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 on findgumption.com.

How can we use technology to amplify our lives rather than drain them? I traveled to Switzerland to reconnect with my old roommate to discuss this very important question on my quest for gumption.  Check out this episode with engineer Islam El Ashi, as he takes us on his journey from optimizing ads for Twitter to using his abilities to help Syrian refugees, send a camera into the stratosphere, and now to help build the world's biggest internet computer blockchain. His perspective will get you thinking about your everyday life and relationship with technology from a lens that will help you amplify your gumption versus letting tech drain it. Enjoy and let us know if you started playing with these concepts in your life at findgumption.com

What do you do when your brother attempts suicide? How does one show up? What is best for them and where do you draw your own boundaries? Join us on this new Gumpcast episode recorded a few months ago in San Francisco. I interviewed my guest about how he found gumption through that very hard time for his family's mental health.  In this tender episode, we cover: - Our takeaways from the Wisdom 2.0 conference - his story with his brother and how he addressed it as well as how it changed him - The future of mental health - We also attempt to define the word gumption!  Don't miss this one. We want to know: - Did you have any similar experiences how did you show up for your loved ones? - What do you think is the best way to address such issues? Show notes: Wisdom 2.0 Conference Gabor Maté and his work on Trauma Rick Doblin and the Multi Association of Psychedelic Studies David Simas - My American Story Loving Kindess Meditation (Metta) Dr. Kristen Neff - Self Compassion An experimental depression treatment uses electric currents to bring relief

We all have a story to tell and stories have a profound impact on what we do. Which stories can save lives? Which stories can be a form of healing for others? 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 Super Humans. 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 In Search of Gumption is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. http://findgumption.com

How do we challenge our stereotypes about other cultures and humanize others beyond what we assume? My guest today, Mina Girgis, believes that learning about music and listening to other people’s music is the path forward. What happens when we bring curiosity to the music we listen to? Mina is a musical anthropologist and current Director of Education, Campus and Community Engagement at UC Berkley CalPerformances. Mina is also the founder of The Nile Project, where he used the power of human connection via shared musical culture to tackle one of Africa’s most challenging sustainability conflicts: The River Nile. Whether yo are into classical music, to gypsy music, or electronic and hiphop, we’ll cover how any music tells a story that can help us understand life and humans on a more fundamental level. Sample performance from the Nile project:   Notes: Romani People/ Gypsies The Nile Project: http://nileproject.org/music/musicians/ Illuminations - Human and Machine https://calperformances.org/learn/illuminations/illuminations-2022-23/ Othering and Belonging Institute https://belonging.berkeley.edu/

There are many voices that tell us to express our truth, but almost none that tell us to do so with grace and respect to our loved ones and their truth. Our anonymous guest spent 14 years building his own sense of safety before coming out as a homosexual man in a society that was directly opposed to it. It is remarkable how he created space for his mother, a member of that society, to live her own story. Our guest today bravely shares his journey of conscious self-acceptance, while waving a tapestry of love to hold his family despite their conflicting views on homosexuality. “I wanted us to go through it together. I did not want to become someone they did not recognize” Today’s Gumpcast story will leave you with: -A new perspective for what it looks like to speak your truth, while holding space for others. -A model for how knowledge can help build a sense of self that is shielded from society. -A deep probe into how the gay identity is engineered for a Western society. How the Arab homosexual identity is inspired by it but does not relate to it. -A big question in the end about the history of man and our relationship to nature. 9 min Bonus Soundbite next week! There is a segment of the conversation that took us on a riff where my guest shared a lot of the history of homosexuality and the “scientific”-ization of it with Freud and Eugenics. He masterfully pieces together the bits of history as he discovered them in his quest to understand how society reacted to homosexuality, from political will power, and the utility of the Gay identity. We decided to cut it from the episode but will make it available as a stand alone 9 min segment this week. Stay tuned for a follow up soundbite at findgumption.com  References: Desiring Arabs Paperback – Illustrated, September 15, 2008 by Joseph A. Massad (Author) Orientalism Paperback – October 12, 1979 by Edward W. Said (Author) Desperate housewives scene: Bee’s son comes out Juste une question d'amour,TV Movie 2000 1h 28m Contracorriente (VOST) 2009 ‧ Romance/Drama ‧ 1h 50m

What do you want? What do you value? What do you long for? What is yearning to heal? What do you want to be possible for your community or for the world? What if your body already knows all the answers to these questions?   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. In this episode: Her story of holding space for her mother’s passing away, and how everything she learned in the field of Somatics prepared her for for that moment. What is the Soma? How is it different from the body? How we identify what we are longing for and become a commitment to it? Practical Live session: I offer myself as a guinea pig for all of you, Stacie offers offers me a live session to heal my aching heart, and give you a taste of what working with Somatics looks like. Enjoy, Omar       “Resilience is the ability to somatically, holistically renew ourselves during and after oppressive, threatening, or traumatic experiences. We are able to shift ourselves, physiologically and psychologically from traumatic hyperalert states to calmed cohesive states. It is the ability to regain a sense of hope and imagine a positive future.“ - Staci K. Haines Show notes: The Politics of Trauma Strozzi Institute Somatic Programs: Declaring a New Future The Tibetan book of living and dying Healing Sex: A Mind-Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma

How does one take care of heartbreak? What messages do we get from society when going through a heartbreak? And how does it actually impact us compared to breaking an arm or a leg? 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 Join the conversation at http://findgumption.com

Join the conversation at findgumption.com What happens when we excavate our race/identities and the demons that they carry? Hatim El Tayeb, CEO and Ex-Dean of the African Leadership Academy, tackles his identities as a Sudanese who grew up in Oman and Egypt, studied in Boston and now living in South Africa. 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.

We’ve all been there. Everyman, 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. What happens when we listen to our dicks not working versus try to “fix” them, as we do with everything else? Two of my longest standing friends from high school and I, 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 Leave a comment or email me us at thegumpcast@gmail.com or if you just reply to this email if you are already subscribed. We want to hear your stories. Send them.  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

Why does talking about gender feel complicated these days? Is there an imbalance between our Masculine and Feminine? 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 Bert Hellinger Victim hero villain triangle Anima and Animus Carl Jung The Multi Orgasmic Man Mantak Chia

Subscribe at findgumption.com 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? We’re back! We start Season 2 with a deep and delicious discussion around our relationship to nations. 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. 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. About Omar Dajani: 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 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 If you liked this, stay tuned for the upcoming weeks, we will release some more short soundbites from this episode! On behalf of the Gumpcast team, Thanks for listening! Omar Shaker

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 very special episode where they discuss their relationship. In this episode they cover: Immigration, and the risk of leaving it all behindAssimilation and identity in the diaspora of ones’ homelandThe relationship between fathers and sonsAnd the experiences that helped mend their relationship Have you ever thought you are more like your parents than you want to admit? Join us as our host discovers this very thing in conversation with the man that raised him. And pour yourself a glass of Trader Joe’s Secco, while you’re at it.

Have you ever had an experience of breaking out of your own status quo? Often times breaking free is met with resistance. How have you dealt with this kind of confrontation? 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 lifePsychedelics and its role in the altering of perceptionA 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 epigeneticsAnd 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.

Do you have a dark side? Have you ever acted in ways that surprised you, that seemed out of your own control? 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?

Is revenge a dish best served cold? Are there other ways to restore power? 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.

Have you ever had a bully? Have you ever bullied someone? Have you ever gotten revenge on your bullies? 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 experienceHow Omar reclaimed power after an experience with his own bullyWe 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?

Were you brought up in a religious family? How did your relationship to religion change as you grew up? 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?