Hey friends!

Man have I really missed writing here! To be 100% transparent, Covid-19 has run your girl into the ground. Mentally, emotionally, physically… I’ve been exhausted. Today’s blog is going to be very honest, because it’s been a rough few months and maybe if you’ve had a rough time too, it’ll be helpful to know you’re not alone ♥️.

In the beginning of quarantine, over three months ago, I was trying to view working from home and all the complexities of the pandemic as optimistically as I could, even though I was feeling a lot of uncertainty and anxiety at that time. I took this time to go on daily walks, was making breakfast daily, and overall trying to remain positive. I even made a playlist of songs to help keep everyone upbeat in my post Music to Boost Your Mood – My Quarantine Playlist. See, I was really trying in the beginning here!!

One thing I remained top of mind this whole time was how grateful I was to still have a job and that I could do it safely from home. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my work in HR, Coronavirus flipped my job upside down. Since none of us have really navigated any of this before I knew there was going to be a lot of information coming at me fast and furious, so I tried my best to focus on what I could control and digest everything as quickly as I could.

Aside of work, I also had a lot of fear about the health and safety of my loved ones knowing that many of them were high risk and if they contracted coronavirus it could be extremely dangerous for them. I would spend a lot of time praying, and made sure I did my part in staying home, washing my hands, wearing a mask etc.

As we got into a routine of staying home, grocery shopping, trying new ways to entertain ourselves, things started to feel a little “normal.” The one thing however that never slowed down or felt normal was my workload. Since the pandemic has started I have been averaging between 50 and 60 hours a week with my job, working around the clock and making myself available whenever new information came out and it needed my attention in a timely manner.

This is where work from home life really presented a challenge for me: with my new desk/office being in our dining room, I never felt like I ever truly unplugged from work. I started to notice myself being extremely irritable, I felt like I couldn’t focus my eyes as well as normal, and when large pieces of information came to me that I had to mentally download, I couldn’t keep my attention on that item for more than five minutes before worrying about/ thinking about something else. The past few weeks I knew I really needed a break and praise the Lord (LOL) I’m finally getting one this week.

After months of go-go-go I’m finally taking a break. While we can’t travel anywhere safely (lots of states are currently on a “hot spot” list of increased Corona cases), 2 of my girlfriends and I are going to a local resort and just relaxing pool side. THANK YOU LORD JESUS 🙌

While I’m grateful for this time off, I also wish I took it sooner. If you’re feeling some of the anxieties or worries that I’ve listed here, or are just mentally beat up, do yourself a favor and give yourself permission to REST. If you’re not feeling your best, you can’t give your best. In a weird way, I’m kind of excited to not have plans this week. It’ll be nice to sleep in, read a book and catch some Vitamin D.

Cheers to taking some time off- we all deserve it! ♥️♥️♥️

-Aurora

This list is bound to change the game for you in 2021 if you start practicing now!

1. Change your negative thoughts to positive ones.
2. Drink water- start at a glass a day if needed
3. Meditate
4. Write out a list of people who are most important to you and be intentional about reaching out to them/making plans with them
5. Get a physical- knowledge is power. Knowing what’s going on with your body can prevent so many issues
6. Use your ears more than your mouth. When someone is speaking to you, try listening better- not preparing your response
7. Journal- even if it’s a few lines a day. Getting things out of your mind and on paper is not only therapeutic, but if they’re action items, it helps to get them accomplished
8. Cross something off your bucketlist
9. Stop comparing yourself to others- especially on the internet. Remember, we are all posting the highlight reel. And if you’ve followed me for some time, you know I believe The Reel isn’t Real.
10. Wake up early- even start with 10 extra minutes

11. Do a random act of kindness- it feels good and can spark change in others

12. Get some solid sleep- minimum of 7 hours each night

13. Social Media Detox- delete the people and accounts that make you bad/negative

14. Don’t gossip

15. More Self-Care

16. Volunteer or Give Back

17. Celebrate small wins

18. Work on communication with your loved ones

19. Read more books

20. Become more active- go for a walk, hop on the treadmill, even get up from your desk and take a walk. Getting active keeps your blood moving & getting really active can help with overall health

Happy New Year everyone!! I’ve already started working this list into my 2020 habits! What are you incorporating into your new year? I’d love to hear!!

To the best year yet!.. and prepping for the next!!

-Aurora ⚡️

Happy New Year!… Or as I’m feeling so far in 2020- Happy YOU Year!! I love a fresh page, and that’s what today is. The beginning of a New Year is literally day one of 365, which is a lot of opportunity to design and create the YOU you want to be.

I know a lot of people talk about resolutions beginning a new year, but I always try and focus on goals I have to better myself all the way around- mind, body and spirit. I’ve thought a lot about what I want 2020 to look like including what my hopes are and how I can obtain them.

