Behind the Sparkle...Meet Ashley




Hello, Sparklers! Ashley here from the Shimmer Sparkle Shine board of directors. I figured since this blog is brand new, I’d start by introducing myself and giving you the rundown of how I began working with this organization, what I think it means to Shimmer Sparkle Shine, and a tiny piece of advice (which you’ll find I love to give) about self-love. 


I started with SSS in 2011 as a volunteer. Not too long after my first couple of workshops, Ciara told me that she was meeting with a lawyer to make it an official non-profit and asked if I would be a board member. I accepted without knowing exactly what that would entail. I just knew I wanted to help my good friend out with something I knew she was really passionate about and trying to get started. I didn’t have any expectations as to how long or how much I would be involved back then, but I will never regret making this commitment.  





 I love coming up with new ideas for what we can do at our stations in our workshops and planning fundraisers and reaching out to new girls. One moment that really solidified for me the reason that I continue to do this happened in September of last year. I was running a small workshop alone and during our Good Friends vs Bad Friends workshop we have the girls make friendship bracelets that they can give to their best friend. As all the girls were about to reach in for materials, one very quiet little girl raised her hand and said what if we don’t have a best friend… It took me a second to gather my thoughts as I looked into this adorable little girl’s face, wanting so badly to give her a big hug and bombard her with kind words and advice. All I came up with in that moment was that she could make a bracelet for a sibling or a cousin or even for herself because we are our own best friends. Those girls are the reason that I have stuck with SSS. Those girls and the women that I still hear in college talking about how they aren’t good enough in some way. 
 



 Part of working with this program teaching about self-worth and self-esteem has pushed me to always be trying to practice it myself. I try to talk to myself in a positive way and love myself for exactly who I am. It’s not always easy, but I really believe in the power of self-love. I think that we all have to love ourselves so we can love others more fully. That’s what Shimmer Sparkle Shine means to me. It means loving yourself unconditionally and then letting that love burst outward directed toward everyone else.


Think about all of the people you love most in this world. You see and know what their flaws are, right? But do you care? Of course not! You love them for all that they are no matter what. Why can’t we be that way with ourselves? Why do we only focus on the bad parts of ourselves? I challenge you all to think about how you feel about those special people in your lives and try to turn that love inward. Love yourself even more than you love your friends and family. And I promise that once you do, you will begin to see the beauty in every person you interact with every day. Your heart will open up so much more when you give it the love it deserves from inside. 


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