I was really nervous for this podcast.
Elizabeth Smart has been through so much trauma. And I’m sure everyone says that to her. Was she sick of hearing that after all these years?
I wanted to learn how she survived. The kidnapper came through her window, held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. He said it was religion... God, that made him do it. But she saw through them and their evil.
Elizabeth said, "From a very early age, my parents said, 'You'll know a person by their actions. If they're a good person, they'll be doing good things. If they're a bad person, they'll be doing bad things.' So despite the fact that my captors constantly said, 'God has commanded us to do this. We don't want to do this, but we have to,' it was always pretty easy for me to separate what they said from actual faith because they were hurting me."
I asked her about escape... and how she rebuilt her life back. She was just fourteen when she was kidnapped.
Now she's an advocate. She started by going to Washington with her dad. They spoke to congressmen about the "Amber Alert" we all get on our phones when someone is kidnapped. Now she has a two-part movie series on A&E called "Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography" and a new movie coming out on Lifetime called "I Am Elizabeth Smart." These movies help us discuss a terrible issue.
1 in every 4 women are sexually abused. And one in six men are sexually abused, too. "I can talk statistics," she said. "But for me, personally, those numbers did not sink in until I started meeting them and they started coming forward and saying, 'Elizabeth, I've never told anyone this before, but when I was your age..."
I think that's what struck me the most about Elizabeth. Everyday she focused on the tiniest things to be grateful for. Even in the worst moments she never forgot that gratitude is often the key to meaning.
This podcast is not about the horrific details of Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping. It’s about the endurance of a survivor.
This is her story.
Clear Horizons | A Dialogue with Shane Parrish
Deep Questions to Avoid Shallow Relationships
Jocko Willink’s Tactical Playbook
The Dual Sides of Victory | NFL Star Malcolm Jenkins
The World's Most Successful Gambler | Billy Walters
Scott Adams | Reframe Reality for Happiness and Success
Ask Altucher! EP07: How to Unlock Your Twenties
Four Billionaires and a Parking Attendant: Strategies from the Minds of the Wealthy and Wise | Chris Ullman (Part 2)
How to Become the World Champion of Your Favorite Hobby | Chris Ullman (Part 1)
Ask Altucher! EP06: The Legacy Dilemma - What We Leave Behind and Why It Matters (Or Doesn't)
Anxiety, Art, and Appetizers | Inside Jeremy Fall's Creative Journey
In Honor & Memory... We Hear an NYC Air Traffic Controller’s 9/11 Story: How Chris Tucker Saved Lives
When the Game Was War: A Journey Back to the NBA's Greatest Season | Rich Cohen
How to Pivot Your Life Multiple Times | Bruce Feiler
Hooked on the First Line: The Sensual Syntax of Nabokov's 'Lolita,' 'Ada,' and 'Laughter in the Dark'
The Making of a Legend: How a Criminal Became a Champion | Frank Shamrock
Deciphering the Global Economic Puzzle | David Rubenstein
Hooked on the First Line | 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' with Cal Fussman
Unmasking Shadows with Chuck Palahniuk | Fight Clubs, Killer Families, and Deep Reflections
Locked In & Breaking Out | Ian Bick - Part 2
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Ask Altucher