In 2020, I’ll be focusing on self love and overall happiness.

My reason for this? Literally, every situation happening in your life (or that you want to happen) stems from how you’re feeling inside. When you feel overall happiness, your perspective of outside situations is typically more positive. When you’re feeling sad, anxious, worrisome, or anything bad on the inside, typically your perspective on the outside can be more negative. Everything on the inside comes through and effects all outside situations- both good and bad.

For example: let’s say I’m feeling anxious about something in my mind and possibly overthinking it because it makes me anxious- My husband could walk in the room and asked me a simple question, but because I’m feeling anxious/negative inside I respond to him in a negative way, even if it’s not justified or doesn’t make sense. Because I’m not feeling good on the inside, it creeps out and effects something completely unrelated. Have you ever lashed out at someone undeserving because you’re feeling your own shit?

Come on, let’s all raise our hands 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️.

Now in the opposite regard, have you ever had a feeling of overwhelming happiness or contentment and that nothing can bring you down? For me, after I crush a really great work out I feel invincible! The energy that I get from working out can have me start a project I’ve been meaning to start, smiling from ear to ear and even sometimes, you can ask my husband, even motivates me to clean the house! Because I feel great inside, positivity is spewing out of me in all directions!!

Can anyone relate to this? It’s crazy how much were feeling on the inside projects on the outside. So for 2020 I’m working on the happiness within so that happiness is what’s coming out. The self-love portion of my goals is also to give myself some grace when I fall short on overpowering the negative.

My 2020 Vision is laser focused on positive vibes/energy, positive relationships, self love, mental/physical/spiritual health… and that’s just the stuff on the inside I’m working on!

Other goals for 2020 is working with my husband to launch our non-profit (EEEEEKKKK), moving the needle with my baby TheWeeklySparkle.com 😍 and penning the outline of my book. AHEUEUFHEK!! I said it. It’s out in the universe now, so there’s no taking it back! A book has always been a dream of mine and something I’ve been jotting notes on for years. 2020 is the year I’m committing to start it.

The start of a New Year is truly magical. I’d love to know what everyone else’s goals are for 2020! Shoot me a comment or note & let me know!… and don’t forget!… Write your goals down!!! It’s the best way to let them sink in and help you be accountable to them! Nothing fancy, they can be in your “notes” app or in a journal! Happy writing! ☺️

Cheers to a year of happiness ahead ✨-Aurora

Stay Strong Queen

The point of this blog has always been to connect. In the beginning phases, it was meant to connect with just my blog readers and then slowly transformed into connecting with even more people through my Facebook Page , Pinterest, Twitter and now even Instagram! When I started this almost seven years ago, The Weekly Sparkle only reached a few subscribers each week as they’d get my blog subscription in their inbox or others who would google search topics on things they were thinking about and wanted to feel some kind of connection on. Well, a few posts back on my Facebook page, I shared this quote and the response to it was huge!! So many women messaging me saying, “Wow I really needed this today” and “Amen Sister!!” and my favorite- “Holy Crap, I didn’t know I needed that until I read it… then I read it 10 more times!”

To be honest, this is why I love posting things that inspire me! Half the time I’m not looking, and something so bold, and so real and so relate-able pops out at me and causes me to step back and say “WOW other people need to read this!”

So let’s get to this quote shall we?

All of us, men and women alike, have periods of our lives where we just feel like we’re not in the right head space, or being kicked while we’re down, or are just really going through it. Friends, I’ve been feeling this way a little bit lately, and instead of identifying it for what it is and stepping back to see how I can fix it, I just keep going and going and going! There’s something to be said here though– there is something so completely commendable to those of us who are going through something, yet we continue to show up, be an awesome mom/dad/sister/wife/husband/boss/caretaker/etc etc etc etc and not let this season of our life paralyze us or cause us to quit. There’s a weird strength that comes from knowing you’ve been through things, but you’re still standing and moving forward.

So my message here is two fold and it’s simple: it’s okay to not feel strong all the time, but it’s so extremely important to recognize when you need a break. Sometimes when I’m go go go, my own mental and physical well-being goes to the wayside. So a quote like this reminds me that it’s okay to hit the pause button. The biggest message here though… if you’ve been through (or are going through) some things, the really tough, hard to navigate things, and you’re still standing, moving, getting ish done… you are a rockstar and need to pat yourself on the back.

So to my QUEENS… Keep 👏 Doing 👏 What👏 You’re 👏 Doing!!!!!! You are the real MVP’s and deserve to take any and all of the time you need for yourself! Until then, keep grinding, stay strong and no quitting. ♥️

Cheers,

Aurora ✨