the blog below

If you liked the poem read the rest of the heartbreak collection here:

Join the conversation at http://findgumption.com

Help me spread the gumption if you like it.

Share In Search of Gumption

Subscribe now

Google Podcasts

More: https://thegumpcast.podbean.com/

We’ll cover our journey in uncovering out identities, and reflect back on our relationship in high school and how far we have come on these topics.

We quickly realize that opening up some of these old conversations is a major opportunity to own up to our ignorance, and celebrate what we have learned about ourselves since.

Show notes and links

• Identities in Sudan: The History Behind Sudan’s Identity Crisis

• How reading fiction can make you a better person.

Spotify:

Apple Podcast

Every man - no matter big or small, healthy or sick, young or old - has realized, one way or another, that his penis can defy his brain’s directions. Women are left to think what is wrong with them.

We tend to either swallow our shame cake alone in a dark room, or shove it in the other person’s face.

Today we inquire about happens when we listen to dicks not working versus try to “fix” them, as we do with everything else?

Join me and two of my longest standing friends from high school, as we take turns to share three stories from our early twenties, where we first experienced the dreaded penis-not-working syndrome for different reasons.

This is followed by a raw roundtable Q&A that produced an honest conversation. I guarantee you. You will not hear anything of the sort anywhere else. Join the conversation at findgumption.com

Show notes and links

• Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance [Philosophy Novel]

• Stress-Induced Erectile Dysfunction: Personal and professional stress, such as relationship trouble, is the main reason for ED in middle-aged men. [Healthline Article]

• Porn-induced Erectile Dysfunction: It is hard to prove outright that pornography causes ED, but these testimonies replicate findings from the clinical literature: that if men can kick their porn habit, they start to recover their ability to become aroused by real-life intimacy. [The Guardian]

• Full list of drugs known to cause Erectile Dysfunction [WebMD] 

• Practicing and Measuring Self Compassion

Find it on your favorite Player

Spotify:

Apple Podcasts:

Google Podcasts

More places to listen to: https://thegumpcast.podbean.com/

Sumaya Holdijk, massage therapist, birthing doula and self-described space holder shares her stories about sexual harassment in Egypt, and the practices she has learned over the years to come more into her power.

Join the conversation at findgumption.com

Show notes and links

• Chi Nei Tsung (Abdominal Massage)

• Family Constellations by Bert Hellinger

• Victim hero villain triangle

• Anima and Animus Carl Jung

• The Multi Orgasmic Man by Mantak Chia

Find it on your favorite Player

Spotify:

Apple Podcasts:

Google Podcasts

How much do you understand your national background? What is your relationship with your local environment? And what kind of ideologies move you without realizing?

My guest Omar Dajani, is an American Palestinian law professor, and this is his story about how a college debate opened him up to explore his Middle Eastern origins, and took him on a journey to become part of the Negotiations Support Unit of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the late ninteis.

Omar lives in San Francisco and is a Professor of Law at the University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law. He grew up in Texas, and lived for a long time in Palestine where has been part of the Negotiations Support Unit

In this episode we tackle:

• The experience of being a dual national, and how nations are intertwined with our imagination.

• The complexities of nationalism and the many ways it shapes our world.

• We ask: Is nationalism always bad? If not, can it actually propel us forward?

• The Palestinian occupation, and the grim reality of how far we’ve come from the end of the nineties. Is there any hope? What does it look like?

• White nationalism in America, and how a lonely world is driving people to look for more structure. Are we at risk of a fascism?

• The power of the local, and why talking to those who trigger us is critical to humanity.

BECOME A MEMBER FOR Extra SOUNDBITES, GROUP CHAT AND SHOW LINKS AND NOTES BELOW

Join the Whatsapp Member Chat

Merkel, refugees, and the Neo-nazi backlash

The difference between Ethnic and Civic Nationalism and the Greek experience of democracy and pan-ethnic nation

The Syrian identity, the Muslim impact on our Egyptian constitution and taking the genome into account

Things we mentioned (and further reading!)

