The Chris Voss Show - The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Whispers of the Flight, A Voyage to Cosmic Unity by INAM M. INAMULLAH

Episode Date: August 5, 2024

Whispers of the Flight, A Voyage to Cosmic Unity by INAM M. INAMULLAH Amazon.com/dp/B0DB3TLY43/ Whispersoftheflight.com The book delves into a mystical journey inspired by Farid Al-Din Attar’s profound wisdom (The Conference of the Birds). Through captivating narratives and profound truths, this novel invites readers into a world of spiritual discovery and self-recognition, echoing the timeless lessons of self-discovery and the transformative power of following one’s dreams. Among many themes, the book offers readers The Quest for Self-Discovery, Overcoming Obstacles, Unity in Diversity, The Illusion of Materialism, and Surrendering to the Divine. It welcomes all to read and immerse in its pages to see their vision becoming their new reality. The book allows readers to unlock the hidden chambers of their soul and discover a path paved with purpose. Maiah and Zak, two young adults living in New York, decided to embark on a hiking expedition to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Maiah is a student of Sufism, while Zak is skeptical of such philosophies. They joined a diverse group of hikers from around the world with the goal of trekking the seven valleys of the Atlas Mountains, known as one of the most challenging hikes globally. Their guide was Professor Ali Ansari, a sage and academic. Throughout the journey, the group encountered numerous difficulties, often feeling unable to continue. At these moments, Professor Ansari drew on the parables and wisdom from Attar's "The Conference of the Birds" to inspire and rejuvenate the hikers. This wisdom proved effective, enabling the group to overcome each obstacle. By the end of the hike, Zak, who had initially dismissed Eastern wisdom, emerged as a transformed individual, profoundly changed by the experience. Inam, the author, was born into hardship and affected by Polio but found solace in art, turning pain into beauty. Despite numerous obstacles, he became a celebrated artist through resilience and creativity. Inam’s appreciation for Sufi wisdom revealed the universe's mysteries to him. He is also a prolific poet and playwright with international acclaim. The author believes that Sufism is an advanced and more comprehensive version of manifesting self-awareness techniques. One does not need to follow a specific religion to understand and apply the methods and tools described in the book to embark on the path of Sufi personal transformation. All the methods outlined in the book are non-denominational. If you are a fan of Rumi's wisdom, you will love Whispers of the Flight. Happy reading, and may your adventure within these pages be as transformative as it is unforgettable.

You wanted the best. You've got the best podcast. The hottest podcast in the world. The Chris Voss Show. The preeminent podcast with guests so smart you may experience serious brain bleed. The CEOs, authors, thought leaders, visionaries, and motivators. Get ready. Get ready. Strap yourself in. Keep your hands, arms, and legs inside the vehicle at all times because you're about to go on a monster education roller coaster with your brain. Now, here's your host, Chris Voss. Hi, folks. It's Voss here from the ChrisVossShow.com. There you go, ladies and gentlemen. The iron lady sings that makes it official. Welcome to the big show. we certainly appreciate you guys being here.

As always, the Curious Foss Show is a family that loves you, but just remember, we are a family, we don't loan you money. So there's none of that going on. Anyway, we have an amazing author, as always we have amazing authors on the show. Amazing minds that share their journeys, their stories of life, their inspirations. That will make your life better, and make you feel better and learn better. And this is going to improve your life, and make you feel better and learn better and this is going to improve your life during it or else i don't know what the or else means we have the newest author of the new book that's coming out i believe august 16th it's called whispers of

the flight a voyage to cosmic unity boy we need some cosmic unity in the world right now that's for sure enom is on the show with us today We'll be talking to him about his book and his insights. Welcome to the show, Enam. How are you? I am very well, and thanks a lot for having me on the show. And thank you for coming. We really appreciate it. So give us a.com.

Where do you want people to find you on the interwebs? The upcoming book, which is to be released on August the 16th, which will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and 50 other outlets. The website for that is the name of the book, which is whispersoftheflight.com. The second, if you like, since I'm a professional artist, and my name is enamgallery.com. So it's enamgallery.com. And you post some beautiful artwork there.

In fact, there's a beautiful artwork on the cover of the book as well. So give us a 30,000 overview of what's inside your new book. Well, the history of the book, Chris, is this, that I was exposed to an epic poem, which was actually written a little over 900 years ago in Persian language by a Sufi poet named Fariduddin Rumi's teacher, one of the teachers Rumi had and it's a 4500 verses long poem in Persian language. Now I was given a book of about 800 or so verses translation in English language because I don't know Persian language and I read that book and I was given a book of about 800 or so verses translation in English language because I don't know Persian language.

