My TEDx talk: A message of hope

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Frédéric

Frédéric Balussaud tells us about realising what he thought was his greatest weakness was actually the key to unlocking his greatest strengths. (Caution: this article mentions suicidal thoughts, which may be triggering for some people.)

At the end of March this year, I had the opportunity to give a TEDx talk, where I spoke about my long journey with stammering. It's something that has weighed so heavily on me that, as a teenager subjected to frequent mockery in high school, I attempted suicide.

You can watch me talking about it in my TEDx: Finding Strength Through W-w-weakness talk on YouTube. I'm sharing it here because I thought it might help or inspire members of the STAMMA community.

In my talk, I mention how, at 15, I believed my life was over. The speech therapy I received during childhood was a complete failure. I felt deeply misunderstood, especially when therapists would say things to my parents like, "His thoughts are faster than his words".

Back then, I thought stammering had ruined everything. In reality, it was quietly shaping everything I would one day become. 

Convinced I would never stop stammering, I was saved from the worst by the love of someone close to me. That person helped me to keep going.

The turning point came when I visited a stammering support group in France. There, I met other people who stammered for the first time. After attending that group, I came up with three principles that have helped me to change my attitude to stammering into something more positive.

A powerful opportunity

The opportunity to give this talk came about completely by chance. A student from my business school, who was a member of the TEDx association, reached out to offer me the chance to speak on the theme of 'connecting the dots'. She had learnt about my bold 360-degree career shift from finance to sport at the age of 30 and asked if I wanted to speak.

It was immediately clear that I wanted to talk about stammering. I saw it as a powerful opportunity to share a message of hope — for people who stammer and for teenagers struggling with suicidal thoughts.

For years, I tried to silence my voice. Today, I use it to help others reconnect with theirs — in sport, in health, and in life. Back then, I thought stammering had ruined everything. In reality, it was quietly shaping everything I would one day become. 

But this TEDx talk is not only about stammering — it's about transformation. It's about the invisible strengths that grow in the shadows of our pain. It's about how what we reject in ourselves might hold the very potential we've been searching for. This isn't a success story. It's a story about reframing. About shifting from "Why me?" to "What now?"

So, here's an invitation to you for something to think about: Look again at what you've always seen as your flaw. There may be a hidden gift in it — one that could change your story.

Read more Your Voice articles.

Would you like to write something? Tell us about your journey with stammering, and your experiences; share your opinions or something you've created. See Submit Something For The Site or email editor@stamma.org for details.