Emad Shargi

The following is a sample taken from one of Emad Shargi's keynote speeches about resilience:

"I’m here today to share my story with you and to tell you how resilience helped me survive being an American hostage in the Islamic Republic of Iran. During those five and a half years, I was arrested twice, came very close to being shot, was held in solitary confinement for six months, and almost died the night Evin Prison was set on fire.

Adversity will come our way in one form or another. Each of us will encounter hardships, trauma, and loss. What matters is how we protect ourselves and what we do with those experiences. How can we transform tragedy and trauma into positive & life-changing tools?

I’ve tried to understand what made me resilient enough to handle such a nightmarish roller coaster. I can tell you that resilience isn’t just a single trait or characteristic; it’s made up of many different parts. I think of resilience like a toolbox, filled with the tools needed to build body armor to defend oneself from hardship and life’s unpredictability.

Today, I want to share with you the five tools I ultimately used to survive those five and a half years. These aren't just survival tools; they are principles that can strengthen one’s personal life and offer shelter and solace from life’s challenges. So, what were my five survival tools?

• Integrity
• Optimism
• Empathy
• Humility
• Gratitude