Life Is Beautiful: Lizzie Velásquez Interview

Nov 01, 2014

Lizzie Velasquez, 25 years old, is a graduate of Texas State University, a motivational speaker, and author of three books: Lizzie Beautiful, Be Beautiful, Be You, and Choosing Happiness. In December 2013, she took the stage at TEDxAustin Women and gave a talk titled ‘How Do You Define Yourself?’ that to date has garnered over 9 million views across the web. Her story has been featured on Katie Couric, The Today Show, Dr. Drew, Inside Edition, Huffington Post, and Yahoo! Lifestyle among other national and international media.

Lizzie on the life is learning stageCourtesy of m!Media

Lizzie Velásquez, 25, also known as Little Lizzie or Lizzie, La Chiquita is using what some in this world have considered to be a terrible hindrance, so much so Lizzie was the target of an extreme case of cyberbullying due to her appearance, as her greatest motivation to create change in the world of Anti Bullying and Motivational Speaking!

You see Lizzie, a Texas native has an extremely rare and still unknown medical syndrome, which has caused her to be unable to store body fat among other things. In Lizzie’s Austin TX Ted talk, she jokes “Yes folks, it is as good as that sounds”. I mean who doesn’t at least for a moment like the sound of being able to eat whatever we want, f-o-r-e-v-e-r and never gain a single pound. Tamale’s and Reece’s for every meal I say!

As a result of this syndrome which Lizzie and her team of doctor’s know of only two other people in the world that share in this, Lizzie is only five-foot two – inches tall and weights merely 58 lbs

Kidzworld had a chance to catch up with Lizzie recently in Las Vegas during the Life is Beautiful Festival where Lizzie was one of the Speakers in this years Learning line-up. While doctors have yet to find a cure for her condition, Lizzie is determined not to let life and the opinions of others get her down. She took the horrid experience with Cyberbullying in stride, not easily done at first but with time, and loving support from her friends and family, Lizzie used that seemingly dark experience to her advantage, transforming herself from the hurtfully labeled “world’s ugliest woman” to one of the most inspirational motivational speakers in existence.

Kids that made the trek to hear Lizzie speakCourtesy of m!Media

KW wants to share with you a little peak into the mind and heart of Lizzie Velásquez.

Kidzworld: Lizzie, what moves you? What gets you out of bed each day?

Lizzie: I think the fact that there are, first of all there are a million things that when I wake up in the morning I just think that I am really, really blessed but the biggest thing, that get's me going is honestly all the support that I have around the world. Just the fact that I know I can turn my phone on or open my email or open social media and see the support and see that I am doing my job and I am able to show people that you are enough and you are beautiful just being you and that just gets be going every single morning.

Kidzworld: For me the key phrase there is "You Are Enough". At KW we are as I said, a Safe Social network and online magazine, we have over 2 million monthly visitors coming from over 200 different countries world wide, as vast as that scope of young people are, they have one thing in common, their insecurities. In the KW Zone there are millions of different topics, as many as the thoughts shared by our members. Our Members have the freedom to chat about the things that are on their minds. Much of the content is friendly, typical, and as varied as they are but there is also an empowerment & advice section and many, many times the repeating theme that comes up is "Am I enough?".

Lizzie: Wow, this is very cool that they have a safe space to talk openly about what matters to them.

Kidzworld: Thank you Lizzie, our core focus is to create exactly that.

Kidzworld: Lizzie, If you could go back to an earlier point in your life, via a time machine and you had the opportunity to give yourself a bit of advice - what would you say?

Lizzie: I think if I could go back in a time machine and tell myself one thing I think it would honestly be that things honestly will get better as long as I let them get better because you can be told a million times over oh, it will get better, it will get better but it won't actually happen until you yourself let it happen. I didn't open my eyes to the fact that everything was right in front of me and once I was able to actually accept it and open to it and ready to accept it my whole life changed. and everything has pretty much has fallen into place I think just telling my self you have what you need right in front of you just open your eyes.

Kidzworld: I love it, I feel kindred.

Lizzie: Awe.

Kidzworld: What do you absolutely love about yourself, your person. What qualities or characteristics do you absolutely love about YOU?

Lizzie: I think it would have to be the fact that I've learned from a very young age, a very early age to find the good, in the bad. I am very, I am the first one to say something funny if something is making me sad. I have learned that you have to make a joke out of it. You have to make light of it because no matter what there is always someone out there in the world who has it worse than you do. if you can remind yourself of that, the fact that I am able to joke about absolutely everything is one of my favorite things.

Kidzworld: That's am amazing answer Lizzie, that such a strength. I really want to thank you Lizzie, It’s an absolute gift to be sitting here with you today. Your unwavering strength of character, your grace, it's just an honor truly, and on behalf of everyone of us at KW, thank you so much for taking time to sit down and speak with us.

Kidzworld: Do you have any closing thoughts, or perhaps a message to the members of KW?

Lizzie: Honestly I just want to repeat, YOU ARE ENOUGH, You were put on this earth for a reason, your purpose is out there waiting for you to discover waiting for you to find it and when you find it let it blossom.

Kidzworld: Thank you so much Lizzie.