Self-Acceptance: The Smile That Never Left Me | Valeria Silva Pinedo | TEDxYouth@TashkentIntlSchool
At just 16, Valeria faced a life-changing decision: undergo a major chin surgery to improve her health—or live with constant discomfort and self-doubt. What began as a medical journey quickly became a deeper lesson about identity, self-acceptance, and the way we see ourselves in the mirror. Through fear, uncertainty, and even losing her smile, Valeria discovered that the harshest critic wasn’t the outside world, but herself. Her story is a powerful reminder that true beauty and strength come from within—and that self-approval matters more than anyone else’s judgment. Born and raised in Mexico, Valeria is nearing the end of her senior year and looks forward to the next stage. She believes that life can’t be enjoyed if we are set back by our worst fears. In her second TEDxYouth talk, she explores the idea of social constraints, making connections between facial appearance and our biggest setbacks, often connected to self-doubt. Through her own personal journey of overcoming her transformation after a chin-surgery, Valeria reveals how she frequently feared the judgment and opinions of others when in reality she was her harshest critic. Her talk challenges the idea that life can be controlled by fear of being judged because in reality others are too focused on themselves. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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