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The Stories I Tried to Hide
- Latrice Torres
- Dec 26, 2025
- 3 min read
I hope as you open and read this blog, you are still beaming from holiday festivities, or end-of-year reflection, and that this blog helps you to move into some self-reflection as we draw close to the new year.
When you build a TEDx talk, at some point you have to answer a scary question:
How honest am I willing to be?
It’s one thing to share your ideas. It’s another to share your stories—the ones that come with side eyes, gossip, or your own internal shame.
For this talk, that means putting certain parts of my life on the table. There was a time when a few of those things were my greatest fears. Not because they weren’t true, but because of what I believed they meant:
That I was irresponsible.
That I was “less than.”
That I had disqualified myself from certain rooms.
That I should be grateful for whatever I got—attention, opportunity, grace.
I did what many of us do: I polished my story. I emphasized the survival, the resilience, the wins. I downplayed the parts that felt messy or “unprofessional.”
But here’s what I’m realizing as I prepare this talk:
The parts of my story I tried to hide are the exact parts that make this message real. I often talk with my niece about getting comfortable with who you are. I have watched both struggle and triumph around that and it is interesting to reflect on those conversations as I prepare for this talk.
She doesn't know it, but conversations with her have helped me to confront myself! How can I stand on a stage and say, “Stop apologizing for existing,” if I’m quietly apologizing for my own past while I’m saying it?
So, this week, my work has been less about editing sentences and more about releasing shame. I’m choosing to see my story differently.
Instead of treating parts of my life as a stain, I’m treating them as a curriculum. Those experiences taught me:
How to navigate responsibility, judgment, and survival at the same time.
How to advocate for myself and my kids when I felt like I had no leverage.
How to build a life that isn’t supposed to be possible “on paper.”
That’s not a liability. That’s lived expertise.
When I talk on that stage about what happens when you stop apologizing for existing, I won’t be speaking in theory. I’ll be speaking as someone who has spent decades trying to earn what was already mine: my right to be here.
If you see yourself in any part of this, I want you to hear this clearly:
Your story is not evidence against you. It’s evidence of you—your capacity, your growth, your wisdom. It might be the exact story someone else needs to hear so they can stop apologizing, too.
Take a moment:
I was drafting my bio for a TEDx-related document and I caught myself deleting pivotal parts, yet again. I stopped, took a breath, and put them back. Not as a confession—but as context.
Reflection:
I can see that every time I erase those early chapters of my life, I reinforce the lie that my worth depends on looking “perfect.” Bringing them back into the frame is an act of radical self-love and honesty.
Now ask yourself:
What is one part of my story that I usually skip when I introduce myself?
It could be:
a career pivot
a relationship status
a financial struggle
a mental health chapter
a family role
This week, share a small, safe piece of that story with someone you trust—not as an apology, not as drama, but as part of who you are.
You don’t have to drag your whole history into the spotlight. But you also don’t have to pretend it never happened.
You are allowed to be the whole you.
Don’t worry about sounding smart, strategic, or impressive. Let it sound raw and real. Write it as if you’re talking to someone you love who needs to hear it.
If you feel like sharing, know that I am a safe space to do so. DM or email me at Latrice@LeaderKeysUnlocked.com.
🗝️ Be sure to follow my journey and visit this blog every Friday at 1:00PM ET.
🗝️🗝️ Interesting in taking the TED or TEDx stage? Ask me how I landed this opportunity and I will tell you EXACTLY how! Hint: I hired some help...
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