Baktash and Najwa Zebian discuss what it means to build a home within yourself, rather than building your home in other people. As someone who spent most of her life aching to be loved and validated by others, Najwa is now able to teach people through her book Welcome Home how to build a strong foundation of self love, self acceptance and self awareness.

Also discussed is how Najwa's Lebanese-Canadian upbringing shaped how she makes meaning in the world, her decision to no longer wear a hijab and depart from the identity of "the good girl" for the sake of others, the origin story of her book Welcome Home, and her thoughts on the craft of poetry. She even reads a poem from the book for us!

Najwa Zebian is a Lebanese-Canadian activist, author, speaker, and educator. Her search for a home was central to her early years as she struggled to find her place in the world.  She recently launched a digital school, Soul Academy, and a podcast, Stories of the Soul. Her fourth book, Welcome Home: A Guide for Building a Home for Your Soul will be released in June 2021. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Glamour, Elle Canada, HuffPost, and more. Her TEDx talk “Finding Home Through Poetry” has been viewed over more than 100,000 times.

For full show notes
https://www.baktashahadi.com/podcast

Connect with Najwa Zebian
Website: https://najwazebian.com/
Book: https://www.welcomehomebook.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/najwazebian

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Credits
Produced and hosted by: Baktash Ahadi
https://www.baktashahadi.com

Audio engineering by: Joseph Gangemi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-gangemi-audio/

Digital Marketing & Media by: Katherine An
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-a-91081b56/

Theme music by: Qais Essar
www.therabab.com

Artwork by: Masheed Ahadi
https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/masheed

Episode Music Credits
"Be Still" by Doug Kaufman
"Horizon" by Cloud Cover
"Pilgrim" by Some Were At Sea