Area women, young and mature, were given valuable tools for overcoming fears so that they can focus on pursuing dreams and bettering their lives during the ninth annual Softer Side Seminars’ Woman to Woman program, last month at the Hill House Kaufman Auditorium.
More than 80 participants turned out for the day-long event and learned how to live fearlessly. Highlights of the day were a presentation by Softer Side Seminars Founder Renee P. Aldrich around the theme “Getting Past Our Fears to get to our Destiny” and a panel discussion on “Facing Our Fears Head On,” which was facilitated by Latifa Miller. The panel members were Kenya Alford, Denele Biggs, LaRae Everett, Tiffany Huff and Bonita Penn.
Keynote speaker, international plus size model/actress Liris Crosse spoke of overcoming fear and not allowing uncharted territory hold one back from their dreams. Sharing that while her parents’ desire was that she attend college, she wanted to get into modeling which meant a move from her home in Baltimore, M.D., to New York City. She said, “I didn’t want to live life with the woulda, shoulda, coulda feeling, so I went to New York nervous, but determined.”
She didn’t let her size stop her even though she received a lot of negative sentiments, including that she “would never be a model.” Crosse proudly states her dress size as 14 and fabulous. She has subsequently gone on to be one of the faces of the new national Ashley Stewart spring campaign. She also has been featured in the films “Baby Boy” and “The Best Man.” She urged listeners to take negative vibes from others and use them to create greatness.
Additionally, she warned the audience to watch what one feeds into their spirit, saying, “If you feed yourself an entertainment diet of ‘Love and Hip Hop’ or debased music, and get caught up in a lot of drama, you are not building your foundation solidly. It is like letting termites eat away at your purpose and your destiny.”
It’s all about getting back to basics. Crosse says, “Remember when you were a little girl you believed you could do anything? Tap into that energy, tap into how you used to just run and play, and how it felt when you had no cares. You can start today. You can say, ‘My life changed during the Woman to Woman symposium.’ You can reboot your life now, today. Make a change today, step out of your fears today.”
Poet
Another highlight was a special presenter for teens who were in attendance, Felicia Mycyk, a former Pittsburgh Passion quarterback and the regions only African American female football coach. She outlined fear as something one doesn’t know––the unexpected. She said living fearlessly does not mean living recklessly. Mycyk, also a marketing strategist and Moon Area School District track coach, cautioned against the YOLO (you only live once) mentality. She warned young women when faced with the pressures of premature sexual intimacies to stop and think about the decision they are making. “With the YOLO mentality, you may reason to go for it because you may not be here tomorrow, but chances are you will and you may end up pregnant or worse, end up with a disease,” she said. She went on to say that the YOLO thinking is a lie. “Everything you do in your day-to-day life, glorifies God. Do you want to live for today, for instant gratification or live for tomorrow?”
Mycyk says it was determination that got her on the playing field and kept her going while she evolved into the person she is today. She said she decided not to be defeated and not to be like everyone else.
“I’m me,” she said, “don’t let fear control you. If you let fear get the best of you, you have not allowed God to work in your life.”
Aldrich said she is honored to touch the lives of women and help them move past their fears to reach their full potential. Her motivational program, sponsored by Highmark, The Poise Foundation, McAuley Ministries Foundation and Marriott Pittsburgh City Center, is held annually for primarily female audiences.
While the event is 9 years old, Softer Side Seminars is 13. “One thing I have learned over the past nine years is that the message of Softer Side Seminars does not get old and there is always an audience for it,” Aldrich said.
“There are women of all ages, who are ready to re-create how they see themselves. Our goal at Softer Side Seminars is to help in providing the tools to do this.”
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