And I read that book and I was completely blown away by all the details in the book, by the profound wisdom and the spiritual depth in the book. And so I decided to explore further, read further, understand further. So I ended up finding a professor of Persian language and I retained her for about six months. So we met twice a week and she walked me through this poem, just poem for six months, twice a week, an hour and a half lesson each day. And more I read and more I got exposed to the poem and the details and the wisdom behind, more I was engaged and got involved with it. So my challenge was that, okay, I learned this, I understood this, but what about an English, an average English reader, you know, people like my kids, I have three sons and how are they supposed to understand the wisdom behind

all these old poems? So I decided to write a novel in simple English language so that the readers of novels today in North America and all around the world can easily follow the novel, enjoy the novel, at the same time, understand the methodology, the theory, the wisdom behind Thar's epic poem and all the wisdom that it brings to the table. So that was the reason how it all started. So as I said, six months of my learning, then six months of my further research, and six months of writing the first draft, and then working with the publishers after that. So that's how it all came about. All inspired now is the thing's called the Conference of the Birds, is that correct?

That's correct. So the name of the poem in Arabic language, although the poem is in Persian, but the name is in Arabic language, it's called Mantikul Tayr, which translates into the Conference of poem is in Persian, but the name is an Arabic language called Mantikul Tayr, which translates into the conference of the birds. And if you allow me, you know, there's a story inside the whole poem is that the birds of the world get together and they say that every nation has a king and why don't we have one? And, and the bird that that's called Hoopo, which is supposed to be the wisest of all birds, and it's in Abrahamic religions, plays a big role. Same bird that brought back and forth

messages from King David. For King David, he comes in front of the bird and says, okay, I know where the king lives in Kohokav, which is the mountains of Kohokav, which is the same mountain that's also discussed in 1001 Nights, the stories of the least. And I can take you there. And the bird said, yeah, we want to go there. And what is the name of this, the king? And he says, the name of the more the name of the king is so they follow poople and he takes them through seven valleys and each valley you know has lots of challenges and a bunch of birds decided to go back at each time but he convinces using the parables and stories and wisdom to move the bird forward to the next level, whoever is left behind. At the end of all this journey, the seventh valley, 30 birds survive

and they reach the destination where they were supposed to reach. And they see that there is no king, but there's a huge mirror and what they see in the mirror is themselves. And that's when the Hupu says that see more also means in Persian language, 30 birds. So basically, it's the concept of unity, that we are part of the divine and divine is part of us. And that's the Sufi methodology, Sufi theory. And so I've used the same parables, same stories, but written a novel for today's reader. Ah, there you go.

What's the overall message of the original book or maybe your book? The message is the same in the old poem and my book, which is inner cleansing. Basically, it's that the theory, the Sufi theory is that we are all on a journey and we are going from one location to some kind of a destination. And the idea is to go through this journey and keep on cleansing ourselves and reach the destination pure. And it is like two drops of water in the river moving towards the ocean. And one understands this methodology, leaves the ego aside, cleans itself. And when it mixes up with the ocean, it becomes part of the ocean. It understands the ocean and ocean becomes part of it.

However, another drop, which does not understand and does not leave all the bad things behind, drops in the ocean in the form of a pebble and goes deep inside the ocean and never to be discovered by anyone, never being part of anyone else either. Wow. There you go. So, it's something that can inspire people and teach them lessons of life, it sounds like. That's correct. I'd also do it yourself. Give us your biography. I mean, how did you grow up? What influenced you? What motivated you down these roads? How did you get turned on to this text, etc., etc.? So, I'm going to start right from the beginning, Chris.

Do it. beginning, Chris. I was born in South Asia and I'm a polio patient. I was infected with polio when I was about maybe one year old. And so I had a very difficult time walking around, but I had to go to school. So when I turned five, I was admitted to a school, but I was not able to play with other children in the school because of my leg and my right leg. And so what my arts teacher did was something fascinating that I cannot, can never repay her because she's not alive anymore, is to take me to the art room every day, five days a week, while other kids were playing out in the field soccer cricket whatever and taught me art

every day and from five years to 10 years for five years basically I learned from her on a daily basis you know five days a week and that's how I picked up the basics of art when I was when I turned 10 I had a couple of surgeries and I was able to then walk properly and take part in sports and all that. But that gave me the essence, the basics of appreciation of the art. Wow. And I continued with it. Went to the university for my bachelor's in South Asia, but moved to the United States in 1984 for my master's in California. I finished it in 86, joined the, you know, the corporate America and didn't have much time to paint. And I'll be very

