Breaking Free
Rania Kurdi
I’m Rania, a transformational life coach, comedian and former host of the Pan-Arab TV talent show Pop Idol.
I will be sharing my own life adventures and those of my inspirational guests from all over the world to discover how they found their authentic voice and purpose, in hope that it will inspire you to break free from whatever is holding you back.
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Top 10 Breaking Free Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Breaking Free episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Breaking Free for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Breaking Free episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Personal stories of sexual abuse
Breaking Free
09/28/21 • 49 min
WARNING:
The stories in this episode may trigger you and result in flashbacks if you yourself have experienced any form of abuse in the past but have no clear memory of it as the trauma was too painful and your subconscious may have suppressed it.
Discussed in this episode :
The difference between sexual harassment and sexual abuse (1:00)
Different types of sexual assault (2:15)
Defining child sexual abuse (2:45)
Reasons why most victims don't report sexual abuse (4:13)
How sexual abuse impacts health (5:35)
Celebrities who spoke up as survivors of sexual abuse (6:00)
My own personal story of sexual assault at the age of nine (7:00)
Revisiting the place where my assault took place thirty-eight years later (12:28)
Several stories of sexual assault that happened to a woman by someone she knew, a complete stranger and her own husband (marital rape) (15:00)
Child sexual abuse story that happened at the age four (17:56)
Sexual abuse stories of a young boy by his teachers at school (21:20)
The pressure of needing to act more masculine as a young man in order to protect the self from being blamed that being effeminate encouraged the sexual abuse (25:20)
A story of sexual abuse by teachers at University and the impact it had on damaging intimacy or relationships with men years later (29:28)
A man's story of sexual assault that resulted in blackmail (34:10)
A woman's story of sexual and physical assault by a stranger whom she took to court (35:23)
Dating app. story of male harassment (39:21)
A disturbing account of a young girl molested by her adult cousin who raped many other children. This story is read by an actress (43:26)
Resources mentioned:
National sexual violence resource centre :
https://www.nsvrc.org/publications/fact-sheets
Let’s connect!
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On sexuality-Part 2
Breaking Free
09/21/21 • 41 min
My guest Madian Al Jazerah is a successful businessman and human rights activist living in Jordan. His story is a story of searching for identity and worth.
In Part two of the episode of Breaking Free- On sexuality, he shares an honest account of how the Gulf war left him knowing what it was like to be a refugee, coping with depression and having to go into witness protection in San Francisco after being gay bashed and much more.
He is described in the preface of his incredible memoir " ARE YOU THIS? OR ARE YOU THIS? " as:
"A Palestinian but wasn't raised in Palestine, Kuwaiti-born but not Kuwaiti, British-educated but not a westerner, a gay man out of the closet but still living in the shadows."
Things we talk about :
- The impact of the Gulf war on Madian and his family (2:00)
- A dark time in Madian's life (7:30)
- Saved by Ellen in San Francisco and outed as Gay (9:30)
- Learning to lie from a young age (11.00)
- Madian comes out to his siblings by FedEX when he thinks he has cancer (12:00)
- Witness protection (15:00)
- Moving to Jordan and finding familiar faces from Madian's life back in Kuwait (16:20)
- Succeeding in business with Zuwwadeh restaurant and Books@cafe (18:00)
- The hell of living in Limbo in Texas (26:35)
- New York, abuse and recognizing a victim pattern (28:00)
- Madian's search for his real name and identity after the loss of his father (32:00)
- Visiting Jenin (35:45)
Madian Al Jazerah's memoir ARE YOU THIS ? OR ARE YOU THIS? :
Let’s connect!
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Bullying
Breaking Free
09/07/21 • 30 min
In today's episode about bullying, I talk to Lisa Hunter who was born and raised in South Africa and moved to the UK in 2001. Lisa struggled with bullying herself from the age of 16 at a new school.
It was the support of her family and a very special biology teacher, which helped her cope with some of the darkest of times when she contemplated taking her own life. She then went on to experience bullying again as an adult in the workplace. Robert was a very close friend of Lisa's in Johannesburg who died of suicide after coming out as a gay man to his parents but was rejected and bullied by the whole community. Robert was unable to find support at the time and Lisa founded Robert’s Wish in 2015 so that no-one else need go through the loneliness that Robert felt. She works extensively supporting the LGBTQ community, youth and parents navigate their way through various challenges related to bullying and strives to make a difference where possible.
