“Curiosity killed the cat.”  Journalist and novelist Michael Scott Moore, was captured and held hostage for 977 days by Somali pirates during a research trip to Somalia in his effort to write a book about Somali Pirates. 

As told in incredible detail in his bestselling book, The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast, Michael recounts his memories of the initial shock of being captured, the harsh conditions, forging bonds and connections with the other hostages, the failed escape attempts, how captivity provided the time and space for much needed personal introspection, and how his perspective on life and its challenges has changed.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website.

Highlights:

-Drive: Michael’s “drive” to survive struck even his captors. After two and a half years many would have resigned themselves to failure and hopelessness, but Michael did not. His constant failed attempts to escape his captors showed how willing he was to fight to get his life back.

-Resiliency: To say that the conditions Michael endured were harsh is an understatement. It was literally the definition of adversity. Michael survived the years of captivity through stimulating his mind, constantly believing in rescue by United States Special Operations and looking to ransom negotiations.

-Adaptability: Michael had to structure his time despite the uncertainty of each day by creating small goals one day at a time. After captivity, Michael had to adapt to “normal” society, which he had been detached from for so long that his return actually made his head hurt from thinking about topics he had long forgotten.

-Humility: 977 days was plenty of time for Michael to reflect on his past and humbly accept his mistakes, while making him more vulnerable, aware and conscious of what really matters in life.

-Integrity: Michael found it in his heart to forgive his captors, but he never forgot. He was able to get over his feelings of anger and resentment, but he did not buckle in his own sense of good and bad. A Stockholm syndrome skeptic, Michael remained steadfast in his commitment to hold his captors accountable for their actions.

-Team Ability: Everything is about relationships, even on a pirate ship. Michael saw his situation as captors and captives alike being forced to play on a team that none of them chose to be on. Building relationships with fellow captives, and even his captors, helped Michael endure even the hardest of days.

-Effective Intelligence: Michael’s experience provided a new lens through which to view the world. It changed his perspective on life and gave him a deeper center of gravity. For better or for worse, he is less single-minded and more focused.

-Emotional Strength: Depression, anxiety, and even suicide ideation hounded Michael every day, but Michael coped by stepping aside from those emotions and giving himself room to think, analyze and find solutions to his captivity. Through yoga, meditation and writing. 

-Curiosity: It was what put Michael into the chaos, but it was also one thing that kept him going during captivity.

Michael’s Three Daily Foundations of Success:

-Make coffee every morning

-Dedicate a few hours to focus on work - productive, focused work

-Create a list of tasks to complete each day