Guess Who's Speaking at TEDx?

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Have you had a dream to do something that you knew you would do someday, but felt scared, or  intimidated or overwhelmed by actually going after it? So you stalled and stalled.

But then that day arrived. And you decided to go for it.

I'm excited to share with you that my dream of being a TEDx speaker is coming alive and coming soon!

For those of you not familiar with TEDx, it is an independently organized event, where speakers are invited to bring their "Ideas Worth Spreading." It has its roots in the TED organization and famous conference where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to speak for 18 minutes or less.

Unbeknownst to me, a high school classmate nominated me to be a speaker at the upcoming 150th Anniversary of my high school, a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston.

When I found out, I was honored. I was thrilled. And I was slightly overwhelmed.Despite all that, I filled out my application, and sent it in.

I proposed speaking on the topic of "Why Feminine Spirituality Matters." I realized that this topic was risky. It might not be so well received from an Episcopal-rooted school. A school that was an all-boys school for 113 years of its 150 years.

While I knew it was risky to choose this topic and might lose me a spot, I also knew that I had to be true to myself. I had to be true to what I stand for. I had to speak in my authentic voice.

Guess what? I was accepted.

But there is more to the story. The curator of the event is a man.

We spoke on the phone. He asked me to talk about my topic. Fortunately, he got it. But he was honest in telling me that my approach might make some men and boys in the audience immediately exclude themselves from the conversation. This was good information. I got it.

This is something I have struggled with for years — how to make this conversation accessible and inclusive. And also, how to make it succinct. Talking about this topic in women's circles is one thing. Speaking to the larger public, particularly a co-educational one, is another.

I asked for help. With my permission, the curator suggested some ways to make the conversation more inclusive. This was gold to me. Really valuable information.

So I have now written my first draft of the talk, under a different title, and with a different approach. But the gold I want to share is there. I feel really good about it.

I am awaiting notes from the curator. This process feels like the next step in the evolution of my work. How to work with men. How to speak to and with men. How to become allies with men.

I will keep speaking in women's circles. I love this. I love the intimacy. The honesty. The authenticity. The empowerment. The transformational nature of it. The truth.

I do, however, want to bring this conversation of feminine spirituality out to wider circles, in more inclusive ways.

I would some day like to be up on the main TED stage, reaching not just hundreds, but hundreds of thousands of people.

Right now. It's one foot in front of the other. TEDxStMarks here I come!

What is a dream that you have? Have you been stalling on it? What is one step you can take next week (or even right now) to move closer to it? Schedule this in your calendar right now.

If you are someone whose dream includes writing a book, I'm happy to share that I can support you with that. And you can so something about it right now.

There are2 spots left in my "Write Your Book" course for aspiring women authors (non-fiction). The deadline to apply is today, Friday, August 14th, at 4pm PT/7pm ET.

We've got an amazing group of women that has formed. Come join us!

Go for it. We've got your back.

I'll look forward to hearing from you.

Tabby Biddle, M.S.Ed., is a women’s rights advocate, writer and leadership coach, specializing in helping women find their voice. She is the author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller, Find Your Voice: A Woman’s Call to Action, now available in paperback. Get your copy here.