Monday Motivation: "I have dreams, and I can fly!"

We need to hear stories of hope. Hope is our mainstay in a world that is dark and often unkind.

Mondays after long weekends can be okay. We might be refreshed, but sometimes holidays are more tiring than the rest of the week. We might need a boost to keep going.

We could get bogged down in Monday, but instead, we can remember that we have been blessed with freedom. And women around the world are experiencing the same thing through transformative centers! This week, our story of hope and transformation comes from Starfish Project, one of our jewelry partners in Asia:

"At 15, I ran away from home and from a stepfather who abused me. Desperation for survival forced me to sell my body and my self-respect. 

When I thought I had reached my end, I met two women from Starfish Project. I left the dark world I was in and came to work at their jewelry company. 

As I grew and matured, they showed me unconditional love, warmth, and kindness.

I celebrated my 21st birthday at Starfish. 

It was the first time anyone had sung, "happy birthday" to me. I am now able to laugh again and to cry; not tears of sadness but of joy. I no longer feel like an ugly duckling. I have dreams, and I can fly!"

Lives are being changed! Darkness and evil cannot win forever, and there are so many people, like the women at Starfish, who are working to restore survivors. This is your good news and motivation for your Monday!