The Dark Side of Always Pushing Through with Giveton Gelin
August 30, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Why listen
A jazz musician's story of how staying busy became a way to avoid his own pain.
Enjoy the episode?
Subscribe to Shaping Freedom With Lisane Basquiat
In this episode
- What functional depression looks like when you never stop moving
- How slowing down and listening to yourself changes what you create
- The difference between pushing through and actually processing what you feel
- What it means to make a personal vow to fully embrace your life
About this episode
What happens when always pushing through becomes the very thing keeping you from slowing down and facing what you feel?
In this episode, Lisane sits down with Bahamian jazz trumpeter and composer Giveton Gelin to talk about his journey, his Haitian-Bahamian roots, and the pressure to keep moving forward even when something deeper needs attention.
Giveton opens up about becoming a “functional depressive,” staying busy to avoid dealing with what was happening internally, and learning to slow down, listen to himself, and live more intentionally. They also discuss his song I Solemnly Swear to Live, a personal vow to fully embrace each day and keep choosing life.
A conversation about the dark side of perseverance, the importance of self-reflection, and what it really means to give yourself permission to live.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About Shaping Freedom With Lisane Basquiat
Shaping Freedom is a podcast about emotional leadership and legacy; examining the inherited patterns shaping how we live, create, relate, and build. I’m Lisane Basquiat - a legacy healing strategist, creator of the Shaping Freedom framework and a steward of a global cultural legacy.
See all episodes →
