July 2017 – The Weekly Sparkle

Tonight is the eve of our annual Give Back Lehigh Valley Softball Tournament and I am SO EXCITED… and a little antsy! My (now) husband and I created this event back when we were dating… we got engaged there and now are married. It’s been 4 years and I can’t believe how quickly the time to passed and how this event has evolved.

What does not amaze me, is how awesome it feels to have created such an amazing give-back event that continues to get bigger and bigger as the years go by!!! GIVING BACK IS EASY… and it doesn’t have to be something big or something that grows… it can be small acts that make a difference in the life of another.

We began our Give Back Event to help me fundraise for our local Cystic Fibrosis chapter a few years back when I was named a Lehigh Valley Finest Under 40 honoree. That was with 4 teams, a few donations and some cool T-shirts. The event tomorrow is anticipated to have anywhere from 150-200 people and over 100 participants. 😳 IT’S amazing!… but truly, it also takes a village.

Each year, I use the all social media outlets to plug the event, solicit sponsorship and to shed the light on how YOU can give back and together, all of our small efforts make a BIG impact. For example, this year alone, strangers have reached out to me to become a part of this and volunteer; friends from grade school that I haven’t spoken to personally or seen in years have donated product for the event; and some incredible Lehigh Valley businesses stepped up to be big name sponsors of the event. I know this has built over the years, but it doesn’t change the pure awe that I feel when I see so many people coming together. I can tell you, that as our 4th Annual event, we became completely sponsored by businesses and individuals who want to give back, right here where we live. Years ago- a lot of what made the event came out of our own pockets… which was something we were prepared for, but appreciate now that it’s changed. It’s a beautiful thing to see so many wanting to drive change and to be a positive force in the community.

So here we are, a few hours out from the big day beginning, and I’m so excited I can’t sleep. This event is our little piece of what we’re able to put out into the world, and it feels amazing. If this day inspires a few people to give a little more than they do, then we’ve done our job. At the very least, we can provide some assistance for our local charities and organizations, and provide a positive, fun day for the community. In our last 3 tournaments we’ve raised $25,000 and hope to add another 10k to that number tomorrow for Nam Knights of the LV and Logan’s Heroes Animal Recue! 🐾🇺🇸⚾️

If you want to see more about our event, please visit GiveBackSoftball.com & please comment below if you need any inspo or help creating a Give Back event!

To helping those in your community… ❤️

-Aurora

Be around the light bringers, the magic makers, the world shifters, the game shakers. They’ll challenge you, break you open, uplift and expand you. They don’t play small with your life. These heartbeats are your people. These people are your tribe.

Ohhhhhhh the feels this saying gives me!! I’ve been sitting on this one for awhile, as I usually do when I come across some good quotes. If it jumps out at me for one reason or another, I save it, diguest it and decide if I want to pick it apart a little bit with you guys.

So there’s two parts here that I want to address: the people you surround yourself with and the impact they have on you, and also whether or not you’re exuding your best qualities, wanting others to be surrounded by you.

1. Who you surround yourself with. This is SO important for so many reasons. When we talk about “light bringers” and “magic makers” did you have someone pop in to your mind?? KEEP THAT PERSON AROUND! Now don’t get me wrong, we’re not booting all friends and acquaintances out of circle if we’re not describing them as magical, uplifting, game changers etc. What is most important in my point here is that you have those people or circles you’re involved with that feed your soul, purpose, direction you want to go, goals you want to reach etc. If you’re looking around your regular circles and not liking how you feel/what you see/ what’s being discussed/done etc etc etc by all means, change your scenery. Move. You’re not a tree. (I blogged about this idea once too…)

For me, I have a ton of fun, adventurous and goofy friends that are great to hang out with. Then I also have some key inspirational people in my life that I trust for advice, look to for personal and professional growth, people I look up to, etc. It’s great to have multiple circles you’re in, but I can’t express enough that having these game shakers in your corner are amazing. These people can help you while you discover your own potential, make and reach goals and be a positive presence in your life. Have you ever heard the saying: you’re only as good as the company you keep. If you’re always surrounded by people who aren’t helping you grow and become a better person, I recommend changing some of your circles. It’s not easy, but the pay off will be worth it. And you’ll FEEL better! Negative people can suck the life out of you, rob you of happy moments and removing as much of this as possible is bound to bring nothing but positive effects into your life.

2. Do people view you as their magic maker, game shaker, light bringer, motivator etc? I hope they do! Just how you will THRIVE with these people in your corner, how amazing would it be to be that for someone else? This life will always reward those who make it their mission to help others... I firmly believe that. Where in your life can you be the light and motivation someone needs?

I try and do this through the many organizations and groups I’ve become a part of in the Lehigh Valley where I live. I get to network with young professionals and invite them to become a part of an amazing philanthropic professional group that helps them to give Back locally, meet top local business owners and CEOs as well as build great relationships within their peer group. I personally reach out to individuals I meet that I think would be a great part of the group and help them determine if it’s a good fit! Other times, I’m inspiring others to become a part of committees I’m involved in, volunteer opportunities I’m organizing or involved in and lastly I ALWAYS use my professional expertise to help my friends/ old co-workers / sometimes even acquaintances. As an HR, I’m often asked to write recommendations, Linked In testimonys, review resumes, practice interviewing skills etc. Its an honor people as me for my help, but it’s also so humbling to know that for these people, I’m the motivator, the light bringer, whatever you want to call it- I’m that for these people.

If you have something you can do to bring your magic to others, do it!
Here’s my other favorite quote that I’ve used before but LOVE Bc it’s all about surrounding yourself with the right people!
Watch who you surround yourself with, and be someone that others want to be surrounded by!

Be someone’s light ✨

-Aurora

Month: July 2017

Why You Should Give Back- The Power of Small Acts

Why You Should Choose Wisely on Who Surrounds You