Serene Williams: Who I'd be Now

So I started high school this year and it got me thinking of who I could fit in with, more importantly, who I’d once fit in with. And that got me thinking of who I definitely don’t want to become and how I’m glad, I didn’t become. Because there was a time in my life when I used to be a person who went into a lot of trouble. I’m glad I made the decision I did to become the person that I am now. When I was younger, I used to be very angry person. If anyone would have said anything mean to me, I would have immediately gone to my fight instinct. The reason for this was because a lot of people used to tease me for the way they looked, and once they said these things, my confidence started to get really low. I didn’t know how to defend myself. So I used to get really angry and sometimes physical. I wasn’t able to see that what I was doing was wrong. So the consequences for my actions got really serious. I was invited to join a small council group at my school that allowed me to talk about some of feelings and how control some of my emotions. The conversations I had with my counselor helped me to see that hurting others, just because they hurt me, was wrong. I started looking for ways I can change myself for the better. So I joined a small leadership club at my school that was kind of like a ASB. In this club, we would talk about some of the issues at our school that needed to change. We worked to build awareness of these issues and work to find solutions. Looking back, I'm really grateful for that group of people. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to change for the better. The groups I joined helped me to manage my anger and reflect on my actions. But because of all the comments have been made about the way that I looked, I had really bad self-esteem and I had a hard time believing in myself. It took one teacher to really convince me that I had the ability to do great things. So is used what little confidence I had left to do a TED talk and share my experience. Ever since the day I went on stage to tell my story, I started to feel better about myself and believe that I could do anything. I may not look that different from when I was in elementary school, we can definitely tell that something about me had changed and that one thing was my self-confidence. I had finally realized I was not only beautiful on the outside, but that my stories and experiences hold value. (Cheers and applause) Beautiful people come in all different shapes and sizes. And because of that, it didn't matter to me what other people thought because their opinions didn't matter. I didn’t fully realize the impact that my TED talk had on people until this year. Some of my classmates found the video on YouTube. It was super embarrassing. (Laugher) I went to go talk to my mom about it and she started to encourage me. Not a normal way., a mom encourages you, you know, because they have to, but the way she was talking about how it affected her and others and the tone in her voice actually told me that she was being serious. I couldn’t believe that all the years leading up to now, I was embarrassed doing my talk instead of being proud of it. Look at this girl now. [Photo of 10 years old Serene Williams] I’m proud of her. (Cheers and applause) I could have easily gone to a serious, depressed state to the point where I got suicidal. But this ten year old girl was strong. She decided to make a change, worked hard and confronted her fears. And for that, I’m grateful. I’m now more confident version of myself. And with that confidence, I’ve been able to do great things with my life. For example, I started my own dessert business that allows me to express myself and what I love to do. If I hadn’t made those positive choices when I was younger, I wouldn't be where I am now. Now, when I think of my future, I’m excited to see who I’ll become. I can’t wait to continue to be my authentic self. So I encourage you now to consider the person you will become when making your decisions. Will this puts you on the path to who you want to become? At the time, joining the small after-school club and doing a TED talk didn’t look like a big deal to me. But looking back now, those decisions made a big impact on who I am. Those decisions helped me to see my value. Now, when will you see yours? (Cheers and applause)