Episode 18: I Just Don’t Wanna Live Scared Anymore: From Childhood Trauma to Embodied Strength — with Nahum Vizakis

Community & SupportIf you’ve been listening to Spiritual Friction and wishing you had a place to have conversations like these, I’d love to invite you to join us.The SoulBody Healing Circle is a monthly online gathering for genuine conversations that go deeper than the surface—with room for healing, relationships, spirituality, identity, and what it means to be human. You can learn more and join our email community through SoulBody Wellness.GuestNahum Vizakis is an author, combat veteran, bodybuilder, executive coach, and medicine man whose work draws from his lived experiences, spiritual exploration, and personal transformation.Episode Summary“I was always a scared little kid.”Nahum Vizakis takes us back to being a frightened child with a stutter and how early experiences shaped his relationship with fear, safety, and what it meant to feel strong.In this conversation, Nahum shares the experiences that eventually led him to decide, “I just do not wanna live scared anymore.”His journey has taken him through bodybuilding, military service and combat, plant medicine, spiritual exploration, and profound personal transformation. Along the way, he began discovering that the parts of himself he had spent years suppressing were not necessarily weaknesses.As he reflects:“That part of me that I was suppressing for my entire life ended up being my superpower.”Together, we explore trauma and the body, stored emotional energy, finding enough safety to begin releasing what we’ve carried, and the role of spirituality and self-trust in finding our way back to ourselves.Nahum also reflects on his near-death experiences, his evolving relationship with mortality, and the sense of purpose that has emerged through his life. Rather than arriving at a final destination, he describes learning to trust the direction his life is taking and remaining open to what there is still to learn.This is a conversation about survival, strength, and transformation—and what can become possible when we begin relating differently to the parts of ourselves we once tried to hide.What We ExploreGrowing up scared, developing a stutter, and entering foster care at 13Bodybuilding, physical strength, and Nahum’s changing relationship with himselfMilitary service, combat, and the experiences that shaped his understanding of survivalTrauma, the nervous system, and stored emotional energyFinding enough safety to begin working with what the body has been carryingPlant medicine, spirituality, and personal transformationThe parts of ourselves we suppress and what they may holdNear-death experiences, mortality, and finding purposeLearning to trust yourself and the direction life is takingWhy lived experience can become a source of connection, understanding, and serviceKey Quotes“I was always a scared little kid.”“I just do not wanna live scared anymore.”“That part of me that I was suppressing for my entire life ended up being my superpower.”“The universe is guiding me. I just have to trust it and allow these things to unfold.”“There’s always more to learn and more to grow. The universe is infinite.”Why This MattersSometimes the things we develop to survive become so familiar that we begin to mistake them for who we are.Fear can become a way of moving through the world. Strength can become something we feel we have to prove. And parts of ourselves may be pushed away because we haven't yet found a place where they feel safe enough to exist.Nahum’s story offers another perspective.What if healing isn't always about becoming someone new? What if part of the work is finding our way back to the parts of ourselves we learned to suppress—and discovering that they may hold something valuable?His experiences also remind us that transformation rarely happens in one moment. It can unfold through the body, through relationships, through spiritual experiences, and through the gradual process of learning to trust ourselves.There is always more to learn. And sometimes, the experiences we never would have chosen become part of how we understand ourselves and connect with others.About Nahum VizakisNahum Vizakis is an author, combat veteran, bodybuilder, executive coach, and medicine man. His work explores personal transformation, spirituality, plant medicine, and the relationship between lived experience and healing.Through his writing, coaching, and facilitation, he draws from the experiences that have shaped his own life and the belief that there is always more to learn, grow, and discover.Connect with Nahum:Website: https://www.optimizinghuman.comInstagram:@spiritual_BodybuilderAbout the HostLaurel LeMohn is an integrative trauma therapist, founder of Redwood Coast Psychotherapy and SoulBody Wellness, and host of Spiritual Friction.Her work explores the intersection of trauma, nervous system regulation, embodiment, spirituality, and the stories we’ve come to believe about ourselves. Through therapy, community, and meaningful conversations, she helps people make sense of themselves by bringing language to experiences that once felt difficult to name.SoulBody WellnessSoulBody Wellness offers community, resources, and meaningful conversations for deep feelers navigating healing, personal growth, spirituality, and the experience of being human.Explore the podcast, join the email community, and learn more about the monthly Healing Circle through SoulBody Wellness.Redwood Coast PsychotherapyIf you’re looking for a space to explore trauma, relationships, self-trust, identity, or the patterns that keep showing up in your life, Redwood Coast Psychotherapy offers virtual therapy for adults in California and Washington.Learn more or schedule a consultation through Redwood Coast Psychotherapy.DisclaimerSpiritual Friction is a storytelling and educational podcast. The content shared is not intended as medical, psychological, or mental health advice and does not establish a therapist-client, coach-client, or healthcare relationship.Guests share their personal experiences and perspectives, which may include discussions of trauma, spirituality, plant medicine, and other sensitive topics. These experiences should not be understood as medical recommendations or guarantees of particular outcomes.Listener discretion is advised. If you are in distress or experiencing a mental health crisis, please seek support from a qualified professional or local emergency services. In the United States, you can call or text 9-8-8 for crisis support.