WARNING: Suicide is discussed in this episode
Points discussed in this episode:
- How Lisa begun to be bullied at the age of 16 when she moved from Johannesburg to a new school in the UK and then in the workplace as an adult (1:20)
- What helped Lisa cope at school (4:46)
- Getting an apology years later (7:52)
- What thought stopped Lisa from taking her own life, when she felt all hope was lost (8:26)
- Cyber bullying (9:28)
- The power of listening (10:30)
- Simple ways you can feel less alone and vulnerable (12:45)
- The reason behind founding Robert's Wish (17:37)
- Why bullies bully (21:45)
Connect with Lisa:
https://www.instagram.com/robertswishapp/
https://www.facebook.com/RobertsWishApp/
Let’s connect!
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Life with Alopecia
Breaking Free
08/31/21 • 43 min
My Guest and beautiful friend Houda Echouafni describes herself as a human, mother, actor and everything in between. Born to a Moroccan mother and an Egyptian father who died when she was young, she moved to England when she was eleven years old and had to learn English to cope in a London secondary school.
She then discovered drama and a love for Shakespeare and decided to train as an actor.
Houda started out as a presenter with MBC and worked in film, TV and was in a production with the Royal Shakespeare company until the outbreak of the Covid virus brought a lot of stress and change. Not long after, Houda discovered she was losing hair very quickly and is now learning to live with Alopecia as she continues to raise and homeschool her four children.
This episode will discuss :
Houda's childhood memories of her life in Morocco where she was raised by her grandmother (1:10)
The challenges of moving to England (age 11), managing in an Inner city secondary school in London without speaking English (3:30)
Finding expression outside of language in drama class was a revelation (10:20)
Drama school adventures (13:00)
Discovering hair loss and learning about the autoimmune disease Alopecia (17:00)
Wigs and an empowering moment (28:00)
How finding a tribe and community for support and solutions was vital (29:00)
Questions about choice, hair and hijab (35:00)
Connect with Houda:
https://www.instagram.com/houdaechouafni/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1445342/
https://www.facebook.com/houdaechouafniactresss/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/houda-echouafni-37074622
Let’s connect!
Resources mentioned:
Brit school: https://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk
Microblading
https://www.diniwigs.com/coping-with-hair-loss/
Magnetic eyelashes
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Messages from beyond with Susie Tamim
Breaking Free
08/10/21 • 23 min
Susie Tamim is an Irish spiritual guide, psychic and Reiki master who lives and works in Amman, Jordan. Her memoir "Only Time Will Tell" is a personal journey of faith and attunement through the healing powers of universal energy. I thoroughly enjoyed not only reading it but also narrating the audio book, available for Free on Youtube. Susie's life has been one adventure and challenge after the other and talking to her about her second book on Breaking Free, sounds like there is far more excitement to come.
This episode includes:
A short clip from Susie's audio book Only Time Will Tell (00:50)
Susie loses her mother when she was 14 years old but receives a special message through a medium years later (2:15)
How Susie becomes a medium (3:40)
Susie joins Royal Jordanian Airline as a flight attendant and moves to Jordan (5:15)
Discovering healing abilities (7:30)
How a young Palestinian boy in a coma teaches Susie patience and how to believe in herself (10:00)
Susie has a near death experience after a burst appendix (12:00)
Susie survives a serious car crash (15:40)
My mystical journeys and initiations (20:22)
Susie's message to us all (22:30)
Connect with Susie:
https://www.facebook.com/susie.tamim.35
https://Instagram.com/susie.tamim.35
References:
Only time will tell - FREE Audio book:
Only time will tell on Amazon:
Let’s connect!
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Balancing Motherhood & Career
Breaking Free
05/02/23 • 35 min
From Yale to Managing Director of a leading tech platform: My guest, Hala Siraj, shares her story and insights on the joys and challenges of being a working mother
in a world that expects "Women to work like they don't have children, and raise children as if they don't work" which is a recipe for Mommy guilt.