• What makes you Antifragile?

• An Ode to Heartbreak: A book of poems and meditations, on losing relationships, nations and friendships.

• The Palestinian First Intifadah

• Imagined Communities: Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism by Benedict Anderson

• What Makes a Nation? By Ernest Renan

• Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah

• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

• A Land for All: The Two States, One Homeland initiative

• The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World That's Pulling Apart by Noreena Hertz

Are emotions a distraction from the rational? Or is it really our superpower as humans?

On our season finale, we are joined by our friend and honorary grandfather (and Omar’s honorary grandson), Atta Pilram. Atta shares with us his own journey on learning about his emotions, through family, business, and especially in his art. Omar and Pilram take a deep dive into creativity and the importance of emotional intelligence in our ever-transforming world.

This episode covers:

• How it felt growing up in Iran, and the many ups and downs of Atta’s life.

• How feeling into your emotions can be a healing experience.

• Creativity and its pursuit.

• The limiting nature of making yourself a victim.

These are all covered through Atta's plethora of stories and imagery, as he reflects on his whole life from a 5 year old kid to a 68 year old grandpa.

Sit back, relax, and reflect. What is your relationship to this world of emotions?

Would you bring on one of your parents to be a guest on your podcast? Well, we did just that! Paul invites his dad, Dr. George Kist, to join him on a special episode where they discuss their relationship.

Listen on Youtube or Apple Podcasts.

Here are all our favorite moments and a summary below

Moment 1: Family Legacy Shaping Our Reality

Delve into a powerful conversation between our producer Paul Kist and his father, George. Tune in to the full episode above, as they explore the challenges and rewards of rebuilding a father-son bond and its impact on their journeys.

Moment 2: Love Conquers the Generational Distance

Growing up, Paul & his dad weren't close. Hear Paul open up about the journey to healing their relationship & the surprising impact it had on him. Listen to the full episode of The Gumpcast to discover the power of mending your roots.

Moment 3. Can We Heal by Seeing Our Fathers Through New Eyes?

There's more to our fathers than meets the eye. Paul Kist talks to his Dad on The Gumpcast about embracing a new life in the U.S. and the stories behind his journey. A true gumption example! Join them to discover the power of connecting to our roots. Listen to the full episode now!

Moment 4. Family bonds are one's most renewable resource

First backpacking trip together... ever? Believe it or not, for Paul & his Dad, this was the start of a beautiful journey rebuilding their bond. Listen to the full episode of The Gumpcast to discover their heartwarming story!

Moment 5. Leaving Home, Finding Courage

Our anonymous guest shares his own adventures with resisting convention and authority in order to carve his own path. He has had to confront the institutions of education, family and the law and through these experiences he forged a philosophy conflict: when it has a purpose, and when it’s fruitless.

In this episode we cover:

• Our guest’s experiences and adventures through his life

• Psychedelics and its role in the altering of perception

• A look at the current state of affairs, and the impact of greed and unchecked power on our world

How can we break free from what binds us in purposeful, life affirming ways? What makes conflict virtuous?

Sit back, pour your favorite beverage, and join us for this very important and candid conversation!

Every hero’s journey has a dragon. Have you met yours yet? Sometimes our dragons do not appear in places we expect. How about our own genomes?

In this episode we are joined by Jean Marie Stratigos, PhD. Jean Marie is a Social Anthropologist and until very recently has worked for the UN as a humanitarian officer.

In this episode we cover:

• Jean Marie’s foray into the world of Etioanalysis.

• We traverse the topic of generational trauma and epigenetics

• And we touch upon an untouchable topic: our own shame

This is the dragon in every hero’s journey. Spoiler alert: That Dragon is You.

You learn more at www.etioanalysis.com or contact Jean Marie Stratigos PhD at jmstratigos@etioanalysis.com.

The truth is, we all have these shadowy parts of ourselves, that we try to ignore or repress. It’s that part of us, as Carl Jung describes, that is not in our own awareness, but shows up in certain circumstances. Usually leading to sticky situations.

