NOTE FROM TED: We've flagged this talk, which was filmed at a TEDx event, because it appears to fall outside TEDx's curatorial guidelines. This talk represents the speaker’s personal understanding of and experiences with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and is not yet corroborated by scientific evidence. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/t...

Zaheen Nanji discusses her experiences with stuttering, and how our self-image can shape our identity. Born in Kenya, Zaheen had a good childhood up until the age of 6, when she was made to skip grade 2 and enter a pilot project. At this point in her life, everything changed. She developed a severe speech impediment, and couldn’t even say her own name without stuttering.
At the age of 15 her parents sent her off to Edmonton, Alberta. She completed her education in Nutrition & Food Science, Environmental Health and Neuro Linguistic Programming. Zaheen didn’t want her speech impediment to stop her from pursuing what she wanted – her work experience in public health and her passion for sharing her story, has inspired her to use her voice even more.
Zaheen is also a recent breast cancer survivor. 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