¿Qué traes hoy en tu maleta? | Mabely Gamboa | TEDxUIS

Quick Overview

Mabely Gamboa shares her personal journey of overcoming fear and self-doubt during an academic exchange program in a new country, emphasizing the importance of recognizing, accepting, thanking, and letting go of internal burdens to achieve personal growth and find happiness.

Key Points: The presentation centers on the speaker's experience during an academic exchange that initially caused fear and feelings of not belonging, symbolized by the question: "¿Qué traes hoy en tu maleta?" (What are you carrying in your suitcase today?). The speaker felt immense insecurity and physical symptoms like anxiety and stress after moving, realizing she was carrying emotional baggage (fears, beliefs, expectations) that wasn't hers. The turning point came when her passport was canceled, forcing her to confront her situation instead of running away, leading her to decide to believe in herself and apply for the TEDx event. Gamboa introduces a four-step process for dealing with emotional baggage: Reconocer (Recognize), Aceptar (Accept), Agradecer (Thank), and Soltar (Let go), illustrated by a four-quadrant slide. She concludes that letting go of what you cannot control and focusing on what you can change—like choosing to accept and be grateful—is the true path to liberation and growth. The talk emphasizes that the most courageous act is not resisting the current, but choosing to let go and focus on self-improvement and gratitude.

Context: This TEDx talk, delivered by Mabely Gamboa at TEDxUIS (Universidad Industrial de Santander), explores themes of self-doubt, cultural displacement, and personal transformation. The speaker uses the metaphor of a suitcase to represent the internal burdens—fears, external expectations, and anxieties—that people carry, especially when facing major life changes like moving abroad for studies, ultimately proposing a four-step framework for emotional release and self-acceptance.

Detailed Analysis

Mabely Gamboa recounts her challenging experience moving abroad for an academic exchange, which initially manifested as overwhelming fear, anxiety, and a feeling of not belonging. She frames this internal struggle with the central question of her talk: "¿Qué traes hoy en tu maleta?" She describes carrying invisible weights—fears, beliefs, expectations from family, friends, and society—that did not truly belong to her. A significant crisis occurred when her passport was canceled, preventing her planned return, forcing her to stop running from her feelings. This moment led her to decide to trust herself and apply for the TEDx opportunity. She then presents her four-step process for unpacking this emotional baggage: Reconocer (Recognize the burdens), Aceptar (Accept what cannot be controlled), Agradecer (Be thankful for the lessons), and Soltar (Let go). She contrasts the fear of letting go (which feels like failure) with the reality that true bravery lies in releasing what you cannot control and focusing on what you can change—your own perspective and actions. The talk concludes by urging the audience to ask themselves what they are carrying and to actively choose to let go of the negative weight to move forward lighter.