SHOW NOTES

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00] Elizabeth Smart: Hello everyone, and welcome to our last and final episode of Season Two Smart Talks by the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. And I'm your host, Elizabeth Smart. I just want to begin by thanking all of our guests that we've had on this season. I mean, I'm just sitting here thinking back over the people who have had, and we had some truly incredible, amazing people this season.

[00:00:59] And, each one of these episodes, I mean, they really do make a difference for me. I mean, as I've recorded them and as I've spoken to the different guests that we've had, I usually spend the rest of the day thinking about something that they've said or how something really speaks to me and how I've felt similar, or I felt the same or, leaves me in a sense of awe at what they're trying to accomplish. And honestly, kind of a sense of comfort as well, because this space is not easy. I mean, it's a hard space to be in listening to the worst moments of people's lives day in and day out, which is why, I mean, I'm so grateful for everyone who's a part of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation team. But as well as all these other individuals and organizations who come on and they talk about what they've experienced and what they're trying to do, and, it's really an honor for me to be able to be here. 

[00:02:00] And I've certainly learned a lot as I've gone through this process of listening to others and asking them questions. And that's a very special experience for me personally. And so I so deeply appreciate that. 

[00:02:18] And I appreciate all of our listeners so much as well. And for those of you who have left comments and who've left questions and who have said, you know, "I'd love to hear more about this," or, you know, "here's a question" because that really helps us know what you want to hear more of, what you're interested in, what is speaking to you. And that is, that is so helpful. Because sometimes when it's just left up to me and I'm like, "I think we should do this," it sometimes crashes and burns. And so it's really helpful. So thank you so much to all of you listeners, all of you who have left your comments and left your questions. That really helps. 

[00:03:05] I feel like this season was very emotional for me and it reminded me why I continue to do everything that I do. And it gave me hope. It helped me to remember that there are so many good people out there that are willing to dedicate their lives to helping others. And if that's not inspiring, then I don't know what is.

[00:03:39] I am the last person that wants to just sit around and waste my time and waste anyone else's time. So having those moments of hope and those moments of realization are very important to me. And remind me that this is a good thing to do. So thank you, I've now been going on and saying thank you now for a while. But I had to do that. 

[00:04:01] As I look into the future and as I look into what the Elizabeth Smart Foundation hopes to achieve and hopes to plan, I am so optimistic. The truth is, is I don't know if we'll ever be able to eradicate sexual violence, human trafficking, rape, abuse, but I do believe we can make a difference.

[00:04:25] I do believe we can turn the tide and we're going to do that through education. We're going to do that through empowerment. We're going to do that through self-defense, we're going to do that through knowledge, and we're going to do that through awareness. I mean, together, I think we can, but the important thing is, is that we have to begin having these conversations.

[00:04:48] I mean, I know I've mentioned this experience a few times on the podcast already, but I will never forget, I was the host of a TV show for just a few seconds. And I went to do an interview, and I was able to interview these three different women. And they each shared their story with me, which their stories were all different. But the same, in that each one of them was raped while they were in college. Now they were legal adults, you know, the youngest was 18 when it happened. And yet each one of these strong women, intelligent women, and these, these were not just ignorant women. I mean, they were intelligent, smart women, but each of them, when they were raped, none of them knew that what had happened to them was rape, because they knew their rapists and I mean, as a child, thinking back, even for myself, I thought rape and sex was the same thing. Like, I didn't think that there was a difference, which is why when I was raped, it made it that much worse because it made me feel that much more dirty and that much more filthy and that much more worthless, because I wasn't pure and I wasn't a virgin anymore. 

[00:06:09] And these women, I mean, they thought that somehow it was their fault. And because they didn't have the knowledge then to know, to put the name to what it was, they were treated as if they'd been complicit in it. And there wasn't anything that was really done. And ever since that day, that one experience, but I guess it was three experiences because it was with three women, honestly, that is what drove me to start this podcast. That has been what's driven me to forge ahead in the foundation because I never want a woman or a girl or a man or a boy, or any other human being to be raped or to be sexually assaulted and not know what happened to them and feel like somehow it's their fault for what happened because that's not right and it's not fair and they never ever deserve that. And so that is why we started this podcast. That is why we do everything that we do at the foundation. Because I don't want that to happen to anyone else. 

[00:07:17] I look at my, I have three children and I have two daughters. My youngest is a girl and my oldest is a girl. And I look at them in particular, but my boy as well, my little son, I look at all three of my children and I want the absolute best for them in life. And, honestly, it terrifies me when I have to have conversations with them about being safe and what's okay, and what's not okay. And you know, what if someone says it's a secret and they can't tell anyone, but then they start to touch them or they're inappropriate with them or they start hurting them or, you know. And as they get older, those conversations certainly grow and develop. I mean, I'm not having the same conversation with my two year old that I have with my six year old. And every time I have this conversation, which I should be used to it now, because I talk about it with them, I feel like all the time, but I'm not. 