In this episode we are joined by Relationship Educator and Coach, Ryan Ginn. In the episode:

• Ryan shares his expertise on the topic of the shadow.

• He introduces to us a healing modality called Internal Family Systems (or IFS), as a way to help individuals understand and reclaim their own shadows.

• And we do a live demo with one of our hosts!

Things get very real in this episode, so sit back, relax, and see if you can find yourself in this conversation. If you were to lift the veil of your own psyche, what would you find?

Hello everyone, this is Paul Kist again, I decided to hold onto the reins for one more show, to continue the conversation we started last time in Part 1 of this conversation. Omar reluctantly but graciously allowed this stunt to continue, and I so appreciate what came out of it.

Revenge is a tricky thing. There's a certain amount that serves only to injure and perpetuate toxic cycles. But there's also the lack of it, which also allows a violation to go unvindicated. 

There's no doubt, we are elated to our very core when our movie heroes get the bloody revenge they've been seeking. We also can't deny the depth of healing that can come from more restorative ways to bring the scales back into balance.

But sometimes, you just want that bastard to pay. 

We go further into Maskat's world, as he wrestles with the aftermath of his own revenge story, and we discuss these really complex topics. We would love to hear what you think in the comments below! 

Bullying is something almost all of us have experienced in some way growing up, either as the bully or the bullied. This topic has gotten a lot of attention in the public discourse over the last few years. The weapons are not just fists and physical intimidation anymore. With the internet comes more ways a bully can try to assert dominance or inflict shame upon another. And the impacts can be devastating, and in some cases the damage is permanent.

In this episode we talk about:

• The origin story of Maskat’s bullying experience

• How Omar reclaimed power after an experience with his own bully

• We introduce the topic of revenge and its purpose when it comes to bullies

Looking back whether you were bullied, or were a bully, how have you processed these experiences years later?

It is Sunday and I am back! This time with my wife, who had and continues to have a very interesting relationship with religion and the different ways we get to experience God.

In this episode:

• Her story from trying to please God by getting veiled to rebelling after someone tried to shame her in acting a certain way.

• How she found God in a way that is more meaningful for her.

• The basics of self-love, self-compassion, and healing!

• Why chapter 5 is so important for the story, and why I chose to create so much tension around the protagonist’s relationship with religion

How far did you make it in the book?

Read Chapter 5 | Morning Glory

ANNOUNCING A 2 WEEK INTERMISSION

Alright, we’re halfway into Part I now, so it is time to get up stretch, and grab a new bag of caramelized popcorn because the story is about to get to its climax!

For the next two weeks, I will still be sending you updates as well but instead of commentaries and episodes, I will be asking you questions for your feedback! I want to know what you think of the episodes, chapters, and commentaries before I continue the broadcast!

So please this chance to read some more chapters and to take a deep reflective breath.

We will resume with commentary on chapter 6 on the 30th of May. Paul and I decided to give this show a two-week break in order to prepare for the wild experiments we have for Gumpast Episodes 6,7 and 8 coming to you this June!

You can also catch up on reading the book if you haven’t yet. There are 11 chapters published on this website. You can check it out here on the index.

BOOK INDEX

I come to you this Sunday with a cup of warm conversation that is one part aggression and two parts real talk.

I really enjoyed recording this with one of my oldest and closest friends, Khaled Sallam. In this episode, I take a stab at dissecting masculine aggression with one of the most loving and considerate men I know.

We’ll cover:

• His story is featured in Chapter 4 | Taurus Strikes.

• Is there any good that can come from aggression?

• What happens when men are not allowed to feel?

• How do we grow out of bad experiences? Where do we find salvation?

Cheers. I will leave with the words Khaled uses at the end of the episode:

“I hope my pain can provide a literary device for you".

See you next Sunday, as we move onto Chapter 5 | Morning Glory

Leave a comment

Share In Search of Gumption