When a Vision Board Moment Becomes Something More
What stepping onto a TEDx stage unexpectedly helped me release.
Last week I stepped onto a TEDx stage.
For years that moment lived on my vision board. One of those dreams you quietly hope happens someday. But something unexpected happened when it finally did. It felt like closure.
The past few years have been heavy. Multiple surgeries. Living with 7 autoimmune diseases. Big life questions about what comes next, both personally and professionally.
Even when you move forward, pieces of that weight stay with you. Sometimes you do not realize how much you are still carrying. When I walked off that stage, something shifted inside me.
I felt lighter.
Not because everything is figured out. Life rarely works that way. But because I finally felt ready to close a few chapters that have been lingering.
The talk itself required a level of vulnerability that I do not often bring to a stage. It spanned fifteen years of my journey including the past two years I had never spoken about publicly before. Moments that shaped how I see purpose and perspective, and what it means to keep moving forward even when life changes the plan.
It was emotional. It was honest. And it felt important to say out loud.
And when you close a chapter, you create space. Space for new ideas. Space for new energy. Space to build the next version of life more intentionally.
Creativity has also started to creep back in. Not the kind tied to productivity or business plans, but the quieter kind. The kind that shows up when you give yourself permission to explore again.
It feels a little like coming home to parts of myself that had been waiting patiently.
If there is one thing I am learning in this season of life, it is this. Sometimes the milestone you thought was about accomplishment is actually about release.
The video of the talk is currently being edited by the TED team and should be live on the official TED YouTube channel in about a month or two. I will be sure to share it here when it goes live.
Until then, I am taking a moment to appreciate the closing of one chapter and the quiet beginning of another.
More soon. XO, Indie
You truly are a gift Indie. Your Ted talk was eye opening and inspirational. Thank you!
Congratulations on continuing to inspire so many with your hard earned platform. It's been a privilege to have a close-up for the better part of 36+ years.