Discussed in this episode:
- Growing up in a household where both parents worked and had high expectations for their daughter's career (2:00)
- The importance of having a support system when balancing motherhood and career, and letting go of the need to be perfect (5:30)
- Overcoming the struggle for perfection by using the "different people in the front seat of the car" analogy (11:15)
- Finding comfort in knowing that other successful women also struggle (14:30)
- Being a role model for her daughters and finding purpose in her work (16:45)
- Opinions on co-parenting and the challenges of balancing responsibilities (19:00)
- Experiencing guilt and pressure to fulfill the expectation of being a "perfect" mother, can cause Hala to stay up all night after missing a playdate to exercise (21:40)
- How Hala's previous job in investment banking prepared her for her current role (25:45)
- Dealing with doubts and stereotypes as a young female managing director (30:30)
Connect with Hala:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halagrams/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hala-s-273a1737/
Email: [email protected]
Let’s connect!
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Clowning with confidence
Breaking Free
04/26/22 • 34 min
If you feel stuck and unfulfilled doing what you are doing and wondering how you can make a fresh new start; do listen to this fun and inspirational chat with my guest Rania Khoury.
She found the confidence to leave a successful corporate career after two decades, when she took a (values in action) VIA test and discovered that her true strength lay in her skill to be playful. Her love for learning and exploring new possibilities and challenges, helped her discover so much more about herself and led her to finding her true passion as a laughter wellness leader and a medical clown with the Red Noses NGO in Jordan.
Discussed in this episode:
Rania begins to make different choices as she gains more awareness about herself and what she values most (3:30)
Always wanting to improve herself, she changed her old school directive management style, through taking a life coaching certification and discovered a new passion (4:40)
Taking the' values in action' test VIA, was a key moment in discovering Rania's number one strength which was playfulness and humor (5:30)
Discovering laughter yoga (7:40)
The difference between laughter and being silly. We experiment laughing together (10:45)
Rania joins Red Noses to help people in need in Jordan by becoming a medical clown (15:20)
How corporate work focuses on the areas that need improvement instead of capitalizing on your strengths (22:10)
Swimming the Bosphorus sea in Turkey from the Asian side to the European side, broke another limiting belief (23:30)
How the glamour of uniforms swayed Rania initially towards a corporate career that seemed to portray confidence, only to find her true confidence grew wearing her uniform as a medical clown (28:40)
Three valuable tips that can help you create your own authentic path (32:30)
Connect with Rania:
https://www.instagram.com/raynia_r/
References:
Let’s connect!
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Confidence through music
Breaking Free
04/11/22 • 32 min
My guest is Suad Bushnaq, an incredible Jordanian-Canadian composer of Bosnian, Syrian, & Palestinian roots.
She speaks Arabic, English, French, Spanish, is fluent in both Western & Middle Eastern music & is active in both the film & concert world.
Her music, described by the BBC as 'reflective & touching', tackles themes of identity, loss, war, peace, & coexistence.
She has scored award-winning feature films & shorts that have screened at festivals around the world. The latest of which is the feature film SALMA's HOME which I am proud to have played the role of Lamia in. In this episode, we discuss some of the challenges and painful times that Suad faced in her life that changed her career path, as well as the beautiful moments that helped shape the woman she has become today. I hope you find her unshakeable confidence and passion about her work as inspiring as I did.
Discussed in this episode:
The beautiful discovery, that I was unknowingly an artistic influence early on in Suad's life before being part of the film (SALMA'S HOME) together (3:15)
The reason Suad was encouraged and supported by her parents to become a composer, who also instilled in her the confidence needed to follow her dreams (4:00)
How the sudden loss of Suad's mother changed her life path for ten years (6:15)
A degree in maths and teaching came naturally as Suad enjoyed the math and architecture in Johann Sebastian Bach's music (9:50)
The artist reawakens in Suad as the film industry starts to bubble in the Arab world (11:00)
Suad describes herself as a workaholic and composes soundtracks for forty films in just seven years (15:00)
Motherhood was another major shifting moment for Suad and how she found reading 'Bringing up Bebe' helped. (16:00)
'The borrowed dress' score was about losing family members as Suad grieved her own father and unborn child (24:30)
How Suad has an unshakeable confidence in her ability as a composer (29:15)
Connect with Suad:
https://www.instagram.com/musicbysuada/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/30k85HCLHOFmPzKQCC5uKZ
https://www.youtube.com/user/SuadBushnaq
Tickets for MAY 7th 2022 at Coventry Cathedral, UK
https://www.bpso.org.uk/coventry/
References:
Free PDF download of book, Bringing up Bebe
https://www.seecoalharbour.com/bringing-up-bebe/
McGill University
Malcolm Gladwell's book 'Outliers'
Johann Sebastian Bach
Let’s connect!
