I taught myself how to be a speaker on Google. I just Googled

Hear the bold and unshaken words of Lizzie Velasquez, who once declared with both humility and fire: “I taught myself how to be a speaker on Google. I just Googled ‘how to be a motivational speaker.’” To some, these words may sound almost playful, yet within them burns a truth as mighty as any carved in the stone of temples. For they reveal the power of self-determination, the will to shape one’s destiny even when the world has given little guidance, and the courage to begin with nothing but curiosity, resolve, and an unyielding heart.

At the core of her declaration lies the spirit of resourcefulness. Velasquez, born with a rare condition that brought her ridicule and cruelty from the world, might have chosen silence, despair, or retreat. Yet she chose instead to turn her pain into strength, her wounds into words, her story into a beacon for others. With no master to guide her, she sought her own way, turning to the simplest tool at her disposal—the search bar of the internet—and from there forged a new calling as a motivational speaker. This is a testament to the timeless truth: greatness does not always begin in royal halls or lofty schools; it can be born in ordinary places, through extraordinary will.

History remembers such examples. Think of Abraham Lincoln, who taught himself law by candlelight with books borrowed from neighbors, later to become one of the greatest presidents in history. Or of Frederick Douglass, who secretly taught himself to read while enslaved, using scraps of paper and hidden lessons, and in time became one of the most powerful voices of freedom the world has ever known. Like Velasquez, they reveal that the true teacher of destiny is not circumstance, but determination.

Velasquez’s words also echo with humility. She does not present herself as a master who knew the path from the beginning, but as one who started from nothing, stumbling forward, learning step by step. This humility makes her story more powerful, for it strips away excuses. If she, burdened by suffering and doubt, could learn the art of lifting others by teaching herself, then so too can anyone who dares to take the first step toward their dream. Her story tells us: you do not need permission to begin—you need only the courage to start.

There is in her words a subtle defiance as well. For the world once called her unworthy, labeled her “ugly,” and tried to crush her spirit. But by seeking the tools to speak, she claimed her voice. And with that voice, she transformed not only her own life but the lives of countless others who heard her message of courage and dignity. This is the true essence of the motivational speaker: not one who speaks because the world crowned them, but one who speaks because the world tried to silence them, and they refused.

The meaning, then, is clear: knowledge is everywhere for those who will seek it, and the power to inspire lies within anyone willing to rise from their hardships. Velasquez proves that you do not need perfect conditions to begin, nor endless credentials to make a difference. You need resolve, resourcefulness, and the willingness to transform your story into a light for others. The teacher may not arrive, the mentor may not appear, but the will to grow can carry you through.

What lesson, then, must we take from her words? It is this: do not wait for the perfect path to be shown to you. Begin where you are, with what you have. Seek knowledge, however small the source may seem, and use it to build your way forward. Turn your hardships into your message, your scars into your strength, and your beginnings—no matter how humble—into the foundation of greatness.

Thus let Lizzie Velasquez’s words echo as an eternal teaching: the power to rise lies not in what is given, but in what you choose to seek. If you wish to become something more, take the first step boldly, even if it is as simple as typing a question into the unknown. For from that small act, a journey can begin that may one day inspire the world.