Here is the full transcript of Trista Sutter’s TED Talk on The Value of YOU at TEDxVail conference.
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Trista Sutter – original Bachelorette
It was May 17, 2015, and a handful of today’s speakers were on our very first conference call. All from different towns, it was a way for us to virtually meet and introduce ourselves, learn about the process, and get started on our TEDXVail journey.
We heard from Stephen who has been studying the nature of consciousness for 40 years. Daniel who would be creating unique intro songs for every single one of the speakers today, on top of doing an enlightening talk of his own. And Ira who not only would be speaking about something so globally important as the prevention of nuclear war, but his organization is none other than a past recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. And that was just three of them.
When it came time for my turn, my self worth had been beaten down so badly by my insecure inner demons that I said, “I wish that I could say that my life has been as meaningful as all of yours, but really, I’m most known for handing out roses on the first season of reality show called ‘The Bachelorette’, where, crazy enough, I met and fell in love with the man of my dreams. Marrying him in what some said were overly pink nuptials that just so happened to be aired on national television. And now, I’m just a mom.”
Sitting on that call and envisioning this day I couldn’t even come close to picturing myself sharing the stage with such remarkable people. It didn’t matter that I had actually written a book on gratitude, the very reason I was nominated to speak, in the naturally grateful section of today’s talks. My demons were telling me that I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t important enough, and I wasn’t at all worthy.
My fellow speakers had titles, status, talent, and inspirational messages to share. I had mommy brain, three loads of laundry to fold, a pile of bills to pay, and was feeling the need to go hide under my covers. I got off the phone and thought, “I feel so honored that they even considered me, but no one is going to want to hear what I have to say.” At least that was my initial reaction.
I replayed the conversation later for my husband Ryan, and when I got to the “just a mom” part, it reminded me of how I was feeling during a conversation I’d had with my kids especially my son Max, just the year before. It was a couple of days before the first day of school and to keep up with the Mommy Joneses, I was preparing the Pinterest-inspired poster boards that Max and Blakesley, my kids, would naturally hold for the obligatory photo commemorating the day. I planned to include the year, their grade, and just for fun, what they wanted to be when they grew up.
So I asked them both. Blakesley, our very ambitious girly girl immediately jumped up and said she wanted to be a dancer, a singer, a teacher, an artist, a movie maker, a nail person, a hair person, a veterinarian, a physical therapist, and a mom. Max, our introverted boys boy took his time; after a bit I looked down at him and said, “What do you think bud?” Finally, after a few minutes, he looked up at me and said, “I want to be like you, Mom. I want to do nothing.” Wait, wait, what? How could he have said that I do nothing? Does he think that I do nothing? That I’m just a mom? And there it was, those three little words: “Just a Mom.”
But this time, my inner demons were pushing me to go on the defensive. Doesn’t he know that I do anything but do nothing especially when it comes to our home and our family? I mean, I know that I don’t have a flashy title like race car driver, inventor, or CEO, or lawyer, or even firefighter like his Dad, but it’s not like I sit around on our couch all day long. Just like all the other hard working stay-at-home parents I know, I spend my days picking up this, putting that away, cooking, cleaning, planning, sending, painting, driving, and anything else necessary to help keep a roof over my family’s heads, food in our bellies, and smiles on our faces.
To think that he didn’t appreciate or recognize that made me question my value, especially, when his innocent honesty hadn’t yet been jaded by what he should say. So it had to be the truth, right?
Well, looking back, it was, it was his truth. He’s a very competitive and determined kid who gets upset if his best isn’t the best. So I know that one day, he’ll dream bigger than wanting to be like me, a self-professed, stay-at-home and work mom, minus the mom part of course.
With a little reflection, I have since chosen to believe that in Max’s case, what he said was an incredible compliment. He saw being just a mom as being happy and fulfilled, giving the phrase the most positive of connotations. In my case, when I used those three little words during the conference call was I being positive? Not so much. I said that I was just a mom as a way to protect myself and beat my fellow speakers to the punch in judging me. They were renowned from the worlds of art, science, education, and athleticism. I was infamous from reality TV, and I felt like if I let them know how worthless I was feeling in comparison to them, then maybe, it wouldn’t hurt so much if they came out and said they felt that way themselves. Sound familiar to anyone?