honest when I was growing up, then was not able to afford paints, you know, or canvas or stuff like that. The only thing we were able to do was to do pencil sketches on paper or charcoal sketches on paper. And I was exposed to oils and canvases for the first time when I came to the United States. And I continued to do this as a hobby, my artwork. But in the early 2000s, I decided to go full time and become a full timetime artist and I do oil paintings landscapes and I'm known all throughout the world now majority of my work goes to Europe but many fine galleries in the U.S. carry my work too a lot of famous places and people have my work are you I don't know where you are located I'm sorry Chris but it so if you the Carnegie Hall in New York has my stuff and

other other other locations too. But I was always involved in multiple areas of art. So I also write plays in Urdu and English both. And we perform, we have a team to perform in here in Atlanta. But we go out to other cities too. Now we have a play, a version of Romeo and Juliet that I wrote. It's going to 12 cities now here in North America starting next month. You've turned into quite the talent over the years.

There you go. You know, it's a great story. You come from, you know, as a polio, you're restricted. But, you know, it's interesting how the turns and problems and things that happen to us in life we learn how to turn those into something beautiful and something that's empowering you know and it's so great that you found a way to do that you probably never would have been exposed to art as much as you were to gain an appreciation for it if not for that you're absolutely correct absolutely correct

that's amazing and not only that you know that to be very honest, it helped me to face the challenges of the world in many ways. And what I do now is that I work with UNICEF and Rotary Club to raise funds as an ambassador to eradicate polio. It's only two countries left now in the world that still has polio. And hopefully in the next five years, we will remove it. There you go. Yeah. So polio was quite the thing back in the day.

Yes. I don't want to see that come back. So now you did some of the artwork on your book. Is that correct? Yes. The cover of the book is actually painted by me. By myself, I spent about six weeks painting that i wanted to keep this book as original as pure as possible so i i started working initially with the cover

designers i said now you know i have to do this myself because that's my area of expertise and i should actually do an original painting that represents the story actually, you know. And so it came out pretty good actually and the publisher to anybody who has seen it said that's one of the prettiest book covers that they have ever seen. It's beautiful, yeah. I hope you might be able to show it on the show.

I'm not sure. Yeah, so what we'll have is when we finish with this final live version, it will be in the pane between us for the product placement. So in the live version, it will be in the pane between us for the product placement. So on the final version, it will be there for everyone to see. It's a beautiful book cover. And so people can be inspired by what they're teaching. Now, does your novel, I imagine, differ a bit from the other book, the other book that you originated the idea from? Absolutely. So the original book talks about the seven imaginary valleys.

What I have done is that I have taken two young adults from New York who like to go hiking. And I have taken them to Morocco, to the Atlas Mountains, which also has seven valleys. And they also cross these seven valleys basically and these are traditional American kids like my kids and you know coming with all the American understandings of how to spend life and western civilization never got exposed to the theories of the past of the east and while they are moving through these valleys of Atlas Mountains in Morocco and hiking, they have a sage, they have a senior guy as their guide who is taking them from valley to valley and there's a big group of youngsters who Europeans and Americans combined who are on this trip

and they face all the challenges and, know some people decided to go back but this the senior guy the guide of the group tells them the same parables same stories that atar told in his poem through the bird hopo to other birds and takes them from one valley to the next valley to the next valley and they finally reach their destination when they reached their destination they are transformed not not only as a successful as successful hikers but also as new human beings because they learn so much throughout their journey and all those learning experiences the wisdom is explained in the book as they go from stage to stage valley to valley there There you go. These are important aspects that a lot of people need to know.

The valley of love, valley of knowledge, valley of detachment. I like that one. Valley of unity, valley of wonderment, valley of poverty and annihilation. Been through that valley in 2008. I think I grew up in that valley, actually. And the valley of the quest. So, these are things you learn about yourselves, and you know, we need to spend more

time looking inside of ourselves and reflecting on what we're doing. It seems like a lot of people, including me, spend a little too much time worrying about what other people are doing, right? That's true. Very true. Well, you didn't agree with me on the me part doing it, but that's fine.

No, I set that up. We do. I definitely do it. I agree. Yeah. I think we all do it to a degree where we all spend loads of time and we're like,

hey, you know what? You should really focus on what you're doing and see if you can do it better and all that good stuff. What do you hope people walk away from in reading the book? My whole idea is that I really want to focus on the youngsters more, I mean, if possible, is for them to understand that there is a lot more to this life than just collecting wealth

and working, you know, 60 hours a week. And the inner cleansing is extremely important you know we clean ourselves every day with shampoo and soap you know but we need to have a shampoo and soap for our inner cleansing also yeah so i'm hoping that's why i drink some of the soap so that it goes down there and does some inner cleaning don't do that kids I'm hoping that this book provides them these chemicals that they need to do some inner cleansing. Whoever reads it. That's my goal, basically. And if I can convey that message to just a few hundred people, I'll be a very happy man.

