This past week provided one of those moments in time where I stopped, looked around, and realized the amazing things going on in the community I’m lucky enough to be a part of. It was a moment of acknowledging there are so many Accelerators we can surround ourselves with – those that help propel others forward.
Last Thursday was my last Big Brother Big Sister at the workplace session for the school year. My little is such a great kid – kind, hardworking, caring, and certainly has a fan in me. Wrapping up the school year created space to reflect on the great people at Big Brother Big Sister along with all the time and effort so many Principal Financial Group employees give back to their community. Principal does a great job of promoting volunteering and giving and it’s extremely rewarding to see how many employees take advantage of these opportunities to dedicate endless hours driving their community forward to a better tomorrow.
Thursday night, thanks to our close friends Mike and Lindsey Christianson, my wife and I attended the first annual fundraiser for Des Moines Refugee Support. While I’d heard second hand the great things this organization does, hearing the shared stories of refugees this organization has helped bring the understanding of their impact to an entirely new level. Just imagine if you, for whatever reason, were forced to move to another country leaving behind your homeland, job, and almost everything you owned to go to another country that speaks a different language. The amount of support financially, mentally, and physically this organization provides these refugees is extremely impactful and important. Des Moines Refugee Support is truly an Accelerator for these refugees needing a fresh start.
Friday afternoon I was able to attend Girls Scouts of Greater Iowa’s event called Inspiring Women of Iowa. With my wife having served on the board the past few years, I’ve always enjoyed the encouragement this event has generated. This year was even more amplified with excitement with our friend Dr. Lindsey Christianson being nominated for the Character award. With so many of our friends there for support, we were incredibly happy to see such a strong and great model of character recognized. Big shoutout and congrats to Lindsey for winning the Character award!
For those that haven’t attended, part of the event is acknowledging 16 finalists for the 4 different awards (Character, Courage, Confidence, and Inspiring Advocate). These 16 women exert such a diverse amount of impact to our community and truly are Accelerators to many. It’s a great reminder that the impact we have on our community doesn’t have to look any specific way. The key is our effort to help our community be in a better place for tomorrow.
Take your step: take time to reflect on the Accelerators around you. While it may be hard to see at times, there’s incredible people all around you ready to help propel their community forward. Embrace these Accelerators and find a way to make your own mark in your community.