July 19th The Metamorphosis Experience crew had the honor to attend and participate in the 1st annual Esther Project Services Women’s Symposium. As a new non profit it was a milestone and memorable event for many reasons.
The theme of this special gathering addressed the concerns of women in the media and its impact on self esteem of young girls aged 13-26. There were several panelists serving as experts on 3 topics: bullying, self image, human sex trafficking and gang involvement.
The room was filled with young women from various backgrounds and circumstances- some from single parent households, some from foster homes. Whether they were forced to attend, or held reservations on what the day would hold for them, by the end of the program, each young woman left with something more than what they came with– new Hope, Confirmation, Courage, Inspiration or understanding. Perhaps one of the most impressive things observed at this special event was when a young lady about 16 announced that she, on her own will stopped her practices of self hate by way of cutting herself- She realized that she held value- an acknowledgement that is so hard to make if its not taught early in childhood. I believe in that moment everyone attending the event became present in the moment and the lives that were gathered in the room and their potential role and opportunity to impact and touch another in a defining way.
Alicia Cass (Metamorphosis Experience founder) gave a motivating perspective to those in the room who were gang associated, made bad decisions, were written off by people or made to believe they were no good. Her message to the crowd was sophisticated simplicity- in just 6 words she helped women under the sound of her voice take the portion of courage needed to decide to start a new chapter. She shared “Its Never Too Late To Change!” That sentence along with her personal story of gang involvement, domestic violence and GED related to the crowd on a deeper level and proved to be a living, walking, breathing example of that sentence in action. Its Never Too Late To Change! Life isn’t easy- we all make bad decisions or don’t respond to our circumstances the way others would hope we would. The Esther Project Services Women’s Symposium not only provided us with a platform and audience to share our story but also served as a reminder that we build a sense of community and kingdom when we each take it upon ourselves to not only “get out” but also to “reach back”. After all we are our brother’s/ sister’s keeper!
Several other speaking opportunities came from this fulfilling experience!
