In Search of Gumption: The Blog

Farewell, Righteous Mind.

Omar Shaker — Sun, 19 Sep 2021 14:00:39 GMT

How open is your heart today?

Is your mind too loud to take this question seriously?

Does talking about the heart, annoy you?

Are you angry right now?

Or did thinking about your heart, put a giddy smile on your face?

Are you afraid? Of the pandemic? Of the war? Of inflation? Of AI? Of Poverty? Of the Prom? Of Your dad beating you? Of sex? Of fascism?

Wha…

Ep10. Listeners Commentary

Omar Shaker — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 12:33:00 GMT

We realize that we have been a little tough on fathers. In the past few episodes, we explored how their traumas can be passed on to us, how we can meet their aggression with boundaries, and how we can break free from it all. This episode is about both son and father hanging their archetypes by the door and engaging in a heartwarming conversation that ta…

Feed Your Elephant, Change Your Life

Paul G. Kist — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 19:09:18 GMT

It’s quite fitting that the last chapter of Part 1, we find ourselves receiving some age-old wisdom from Babu, Maskat’s grandfather. These are Maskat’s final days before he and his family are to leave his childhood home, and head for a new life in the United States. As the origin story comes to a close, and are about to embark on Part II of the book, aw…

Good Morning America

Omar Shaker — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 19:03:40 GMT

This post can’t be more perfectly timed. Welcome to my commentary on chapter 10 | Operation Exodus, where Professor Zemunke gets rewarded the oh-so-coveted green card and is moving his family of five to the US of A. In this family, is a begrudged Maskat who has only recently started tasting his freedom. We’ve covered a real-life story of this in the las…

Ep09. Listeners Commentary

Paul G. Kist — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 11:59:00 GMT

Chapter 9, The Highway is all about breaking free and finding ones own path. But of course, none of us can break free from the walls that have contained us without entering into some sort of conflict. Our guest shares with the Gumpcast audience his experiences with breaking out of the family, educational, and even societal structures, and he is absolute…

Break Free!

Omar Shaker — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 13:00:06 GMT

Dudes and Dudettes, we have reached the most critical chapter in part 1. Chapter 9 | The Highway is when Maskat is confronted with what every man has to do at some point during his journey: Break free from his parents/parent-figures in order to find his truths and his own individual path to the “Holy Grail”.

Ep08. Listeners Commentary

Paul G. Kist — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:51:00 GMT

Today’s guest lives in San Francisco but was born in France in 1963 and was raised between Paris and Cairo. When he was 33 years old, he travelled to Greece to find out where his last name was from. We recorded this episode on an island called Kythira where his ancestors once lived, and where we now go visit him in the summer.

Jean Marie is a constant hu…

Shame

Omar Shaker — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 16:41:56 GMT

We're getting close to the end of this first season of Gumption and the Gumpcast. After covering the 11 chapters we will be taking a break from creating and working more on promotion. It seems really hard to do both at the same time.

I have been feeling that I'm not doing enough honestly. And that brings me to the really difficult topic that we are movi…

Revenge and the Shadow

Omar Shaker — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 08:55:18 GMT

It’s Sunday, and here I am typing these words and I’d rather not be doing anything else. It feels good to do what your deep heart desires. Thank you all for clicking that “subscribe” button, and keeping me honest in honing this craft week in and week out.

Hello Rejection, My Old Friend

Omar Shaker — Sun, 30 May 2021 12:49:24 GMT

Rejection is purely monstrous. Its big sharp teeth cut straight through the heart.

As I grew older and stronger, I started fighting that beast back. It only got bloodier. My attention to the beast of rejection made it even bolder, and the war I waged against it, only made it louder and exponentially more viscous.

Can this beast ever become an ally? If r…

Religion and Our Journeys

Omar Shaker — Sun, 02 May 2021 15:01:07 GMT

“But I have no time for such things; and the reason, my friend, is this. I am still unable, as the Delphic inscription orders, to know myself; and it really seems to be ridiculous to look into other things before I have understood that.”
― Plato

Alright folks we’re getting very close to the midpoint and the climax of the first part of the story. The next …

The Father Archetype

Omar Shaker — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 10:32:36 GMT

It’s Sunday again, and I am excited to be back in your inbox! Ready for Chapter 4?. It’s a sad scene this time, bring tissues when you read it.

The Inner Child

Omar Shaker — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 17:38:07 GMT

Hello fantastic subscribers, you keep me going every week and I thank you all for supporting me in doing what I love the most - writing! Every two weeks I cover a chapter by writing blogpost such as this (on a topic relevant to the chapter), and then with an audio interview the following week, with someone who inspired the chapter.

These blogposts are mo…

The Power of Archetypes

Omar Shaker — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 15:53:02 GMT

Thanks for your comments, questions, and edits for Chapter 1! You are really making this process very rewarding, thank you! I hope you enjoyed the first audio episode as well.

We’re now going to be moving to Chapter 2, which is actually where the story starts. This chapter is based on my grandfather who I would love to make this chapter a tribute to h…

Confrontation

Omar Shaker — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 13:01:08 GMT

Hello Subscribers! It’s so thrilling to be able to send you something. By subscribing you are keeping me accountable for creating, which is huge for me!

So thank you. Here is my first official post.

This is how it works:

Every 2 weeks: I will open up one of the chapters for discussion. You can see which chapter we are on by clicking on ‘Top’ on the hom…