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My father's story- Khaled Kurdi
Breaking Free
07/27/21 • 36 min
This episode of Breaking Free is a special one, recorded from my home in Amman-Jordan with my Dad as my guest. My father dreamt of becoming a pilot when he grew up, it seemed like an impossible dream as the fifth child in a big family with very little income or education.
I love how he didn't let this stop him from believing and eventually manifesting his dream. He taught himself English from magazines and dictionaries, studied flight manuals and saved up money working as an electronic technician in the Gulf till he managed to reach a flight school in America. His goals didn't stop there and unexpected surprises from the Universe were around every corner, one of which was a very special meeting with His Majesty King Hussein of Jordan.
Today, we discuss:
The early days growing up with Kurdish/ Circassian parents in Jordan as a middle child of nine siblings (2:00)
Joining the army and training as an electronic technician (6:10)
How his eldest brother sent him to the frontline in Qibya, Palestine as punishment just before the massacre in 1953 by Ariel Sharon (10.44)
A job in Qatar and Kuwait helps him save the money he needs for flight school (16:00)
From Liverpool to New York in nine days by boat and a 6 day trip by bus to L.A.(21:30)
A surprise visit by King Hussein of Jordan (23:00)
Training in France on a jet caravelle and hired as a first officer in Royal Jordanian airlines (26:00)
Trained on the Boeing 707 (28:10)
A move to Iran Air that was cut short by the Islamic Revolution in 1978-79 (28:45)
Tri-star and bigger dreams (30:22)
After retirement (34:22)
What my Father would say to his younger self and younger generations (35:19)
Let’s connect!
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Overcoming SHAME
Breaking Free
11/02/21 • 22 min
In this episode, I talk about shame. Where it originates from and how to overcome it. Shame keeps us small and gains power when we keep our feelings a secret. Unidentified and unexpressed, shame can lead us to hurting ourselves with perfectionism, addiction, eating disorders or suicide. We also hurt others with bullying, aggression, blaming and sometimes violence.
We aren't born with shame. Society and culture create shame in us as a means of control. We can feel shame about our accent, colour, gender, feeling pleasure, negative feelings, height, weight etc..
I look up and share wikipedia's description of guilt and shame societies. In individuals, guilt is when you feel bad about something but shame is when you inherently feel like a bad person. It is okay to feel sorry for what you have done but not for who you are. Shame doesn't help you move forward as it only leads you into a spiral of hopelessness and self-hatred.
Shame researcher and author Brene Brown explains how empathy and sharing is the antidote to shame. I include her 5 steps towards shame resilience and the 8 types of people to avoid sharing with that do not have the empathy and compassion required as a trusted listener.
Discussed in this episode:
What wikipedia tells us about guilt and shame culture/socities (0:40)
Some of the many things we feel shame about (2:40)
Rejection is a significant threat (3:15)
Individualist and collectivist cultures (4:00)
What is shame? (4:40)
Shame researcher Brene Brown description of how we deal with shame (5:15)
Brene's five steps for shame resilience (6:10)
Sheila Kelly's talk (Let's get naked) talks about the first offense of shaming (11:30)
My own shame family cycle (14.10)
Sharing your shame with a compassionate person is healing (16:00)
The 8 people NOT to share with (16:15)
A summary on how to deal with shame (21:00)
Let’s connect!
References:
https://www.shortform.com/blog/brene-brown-shame/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilt–shame–fear_spectrum_of_cultures
Sheila Kelly ( Let's get naked) Talk : https://youtu.be/Lrdn4lazVBc
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FAQ
How many episodes does Breaking Free have?
Breaking Free currently has 60 episodes available.
What topics does Breaking Free cover?
The podcast is about Culture, Health & Fitness, Healing, Motivation, Arab, Society & Culture, British, Creativity, Women, Personal Journals, Mental Health, Podcasts, Inspiration, Freedom, Coaching and Confidence.
What is the most popular episode on Breaking Free?
The episode title 'Balancing Motherhood & Career' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Breaking Free?
The average episode length on Breaking Free is 36 minutes.
How often are episodes of Breaking Free released?
Episodes of Breaking Free are typically released every 13 days, 21 hours.
When was the first episode of Breaking Free?
The first episode of Breaking Free was released on Apr 27, 2021.
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