[00:08:18] But as my, especially my oldest is she keeps on growing, I'm like, oh no, I've got to do it again. How do I make sure she really understands that this is not okay? How do I make sure she really knows that she's not groomed or manipulated into a situation where she thinks that someone hurting her or being inappropriate with her is okay.

[00:08:40] I mean, it's terrifying. It's absolutely 100% terrifying. And so I get it. Believe me, I absolutely, 100% get it. And that's why I feel like this is so important. So we have these conversations. As we, as frankly, as I listened to these guests who come on the episodes, I learn and I get tools and I become better informed on how to deal with the different situations that we have.

[00:09:09] And I think ultimately, I mean, kind of a conversation jump, but not really either. I mean, there's so many things that. I want my children to know. I want everyone to know, but in particular like my children, you know, I want them to know that I love them unconditionally. There is not anything that they could do that would make me stop loving them. I will always be there for them. I will always have their corner. I want them to know that. That is so important to me. 

[00:09:43] But as far as the world goes, I have this very strong belief in the resiliency of the human spirit. I know that we can be damaged. I know that we can be hurt. I mean, I know that we can be killed. Absolutely. We can be murdered. We can die. Those are all very real, but I also believe that there is within us, this spirit that can truly overcome just about anything. It's not easy and it's, I believe it's hard and it takes work and it takes support. But I do believe that we are, I mean, it's ultimately what I feel like separates us from, from animals.

[00:10:33] And sometimes there are, there might be a few human beings who maybe are not so separate from animals considering what they do and the choices they make. But I believe that the spirit of resiliency that resides within each of us really can take us so far in our lives and that we can come back from just about anything, but we can not give up. We have to keep trying, we have to keep holding on.

[00:11:01] It's important to me that survivors and victims and, and frankly, all of us know that I believe that each one of us is born with value. Each one of us is born with worth and that nobody else, nobody else can do anything to take that value or that worth away from us.

[00:11:22] So, I mean, when I was, you know, when I was kidnapped when I was raped, I mean, I felt like I was worthless. I felt like because of this man raping me, he had stolen my worth from me. He had turned me into garbage. I mean, I really felt that way. And I want anyone else who's experienced anything similar or maybe nothing similar at all, but just their own struggle themselves to know that they were born with this worth, that you couldn't even put a monetary number on you were born with this, you know, incredible worth that can never, ever be taken away from you. No matter what anyone does to you, or no matter what anyone says to you, that worth will always be with you. You are. That is what you are. 

[00:12:15] And the third thing that I would want people to know at the end of this Season Two is that every single one of us, no matter where you are, who you are, or what you're doing, we all have a story and our story's not over. It's still continuing, but we all have a story we could share. I know I could go up to the next stranger on the street and, you know, start talking to them and find something that I'd be like, wow, they'd be amazing to come on the podcast and talk about this or come talk about that. Or, you know, I could sit and listen to you all day because you're incredible. 

[00:12:53] We all have a story. That's ultimately what I'm saying. I mean, we've all experienced hardship in our lives. We've all experienced struggle. And if you haven't, thank your lucky stars, enjoy the moment and prepare for the future because it will come.

[00:13:09] Just wait. It will come. So enjoy your happiness while you have it. And don't give up on it. Remember it when you're going through your hard time so that you can draw on it and, not go back to it, but reach forward to it. 

[00:13:22] But what I am saying is we all go through these struggles and ultimately, you know, it's not the struggles that make us who we are. I mean, do they affect us? Absolutely. Would I be doing a podcast? Would I have a foundation? Would I, I don't know, be some somewhat of a public figure, had I not been kidnapped? Honestly, probably not, probably not. So things absolutely affect us, but I don't believe that they define who we are. I think what ultimately defines who we are are the choices that we make, or the decisions that we make, how we respond, how we react, what we do next. Do we, you know, do we decide to give up, do we decide to hold on, decide to hold onto our hope, to keep moving forward, to believe that this is one more step in our journey?

[00:14:16] And maybe we're scaling a cliff right now. Maybe our step is very vertical, but do we keep going? Do we allow this to, to, you know, destroy us? Or do we not give up on ourselves? You know, one of our former guests on our podcast, I think it was first season, but she said she put purpose to her pain and that's what made all the difference to her.

[00:14:41] And I wish so badly I came up with that saying, "putting purpose to pain," but I didn't. But that stuck with me ever since she said that. And as I've gone out and met other people, I've certainly seen so many others putting purpose to their pain. And that is incredible. That is amazing. 

[00:15:01] So remember that the human spirit is resilient. It is strong and it is powerful. Remember that you are of infinite worth. You are infinite worth. And that bad things happen to us all. Nobody gets a "get through life free" card. This isn't Monopoly. Everyone has struggles, but it's not the struggles themselves, that define us. It's the decisions that we make afterwards. So I want to say thank you so much for sticking around and listening to our podcast, for your input, for everything that you've shared with us this second season. And we look forward to continuing to receive more input and more suggestions for season three.

[00:15:57] And we look forward to starting up season three next year. And thank you again, and God bless you. Goodbye.