What Defines You?

This is not the post I planned on writing today, but after reading about a young woman on Facebook, I realized she has a message I would like to help share.  Her name is Lizzie Velasquez, and she has truly figured out how to make the most of her moments.

I follow A Mighty Girl on Facebook (they post wonderful content about women and girls).  In their recent post (embedded below) they introduced me to Ms. Velasquez.

After reading about Lizzie Velasquez on Facebook, I was interested in learning more, so I visited her webpage, www.aboutlizzie.com.  There, I was able to view a YouTube video of her Ted Talk, “Brave. Starts. Here.”  She challenged everyone in the audience to figure out “what defines you.”  She explained that once she realized it is not her physical appearance that defines her, she was able to rise above the cyber-bullying she had experienced.  She decided to turn those negative things “around and use them as a ladder to climb up to my goals.”

During the development of this blog, I have been trying to give it a personality, to find a niche and to figure out what defines it.  In doing so, I have realized I need to do some self-assessment as well.  I think this will all be best accomplished if I remember to follow Ms. Velasquez's suggestion, to “let my goals, my success and my accomplishments be the things that define me” (and this blog).

I hope you will read through the write-up by A Mighty Girl, and listen to Lizzie's Ted Talk.  It will only take about 15 minutes, and I can guarantee the time it takes will inspire you to make even better use of all of your other moments.

I think Lizzie Velasquez is every bit as beautiful as any person I have ever seen or heard.

Post by A Mighty Girl.