How Do YOU Define Yourself Lizzie Velasquez at TEDxAustinWomen

Summary

In this inspiring speech, Lizzie Velasquez shares her journey with a rare syndrome that affects her weight and vision. Despite the challenges and bullying she faced, she emphasizes the importance of not letting external factors define who you are. With resilience and determination, Lizzie has pursued her goals as a motivational speaker, author, and college graduate, turning negativity into a ladder to success and proving that one's inner strength and accomplishments can truly define a person.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker was born with a rare syndrome that affects weight gain, of which only two other people in the world are known to have.
• 🍔 Despite the syndrome, the speaker enjoys the benefits of being able to eat freely without gaining weight.
• 👓 The speaker is visually impaired, which has its advantages, such as being able to ignore rude people by standing on the right side.
• 💪 The speaker has a strong support system, particularly from her parents, who raised her to be resilient and not let her syndrome define her.
• 👶 The speaker faced bullying as a child due to her appearance, but her parents encouraged her to continue being herself.
• 🤔 The speaker prompts the audience to consider what defines them as individuals, emphasizing that external factors should not dictate self-worth.
• 😔 The speaker struggled with self-acceptance, feeling defined by her appearance and syndrome, and wishing to be 'normal'.
• 📚 The speaker found motivation in the negativity directed at her, using it to fuel her goals and ambitions.
• 🎓 The speaker has achieved her goals of becoming a motivational speaker, writing books, and graduating from college with a degree in Communication Studies.
• 🔥 The speaker encourages the audience to use negativity as a tool for self-improvement and to define themselves by their goals and accomplishments, not their challenges.
• 👐 The speaker concludes by reiterating the importance of self-definition and the power of resilience in the face of adversity.

Q & A

What is the rare syndrome that the speaker was born with?

The speaker was born with a very rare syndrome that prevents her from gaining weight, of which only two other people in the world are known to have.

How has the speaker's syndrome affected her life physically?

The syndrome has resulted in the speaker never weighing more than about 64 pounds throughout her life, despite being able to eat whatever she wants.

What benefits does the speaker find in her syndrome?

The speaker finds benefits in not being able to gain weight, such as the freedom to eat without worrying about weight gain, and in being visually impaired, which allows her to ignore rude people by standing on her right side.

How did the speaker's parents react when they were told about her syndrome at birth?

The speaker's parents chose to love and raise her to the best of their abilities, despite being warned that she might never be able to talk, walk, crawl, think, or do anything by herself.

What challenges did the speaker face growing up?

The speaker faced challenges such as bullying and having to deal with people's reactions to her appearance due to her syndrome.

How did the speaker's parents advise her to handle the bullying she experienced?

Her parents advised her to continue being herself, to hold her head up high, and to smile, assuring her that her syndrome would not define who she is.

What realization did the speaker come to regarding her own self-perception?

The speaker realized that she should not let her outer appearance or her syndrome define her, but instead let her goals, success, and accomplishments be the defining factors of her life.

How did the speaker cope with negative online comments and bullying?

The speaker decided to ignore the negativity and focus on her own goals and self-improvement, using the negativity as motivation to achieve more.

What are some of the speaker's accomplishments that she is proud of?

The speaker is proud of becoming a motivational speaker, writing multiple books, graduating from college with a degree in Communication Studies, and having a minor in English.

What advice does the speaker give to the audience regarding self-definition?

The speaker advises the audience to not let external factors define them, but to instead focus on their own goals and accomplishments, using any negativity as a stepping stone to success.