A 3-Step Guide to Believing in Yourself | Sheryl Lee Ralph | TED

Summary

In this inspiring speech, Sheryl Lee Ralph, a celebrated actress and singer, recounts her journey to winning the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in 'Abbott Elementary.' She emphasizes the importance of self-belief, drawing on her experiences of overcoming racial prejudice and professional rejection. Ralph encourages the audience to see, think, and act upon their self-worth, highlighting the power of persistence and self-confidence in the face of adversity.

Takeaways

• 🏆 Sheryl Lee Ralph won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy for her role in 'Abbott Elementary'.
• 🎤 She emphasizes the importance of not singing a 'victim song' and being proud of one's identity as a woman and an artist.
• 🎬 Her career started with a film directed by Sidney Poitier and was followed by a decade of rejections before her Broadway success in 'Dreamgirls'.
• 🤔 Sheryl encourages self-reflection and the importance of believing in oneself despite facing numerous 'no's and moments of doubt.
• 💪 She highlights the need for mental health checkups and reframing our thinking to foster self-belief, especially in challenging times.
• 👀 The first step to self-belief is seeing ourselves truly and deeply for who and what we are, as illustrated by her childhood experience.
• 🧠 The second step is thinking about ourselves positively, as demonstrated by Sheryl's response to a demeaning comment from a Hollywood casting director.
• 💃 The third step is acting like we believe in ourselves, which can create possibilities that would not exist without self-belief.
• 📺 Sheryl shares her story of advocating for diversity in 'Designing Women' and getting cast as Anthony's wife, showing the power of self-belief in action.
• 🔄 She challenges the audience to practice self-love and respect, and to empower themselves if they cannot yet love what they see in the mirror.
• 🚫 Finally, Sheryl ends with a powerful message to never give up on oneself and to believe in the power of self-belief.

Q & A

What significant event did Sheryl Lee Ralph mention in her speech?

Sheryl Lee Ralph mentioned winning the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy for her role as Mrs. Barbara Howard on 'Abbott Elementary' on September 12th, 2022.

How did Sheryl Lee Ralph describe her initial reaction to winning the Emmy Award?

Sheryl Lee Ralph described her initial reaction as being 'shooketh into disbelief' and feeling stunned, to the point where she didn't know how she got up on stage.

What personal anecdote from Sheryl Lee Ralph's childhood did she share in her speech?

Sheryl Lee Ralph shared an anecdote from her childhood when she was the only Black person in her third-grade class at a private school and was subjected to racial slurs and isolation.

What advice did Sheryl Lee Ralph's mother give her to cope with racial discrimination at school?

Her mother advised her to look at herself in the mirror and not to see the racial slurs directed at her, but to believe in her own worth and to let the ignorance of others bounce off her.

What Broadway musical did Sheryl Lee Ralph star in that became an iconic musical of the '80s?

Sheryl Lee Ralph starred in 'Dreamgirls', which became an iconic musical of the 1980s.

What was the impact of the Hollywood casting director's comments on Sheryl Lee Ralph's self-belief?

The casting director's comments initially hurt Sheryl Lee Ralph, but she reframed his words to build herself up, believing that she deserved to be cast in movies with leading actors like Tom Cruise.

What is the significance of the phrase 'rubber, glue' in Sheryl Lee Ralph's speech?

The phrase 'rubber, glue' is a saying used by Sheryl Lee Ralph's mother to teach her to let negative comments bounce off her and not affect her self-worth.

What three things did Sheryl Lee Ralph suggest we must do to believe in ourselves?

Sheryl Lee Ralph suggested that we must see ourselves truly, think about ourselves positively, and act like we believe in ourselves in order to foster self-belief.

How did Sheryl Lee Ralph's encounter with Harry Thomason lead to a role on 'Designing Women'?

Sheryl Lee Ralph approached Harry Thomason and questioned the lack of a Black woman in a relationship with Anthony on 'Designing Women'. This led to her being cast as Etienne Toussaint Bouvier in the final season of the show.

What challenge did Sheryl Lee Ralph issue to the audience at the end of her speech?

Sheryl Lee Ralph challenged the audience to start a meaningful practice of looking in the mirror and loving, respecting, encouraging, empowering, or being kind to what they see, as a way of building self-belief.

What acronym does Sheryl Lee Ralph use to represent the highest achievements in the entertainment industry?

Sheryl Lee Ralph uses the acronym 'EGOT' to represent winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, which are considered the highest achievements in the entertainment industry.