How To Actually Empower Women
#3: Undo/Redo Mini-Essay Series of 2024
The air was chilly in Minneapolis but it was cozy in the old stone church. It was here I joined the Ezer Collective 2024, which has now come and gone. It was too short and yet still long enough to empower me and about two hundred other women.
There is nothing akin to putting a group of ladies together where they can be equipped, to give them space to evaluate, process, and grow. It was magical to hear each woman stand up and declare their spheres of influence—from pastors, to mothers, to medical workers, to nonprofit leaders, to business women, and so much more.
The evidence that this time was well spent came at the end, when each of us declared into the mic what we were saying goodbye to and then hello to. Here are a handful that I remember (including my own at the end):
Goodbye to impostor syndrome and hello to owning my intrinsic worth!
Goodbye to fear of uncertainty and hello to therapy to work through my healing!
Goodbye to titles no one would give me as a woman and hello to owning my calling anyway!
Goodbye to when power was used to abuse me and hello to being confident in my work environment!
Goodbye to fear of starting and hello to naming myself a writer!
Goodbye to a season of healing/undoing trauma and hello to a season of redoing and rebuilding!
The powerful stories of transformation that occurred over a handful of days went on and on. Just listening to, clapping for, and hugging these women as they declared changes in their lives ignited hope that overflowed and multiplied around the room.
We all need so much hope right now.
Do you remember that you aren’t powerless? We have agency, purpose, direction and most importantly—empowerment! We aren't alone in our callings, vocations, and as changemakers!
So when you feel alone, stuck, or feel that your feet are slopping along in quicksand—I hope you also find hope. Maybe you too can make space to evaluate, process, and grow with others. Your equipping, encouragement and empowerment are worth it.
You can find past posts visiting authenticallyelisa.substack.com
Follow me on Instagram here @AuthenticallyElisa
See What’s New on my Patheos column: Flourishing Faith and Justice
Read the Rest of the 2024 Mini-Essay Series starting here
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