Looking for a true inspiration? Looking for something to brighten your day? That was me, during Winter Break. I was answering one of those self-analysis questions in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens book by Sean Covey. The question stated, “describe a time when you were inspired.” Sure, I try to be inspired everyday. This question made me stop in my tracks. This was not ordinary inspiration that crossed the sidewalk by the moon cycle. I interpreted this inspiration as something that helps guide me in life. So let me ask you: describe a time when you were deeply inspired.

MY INSPIRATION

Lizzie Velasquez was born in Texas in the year 1989. She was different from the start, and her parents knew this after she was born. The doctors had warned them of Lizzie's syndrome and its effect on her ability to walk, talk or crawl. Yet, Guadalupe and Rita Velasquez were determined to raise Lizzie normally. She weighed two pounds at birth. Currently, at age 26, and 5 foot 2 inches tall, she has never weighed more than 64 pounds because she physically CANNOT gain weight. Another side effect of her syndrome is having one blind eye.

Did Guadalupe and Rita care? No. They raised their first child “‘150% normally,’” as Lizzie says in her TEDtalk. The problem with being 150% normal in a household, is that the extra 50% made Lizzie oblivious to her physical differences. To this day, only two other people in the world have been recognized with this disorder of not being able to gain weight, and even doctors do not fully understand its potential.

Lizzie’s first day of Kindergarten brought consciousness to her appearance. After her day at school, she sat at the dinner table, and asked her parents why kids always ran away from her. Taking one deep breath, they finally revealed the known facts of her non-ubiquitous syndrome. From this moment on, Lizzie began to see herself differently. She says she could choose between happiness and giving up. Growing up with a few trustworthy friends, she choose to be happy with what she was given and make the most of it.

Do you ever procrastinate while doing homework, work, or whatever? Yeah, I bet. Where do you go when you procrastinate? To the bathroom, kitchen, Youtube, True Value Hardware Store? When Lizzie was 17 years old, she also procrastinated while doing homework. She was visiting Youtube and was randomly browsing some videos. On the right hand column, there were “related videos.” She was scrolling down the list when a title caught her eye. It spelled, “The World’s Ugliest Woman.” Naively and curiously, she clicked on the video, bringing her to a short, eight second video with no sound, four million views and thousands of comments. Lizzie’s heart stopped at this point, due partially to the fact that some austere comments that said “Just shoot me now from her ugliness,” or “She’s permanently blinding me!,” but mainly because these eight seconds were debuting her face.

Lizzie says in her TEDtalk, that once again, she could choose between happiness and giving up. She choose happiness. She is currently a leader in anti-bullying and often visits kids who are feeling similarly to her as a child. She says that the negative videos imbued power in her mind. One important quote she says numerous times is, “‘You are the one who decides what defines you.” Lizzie was being defined from the beginning of her life, starting with the doctors doubting her ability to walk, talk or crawl, to this current day, where she is being defined as the world’s ugliest woman. Lizzie has overcome these titles, deciding her own destiny.

"You are the one who decides what defines you." ~Lizzie Velasquez

YOUR TASK…

I challenge everyone to respect themselves and find their own journey to travel. Are you feeling compelled to listen to your friends because you want to remain popular? Are you feeling oppression in the office because others think you’re not capable? Don’t mind what others title you. Whether it’s “Nerd,” “Jock” or “World’s Ugliest Woman” everyone has the potential to lead the life they want. Lizzie’s doctors believed she couldn’t do anything when she was older. However, she has defied this confinement and is now the author of three books and a leader in anti-bullying. There is a great sensation of accomplishment when you find the discretion to live by your own means, not judging yourself and living beyond the manacles that hinder you from being fully expressive. If a woman like Lizzie Velasquez, who has a physical syndrome that prevents her from gaining weight, could love herself, I’m sure you can love yourself for being you.

Books:  Lizzie Beautiful
           Choosing Happiness
            Be Beautiful, Be You