Beyond The Surface: Redefining Beauty and Success | Michelle Dee | TEDxBritishSchoolManila

Summary

In her TEDx talk, Miss Universe semifinalist Michelle Gumabao shares her unconventional journey to success, challenging beauty pageant norms with her unique look and personality. Despite facing criticism and setbacks, including racism and bullying, she persevered, becoming a beloved figure and a successful advocate for tourism. Gumabao's story is one of resilience, self-discovery, and the power of forging your own path, inspiring others to embrace their differences and strive for their goals.

Takeaways

• 👑 The speaker, a Miss Universe semifinalist, discusses her unconventional journey to success despite not winning the crown.
• 🏆 She was the most criticized Miss Universe Philippines delegate due to her unconventional looks and style.
• 🌐 Her upbringing was unique, growing up as a tomboyish adrenaline junkie on a ranch in the US, which shaped her identity.
• 👩‍👧‍👦 She faced personal challenges including racism and bullying due to having siblings on the autism spectrum.
• 🏆 Despite being doubted by others, she became the most awarded Miss Universe delegate in history, winning four out of five major awards.
• 💪 Her success was not handed to her; it was a result of hard work, overcoming trials, and a fighting spirit.
• 🌱 She emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, recognizing one's strengths and weaknesses, and being one's own worst critic.
• 🗣️ The speaker had to learn to listen to others while maintaining confidence in herself, a balance crucial for personal growth.
• ⚓ She比喻 herself as the captain of her own ship, navigating through life's challenges alone and creating her own path.
• 🌟 Her story is one of perseverance and determination, showing that success is not always marked by a crown but by the impact and love for one's home.

Q & A

What was the speaker's experience as Miss Universe Philippines delegate?

The speaker became the most criticized Miss Universe Philippines delegate after winning the national title, with her unconventional looks and style being the subject of much discussion and criticism.

How did the speaker's upbringing influence her approach to breaking stereotypes?

The speaker's upbringing as a tomboyish adrenaline junkie in an isolated ranch in the US, combined with her mother's legacy as a beauty icon, shaped her into an epitome of unconventional beauty and motivated her to break stereotypes.

What challenges did the speaker face during her journey to success?

The speaker faced challenges such as being a victim of racism, bullying due to her siblings' autism, frequent relocations, and almost failing to graduate college due to the death of her late grandmother, who was a significant support in her life.

How did the speaker transform from being criticized to becoming one of the most loved figures?

Through hard work, dedication, and overcoming trials, the speaker managed to turn public perception and became one of the most loved figures, also becoming one of the newest tourist ambassadors of the Philippines.

What significant awards did the speaker win in the Miss Universe competition?

The speaker won four out of the five major awards at Miss Universe, marking her as the most awarded Miss Universe delegate in the history of the competition.

What personal philosophy did the speaker adopt to navigate her life's challenges?

The speaker adopted a perspective of resilience, recognizing that she could handle anything life threw at her, which gave her the strength to compete and succeed.

How did the speaker's experience with failure influence her approach to her pageant journey?

The speaker's experience with failure, such as almost not graduating college and the death of her grandmother, made her realize her strength to overcome obstacles and fueled her determination to compete in pageants.

What was the speaker's strategy to become a grateful and hardworking person?

The speaker focused on recognizing her strengths and weaknesses, learning to listen to others while being confident in herself, and being her own worst critic, which helped her to become both grateful and hardworking.

Why did the speaker decide to compete in the Miss Universe competition three times?

The speaker competed three times to fight for her country, her advocacy, her family, and to achieve something she believed in, not settling for anything less than what they deserved.

What message does the speaker convey about forging one's own path?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of having the courage to be different, to stand out, and to make one's own success, regardless of the challenges faced.

How does the speaker define her success beyond winning a crown?

The speaker defines her success by the shared love for her home, the determination to make a difference, and the impact she has made, rather than by winning a crown.

Outlines

00:00

👑 Unconventional Beauty and Overcoming Criticism

The speaker, a Miss Universe semifinalist from the Philippines, opens her talk by addressing the irony of her discussing success despite not winning the crown. She highlights the Philippines' strong reputation in pageantry and the pressure that comes with it. The speaker shares her unique journey, being a Miss Universe Philippines delegate with unconventional looks and a background that differs from traditional beauty queens. She discusses her upbringing in an isolated ranch in the US, her tomboyish nature, and the influence of her mother's beauty icon status. Despite facing criticism and being underestimated, she emphasizes her hard work, resilience, and the breaking of stereotypes. The speaker also touches on her personal struggles, including racism, bullying, and the death of her grandmother, which ultimately shaped her strength and determination. She concludes by asserting her achievements as the most awarded Miss Universe delegate, winning four out of five major awards, and her role as a tourist ambassador, proving that success is not defined solely by winning a crown.

