11: A Burn Survivor’s Journey to Discover True Beauty // The Story of Kelly Falardeau
Background:
At the age of 2, Kelly Falardeau was severely burned over 75% of her body in her childhood home. Her life was forever changed in that moment. It led to numerous surgeries throughout her life. Because her scars are so visible it led to a life of being highly visible, to being bullied, to being shunned, to being avoided because they were uncomfortable knowing how to talk to her, and to her not feeling wanted, needed or even loved.
But she has a beautiful story of discovering for herself that she wanted herself, she needed herself and most of that she loved herself. She became herself and she owned who she was. She was not defined by what happened to her, not by any event that happened to her.
Kelly found a way to go from near-death to success; from the ugly scar-faced girl to the Top 10 Most Powerful and Influential Speaker, Fierce Woman of the Year, Best-Selling Author (4 times), recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and most recently a YWCA Woman of Distinction 2013.
Time-Stamped Show Notes:
- 2:26 At 2 years old, Kelly got severely burned. She doesn’t remember the accident itself but she could recall the surgeries and the trips to the hospital when she was 5 years old onwards.
- 5:11 Just last year, Kelly reconnected with the doctor who saved her life when she got burned. It was a touching moment for both of them.
- 6:47 When she was 18, she was hypnotized to find out why she did not die.
- 9:43 There were moments when she felt that she wanted to end her life.
- 12:34 A stranger looked at her scars and said to her “They couldn’t do better than that?” This was a very hurtful moment for Kelly but it became a positive turning point in her life.
- 19:13 She looked at the mirror and finally saw all the things she loved about herself.
- 23:58 Kelly shares the story of how she started the process of loving her little parts, which led to self-discovery and believing in herself.
- 27:27 She talks about how we assume that other people are always having negative thoughts about us.
- 29:43 Kelly offers a simple suggestion to those who are struggling with their inner criticism.
- 31:03 She explains why she declined to have a prosthetic ear.
- 35:00 Being on a Goalcast documentary video and having over 9.5 million views was an incredible experience for Kelly.
- 42:06 Even with her accomplishments in life, she still experiences a lot of daily struggles and challenges.
- 45:25 Speaking in front of students in the gym was not easy for Kelly because she had this issue of self-worthiness.
- 48:57 Kelly shares an interesting story of how she maintains a positive mindset during her divorce.
- 56:07 Kelly has a free gift to all the listeners, especially for people who want to be an author.
This Episode Sponsored By:
- 14:16 Please check out Kelly’s books, which are all under $20 at KellyFalardeau.com.
- 33:39 At 17, Eric thought he was going to jail for a long time but there were people who helped him get back up again. Please check out Eric’s book to know more about his whole story. You can visit his website and download a free copy of the intro and prologue at EricGilbertWilliams.com.
Key Point from the Interview:
- “If I keep loving all my little parts, then maybe I can start loving me and seeing that my scars aren’t such a bad thing.”