Because I'll call it a success. There you go. There you go. Inspire the world. Motivate them. So talk to us a little bit about your artwork i see some of it on the website it's incredibly beautiful there's a few examples of the aspen trees i believe correct so colors that's correct so i used to travel for my business earlier i was

in the telecom industry to eastern europe a lot to r Russia, to Finland, and all that part of the world. And they have the best birch trees in the world. When I say best, I mean the most colorful trees that you would see in fall would be in that part of the world. Now, we do have it in North America also. If you go, let's say, Michigan, 75 North north close to the canadian borders mid-october you will see some beautiful scenes some amazing scenes and birch and aspens are cousins you know they they are they belong to the same family of trees so what we have in northeast is more birch and what we have towards colorado and you know middle america is more aspen but they are related to each other and i fell in love with these trees now i used to do every kind of art i was trained to do portraits in the beginning

as a child and but i was doing landscape i was doing seascapes i was doing portraits i was doing abstracts and then i met a gallery owner and that lady said you know if you want to become a professional artist if you want to be known throughout the world for your for your work then you need to select one genre one style and stay with it and because that's how you'll be known when they will see something they will know that this is your work so I stayed with overall landscapes, basically. Trees, you know, is my forte. And I paint different kinds of trees and landscapes. But my favorite by far is the birch and aspens because they give you the impact that no other tree actually does, especially in the art world. So I stayed with them, and I'm glad I did because that's how I'm known

throughout the world. And people, sometimes when I exhibit in, let's say in New York or Boston, I get people from Eastern Europe, they come to the booth and they stand and they look at these trees and they start crying and they start singing sometimes because in that part of the world, it's sort of a religion for them these trees so that's the background of why i started painting this there you go now i noticed that i don't know about all your artwork because i can't see it all these are just samples of a portfolio i noticed you kind of there's a pattern on the three of them that are on here where there's kind of a pathway through the forest between the trees and is there a message there there is a

message i'm i'm i'm so glad that people like you can actually observe that because not everyone does because there is definitely a message that there is hope at the end of the tunnel basically that's the message it's a positive message and bunch of my paintings try I try to give a message in every painting I do you know and and and there are messages I mean I went through my knee replacement surgery three years ago and it turned out to be really painful for me because I developed blood clots as a result and all that and what I painted right after that or during that time sometimes was painting that reflected pain and suffering and it was evident to people who knew art that you know

and actually someone ended up buying those paintings exactly for that purpose appreciating my pain actually but I try to give a positive message and this pathway through the trees is a message that if you start on a journey the journey appears in front of you and you will reach your destination and that's again quoting romi for you there you go i like it it's there's a beautiful this red one with the red trees is really beautiful because there's a blue sky at the end of it there's kind of a blue sky on the lavender one But I like the blue sky because it kind of indicates that well you seem kind of overwhelmed by these amazing amount of trees that Seem before you and there's a pathway, you know, there's blue sky ahead. So there you go

Gotta love it. So give us a final pitch out to people on the book Tell them how they can order it how they can get involved within the work that you're doing art-wise, reach out to you, et cetera, et cetera. So the book, Whispers of the Flight, will be released on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other outlets on 16th of August, 2024. And the e-book version will be available on pre-order starting 6th of August. So I request through your program, through your audience, Chris, if you allow me, is that please go. In the first one week, the book will be only sold. The e-book version will only be sold for $1. Oh, wow.

After that, it goes to $10. The paperback will be $12.99 and hardcore will be $16.99. So if you go after the 6th of August, pre-book your ebook at least, and then download it when it's going to be available on 16th of August, please read it. And my humble request is to review it. Honestly, if you don't like it, say it. If you like it, please say it too. So that's my request. And again, my ARC website is, if you'd like to see ARC that I do, is inamgallery.com, I-N-A-M gallery.com. There you go. Well, thank you very much for coming to the show. We really appreciate it. Do we want to give the Whispers website out as we head out? The whispers of the flight is

also whispersoftheflight.com and if you go on there, there is some information about the book, about me, about some of my background and starting 5th of August, it will also have the functionality to take you to Amazon website

to be able so that you can pre-book the e-version of the book before the release of the day. There you go. Well, thank you very much for coming on the show. We really appreciate it. Thank you, Chris. Appreciate it very much.

Thank you. And thanks to our audience for tuning in. Go to goodreads.com, 4chesschrisfoss, linkedin.com, 4chesschrisfoss. Chris Foss, one of the TikToking, all those crazy places on the internet. Order the book wherever fine books are sold it's under the title whispers of the flight of voyage to cosmic unity by enum enum the thanks for tuning in be good to each other stay safe we'll see you guys next time and that should