05:02

💪 The Path to Success: Hard Work and Self-Belief

In the second paragraph, the speaker delves into the mindset and attitude required to achieve success. She stresses the importance of gratitude, hard work, and self-belief in her journey to compete in the Miss Universe pageant multiple times. The speaker acknowledges the need to be one's own harshest critic, to listen to others while maintaining self-assurance, and to navigate personal growth alone. She shares her motivation for competing, which is not for fame or recognition but for her country, her advocacy, and her family. The speaker challenges the audience to embrace their uniqueness, stand out, and define their own success. She concludes her talk by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to speak and encourages everyone to make their own noise, emphasizing the importance of forging one's path and having the courage to be true to oneself.

Keywords

💡Unconventional Beauty

Unconventional Beauty refers to a form of attractiveness that does not adhere to traditional or standard norms of beauty. In the context of the video, the speaker embraces her short hair and unconventional looks, challenging the typical expectations of a beauty queen. This concept is central to her story as it reflects her personal journey and her attempt to redefine what it means to be beautiful in the pageantry world.

💡Breaking Stereotypes

Breaking Stereotypes is the act of challenging and overcoming widely held but oversimplified ideas about a type of person or thing. The speaker discusses being the epitome of unconventional beauty and how her participation in beauty pageants was not just a gimmick but a genuine expression of who she was. This concept is integral to her narrative as it showcases her determination to redefine success on her own terms.

💡Self-discovery

Self-discovery is the process of understanding oneself, one's identity, and one's place in the world. The speaker mentions her journey of self-discovery, which involved coming to terms with her unconventional looks and her lineage of successful beauty queens. This concept is crucial to the video's theme as it highlights the personal growth and the internal struggles she faced in her pursuit of success.

💡Criticism

Criticism is the act of expressing disapproval or pointing out faults. The speaker was the most criticized Miss Universe Philippines delegate due to her unconventional appearance and approach to beauty. This keyword is significant as it underscores the challenges she faced and how she overcame them, turning criticism into a catalyst for her success.

💡Advocacy

Advocacy is the act of supporting or promoting a particular cause or policy. The speaker mentions her advocacy as one of the reasons she competed in pageants, indicating that her participation was not solely for personal gain but also to make a difference. This keyword is essential as it reflects her commitment to using her platform for positive change.

💡Hard Work

Hard Work is the effort put in to achieve a goal or task. The speaker emphasizes that her success was not handed to her but was the result of hard work and dedication. This concept is central to her message, as it dispels the notion that success comes easily and instead highlights the importance of perseverance and effort.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. The speaker's story includes overcoming racism, bullying, and personal loss, which demonstrates her resilience. This keyword is important as it illustrates her capacity to bounce back from adversity and use those experiences to fuel her determination to succeed.

💡Representation

Representation refers to the act of standing for or acting on behalf of a particular group or cause. The speaker was initially doubted as a representative of the Philippines, but she eventually became a tourist ambassador, showcasing her growth and the recognition of her efforts. This keyword is significant as it reflects her journey from being doubted to being embraced as a representative.

💡Awards

Awards are tokens of recognition given for excellence or achievement. The speaker mentions being the most awarded Miss Universe delegate in history, highlighting her achievements despite not winning the crown. This keyword is important as it emphasizes that success can be measured in various ways, not just through winning the ultimate prize.

💡Destiny

Destiny refers to events that will necessarily happen to a person or thing or the predetermined course of events. The speaker talks about having the courage to become who you are destined to be, suggesting that she believes in a path laid out for her. This keyword is significant as it ties into the theme of self-fulfillment and the pursuit of one's purpose.

Highlights

Miss Universe semifinalist discusses unconventional beauty and breaking stereotypes.

Faced criticism as Miss Universe Philippines delegate for her unconventional looks.

Grew up in an isolated ranch in the US, far from traditional beauty pageant environments.

Her mother was an icon for beauty, influencing her journey in pageantry.

Despite being from a successful lineage, success was not easily handed to her.

The 'winning spirit' was a result of hard work and overcoming trials.

Became one of the most loved figures after being heavily criticized.

Appointed as one of the newest tourist ambassadors of the Philippines.

Received four out of five major awards at Miss Universe, a rare achievement.

Emphasizes the story behind her success, including personal struggles and growth.

Experienced racism and bullying due to her siblings' autism spectrum.

Faced the challenge of almost failing to graduate college.

