Get Sam Goodwin's book, "Saving Sam"

In this captivating episode of theVirtuous Leaders Podcast,Dr. Johann D'Souza has an insightful conversation withSam Goodwin, a world traveler who has visited every country and experienced a harrowing ordeal of being imprisoned in Syria. Sam shares his experiences, the lessons he learned, and the personal growth he achieved through his challenging journey.

Throughout the discussion, Sam offers unique insights into the transformative power of travel, the importance of embracing uncertainty, and the resilience of the human spirit. He also shares his thoughts on cultural stereotypes, the benefits of living as an expat, and his connections with high-ranking officials in the Trump administration.

Key Discussion Points:

• Sam's experience of being imprisoned in Syria and facing the threat of execution by ISIS

• The personal growth and character development that resulted from Sam's challenging experience

• The concept of post-traumatic growth and the benefits that can arise from severe life events

• Sam's favorite countries, including New Zealand and the United States, and the reasons behind his choices

• The educational value of travel and the lessons Sam learned from his experiences

• The importance of travel for Americans and the unique perspective gained from living as an expat

• Sam's transition to coaching and speaking about his experiences, and the publication of his book, "Saving Sam"

• The validity of cultural stereotypes and Sam's thoughts on their accuracy

• Sam's top three takeaways from his experiences: leaning into gratitude, controlling what you can, and recognizing uncertainty as an opportunity

• Sam's connections with the Trump administration and the bipartisan nature of hostage and wrongful detainee issues

• The official position of the United States on negotiating with terrorists

• Sam's recommendations for Trump's nominee for national security adviser and his optimism for the future

Timestamp:

00:00 - Introduction and background on Sam Goodwin's experience of being imprisoned in Syria

01:18 - Discussing the concept of post-traumatic growth and the benefits that can arise from severe life events

01:47 - Exploring Sam's favorite countries, including New Zealand and the United States

03:20 - Examining the educational value of travel and the lessons Sam learned from his experiences

04:23 - Discussing the most interesting person Sam met during his travels

05:38 - Reflecting on the importance of travel for Americans and the unique perspective gained from living as an expat

06:45 - Exploring Sam's transition to coaching and speaking about his experiences, and the publication of his book, "Saving Sam"

07:56 - Addressing the validity of cultural stereotypes and Sam's thoughts on their accuracy

08:35 - Discussing Sam's top three takeaways from his experiences: leaning into gratitude, controlling what you can, and recognizing uncertainty as an opportunity

09:42 - Examining Sam's connections with the Trump administration and the bipartisan nature of hostage and wrongful detainee issues

10:32 - Addressing the official position of the United States on negotiating with terrorists

11:07 - Discussing Sam's recommendations for Trump's nominee for national security adviser and his optimism for the future

Resources and Links:

• Watch this episode on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Listen to this episode on ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

• Explore all other episodes on the Virtuous Leaders Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6nuYwVQXFncPBm6g5C3SJI

• Visit Sam Goodwin'swebsite

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Dr. Johann D'Souza

Clinical Psychologist at⁠Values First Therapy ⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠X(Twitter)

Sam Goodwin

World Traveler, Author, and Speaker

https://samrgoodwin.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-goodwin/