8 Minutes to change someone's life | TEDx

Article Reference Code: BC20112025

This photo was taken about an hour before I stepped onto the TEDxAlbury stage. You would not know it from looking at me, but my heart was racing faster than I could believe. Every beat seemed to echo in my chest as I paced backstage, taking deep breaths to calm the mix of excitement and nerves that seemed to swirl inside me like a storm.

I reminded myself:

You have 8 minutes.

8 minutes to change someone’s mind.

8 minutes to shift someone’s belief that they are ugly or not enough.

8 minutes to speak hope into someone who feels invisible and alone.

Five minutes before walking on stage, I felt a shift inside me. I realized that this moment was not about how I looked or whether I appeared confident. It was about the people who needed to hear this message. I thought about myself at fifteen, the girl who sat quietly in the back of classrooms and assemblies, wishing she could disappear because she believed she was ugly, because she did not feel worthy of love or attention. I could feel her loneliness and fear as if she were right there with me backstage.

I told myself that this talk was for her, and for everyone who has ever felt the same way. I wanted them to know that they are not defined by the way they look and that their bodies are not a measure of their worth. When I finally walked onto that stage, the fear did not disappear, but it transformed into purpose. That purpose carried me through those 8 minutes as I spoke from my heart to anyone who needed to hear that they are beautiful and capable just as they are.

The TEDx video will be released soon on the TEDx YouTube channel and I cannot wait to share it. For now, I am holding onto this moment, the moment I chose courage over fear and purpose over self-doubt.

Love,

Chi Chi

About the author

I’m Chi Chi Wang, helping people who struggle with body image build confidence and live with purpose.

Thank you for reading. If this reflection spoke to you, I invite you to explore more articles, each one is written to help you build confidence, self-worth, and a healthier body image.

📖 My book From Ugly to Beautiful Without Surgery is now available, created from over ten years of exploration into what true beauty really means.

💡 If you’re ready to go deeper, C.C.Within offers workshops, talks, and coaching programs designed to help you rebuild self-trust and live with purpose.

The C.C.WITHIN™ Model is my original framework for building undeniable confidence without changing your appearance. First introduced in 2025.

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