The death of her grandmother was a pivotal loss that tested her resilience.

Learned to be grateful and hardworking, recognizing her strengths and weaknesses.

Had to navigate her journey alone, learning to be her own worst critic.

Competed three times for Miss Universe, showcasing her determination.

Encourages the audience to be different, stand out, and make their own success.

Ends with a call to action, inspiring others to forge their own path and be courageous.

Transcripts

[Applause]

W just give me a second to take this all

in as I stand on a Ted X

stage now you must be wondering what a

Miss Universe

semifinalist is doing here talking about

success

when in fact I didn't take home the

crown when I competed last November the

Philippines success in pageantry

obviously we all know about that and

because of that unfortunately Only

Winners have had true success stories so

from winning the national title

I so from winning the national title I

became the most criticized Miss Universe

Philippines delegate I was actually

trending for quite some time for all the

wrong reasons and that was quite

unfortunate but it was because that was

my third national competition I was a

totally different Queen I was porting

short hair unconventional looks and I

believe that I was the epitome of

unconventional Beauty but breaking

stereotypes was not just a

gimmick this was a product of who I was

how I was brought up you see I was this

young tomboyish adrenaline junkie that

grew up in a very isolated Ranch in the

US and then further down my life I found

out that my mom was an icon for beauty

so somewhere along those lines I kind of

found myself it was a journey of

self-discovery although people have the

perceptions of me because you know of

the of the name that I carry of the

lineage that I have coming from a line

of successful beauty queens successful

entrepreneurs successful

filmmakers so inevitably people thought

that success would come easy like it was

served on a silver platter but this

fighting spirit this winning spirit that

is now celebrated was because of hard

work it was because of the harsh

realities it was because of Trials and

overcoming all of

that so how does somebody who was urged

to back out come home treated like a

winner how did I manage to become the

most bashed to one of the most

loved how is it that I was told that I

was not good enough to represent the

Philippines and now I'm one of the

newest tourist ambassadors of the

Philippines and for somebody who is

believed didn't have what it

take well I can now humbly say that I am

the most awarded Miss Universe delegate

in the history of Miss Universe and I

have to emphasize

that I have to emphasize that I am the

most awarded not in Miss Universe

Philippines but Miss Universe bagging

four out of the five major Awards and

that's not seen every

year but of course I just have to

emphasize that I have a story that I

have to tell there's a story behind MMD

behind Michelle that not everybody knows

about and I have to tell this because

it's truly how you can understand who I

am beyond my Surface I grew up very

unconventionally at an early age I was

always forced to make a difficult

decision one that has always tested my

limits ones that always made me face the

harsh realities of life I used to be a

victim of racism I was bullied for

having two siblings on the autism

spectrum I was always moving from place

to place that I didn't know or I

actually truly felt that I didn't belong

Anywhere But as surprising as that may

sound I actually almost failed to

graduate college as well because in this

time of my life one of the most pivotal

losses in my whole journey happened and

that was the death of the only person

that I believed at the time accepted me

for who I was and that was my late

grandmother Regina D now I won't dabble

into the specifics of what happened but

it's important to note this part of my

life because it was in that moment that

I realized that I could handle anything

that life throws at me I knew that

whatever happened I could find a way out

of that and because of that perspective

in mind I found the strength to compete

three times first was in my journey

Journey as Miss Universe

Philippines first as my journey as Miss

World Philippines and the next backtack

years as Miss Universe of course vying

for that Miss Universe

Crown

but I have to recognize that in order to

achieve such things I first had to

recognize that I first had to become a

grateful and also the most hardworking

person in the room I had to believe in

what I was fighting for so hard and

recognize my

strengths and also constantly work on my

weaknesses I had to learn how to listen

to other people while being so sure

about

myself I had to be so sure but also

become my worst

critic I was the captain of my own ship

of course I had to navigate through all

of these bits and pieces

alone I had to slowly create these

puzzles that I knew and believed would

piece itself together

eventually because at this point I knew

that I wasn't fighting for fame I was

not fighting for recognition but I was

fighting for my country my advocacy my

family and I wasn't going to settle for

anything less than they

deserved

now let me just take this moment in

again and recognize that my journey may

be a testament to the hard work to the

dedication that I put

into but it's also about forging your

own path and Having the courage to

become who you are destined to be my

journey may not be marked by a crown but

it is definitely marked by a shared love

for our home and the determination to

make a difference

together now I dare you to be different

I dare all of you to stand

out and no matter what happens you can

make your success be your noise thank

you so much for having me here this is a

wonderful opportunity and thank you so

much

[Applause]