2013 | Self-Help Books

Fisheye lens view of the ocean with a beautiful sunrise with 2013 written in the sand

Each year provides inspiration and opportunities for growth. As 2013 comes to a close, I reflected on 10 inspirational moments and people of this past year.

This is an image of candles surrounding a photo of Nelson Mandela

1. Nelson Mandela – The death of Nelson Mandela was one of the most celebrated passings that I can ever remember. While the world is sad to have him no longer with us; in addition to mourning his death, everyone truly celebrated his accomplishments, what he stood for, and how he inspired millions of people worldwide to be better. He led by example – to the very end of his life.

This is the image of a memorial in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombings

2. Boston Marathon – On April 15, 2013, the world witnessed one of the most gruesome acts. In the crowd of those waiting to celebrate their loved ones achieving a wonderful feat of completing the Boston Marathon, they instead faced terror. The inspiration of this tragedy came in the aftermath. Law enforcement came together to quickly apprehend the perpetrators. The survivors and the world came together to heal.

This is an image of Pope Francis reaching out to bless a child

3. Pope Francis – In March, he was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Benedict XVI resigned, being the first pope to resign in over 598 years. This year he has surprised many by reinvigorating the Catholic Church to be less about judgment and more about love. He has inspired millions and many are looking for him to lead the Church onward into the 21st century.

This is the image of a sign that says, "Equal Love, Equal Rights"

4. Legalizing Same Sex Marriage – equal rights for marriage stood out loud and clear this year, not only in the US, but in 15 other countries as well. Finally, the commitment to love, honor, and cherish your partner, whether they are the opposite sex or same sex, is transforming the world.

Tiles that look like white Scrabble tiles that spell the word, hope.

5. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight Rescue – On May 6, 2013, these three young women were rescued in Cleveland Ohio after being held captive for over 10 years. This amazing story of survival touched the hearts of the entire world.

This is an image of different scientific symbols and formulas denoting physics

6. 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics – Francois Englert and Peter W. Higgs were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their theory on how particles acquire mass. While this theory was independently proposed by both back in 1964, in 2012 their ideas were confirmed by the discovery of the Higgs particle. Their theory is a central part of the Standard Model of particle physics that describes how the world is constructed. While the Higgs particle was the missing puzzle piece to the Standard Model, it is not the final piece to the cosmic puzzle. So…more to come!

7. Stock Markets Surge – After years of wondering whether our financial system would recover, we had record breaking returns in the stock market, unemployment figures are down, and the US Federal Reserve may begin to reduce their stimulus package as the economy appears to be on its way to health and prosperity.

8. Malala Yousafzai – Malala is proof that at any age, at any time, you can make a difference. This brave little girl, an activist for education for all, became the youngest person ever to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Image of Healthcare Reform with small text of words evoked by this

9. Affordable Care Act – whether you like the Act or not, the fact is that healthcare for all is being implemented around the country. It is tough to say if this new system will work; but, we must acknowledge the inspiration behind the Act. The intention of having good healthcare available to all US citizens is certainly admirable. Let’s hope that 2014 brings with it more inspired implementation!

Close-up image of the hood of a Tesla automobile

10. Elon Musk – 2013 was a notable year for co-founder of PayPal, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, and Chairman of Solar City. He is living proof that belief in your vision pays off. in 2013, after over a decade of hard work, Tesla has become the world’s most prominent maker of all-electric cars. He is also designing the “hyperloop” supersonic travel machine that would allow commuters to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 30 minutes or less using 100% solar power. Dare to dream!

This is the perfect time for you to reflect on what inspired you in 2013. Take time to become aware of the moments in life that mean the most to you. The past helps us to appreciate our life lessons and those life lessons inspire us to live our best life as our future unfolds.

Best wishes to all for continued health, harmony, abundance and joy in 2014.

Love and Light

Sandra

Happy 2013 … another year that brings forth many opportunities to reinvent ourselves.

As we begin a new year, we may beat ourselves up for not sticking with the previous year’s resolutions (uh oh – I didn’t keep my resolution to exercise every other day and/or to lose that 50 pounds!). This can lead to a sense of resignation about being able to achieve things in the new year.

Studies consistently indicate that we tend to be extremely self-critical. Psychologist, Rick Hanson, states, “The mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones.” That said, we also know that one of the best ways to motivate ourselves is by focusing on our accomplishments. Since we tend to measure our successes from the previous year by only the “big things” we have achieved, we overlook the countless “little things” we’ve done that have added a lot of quality to our lives and the lives of others.

This is an image that depicts thinking positive.

Credit: © Anson0618 / Shutterstock

For this reason, I encourage you to congratulate yourself for the many things you DID accomplish in 2012, like all the times you:

Were supportive of your child/children when you felt you didn’t have an ounce of patience left to do so

Listened attentively to your spouse or partner sharing a problem even when you were experiencing plenty of your own challenges

Went to work or finished a major project, giving it your all even though you were exhausted

Smiled and said “thank you” to someone who needed to hear it

Forgave someone who really hurt your feelings

Placed a phone call or sent an email to encourage someone even though you, yourself, were feeling discouraged

Offered encouragement to someone in pain even while you were experiencing your own pain

Volunteered to take time to help someone in need even though your calendar was jammed

Took the time to recycle even though it would have been a lot easier to just throw everything into the trash

I could go on and on – but you get the picture!

So this year, let’s do something different. Make it your number one resolution to be kind to yourself and thank yourself for all that you’ve already accomplished. You were and are amazing!

Drop a comment on this post to share what you’d like to thank yourself for today.

Love and Light,

Sandra

Tag Archives: 2013

Inspiration From 2013

Sandra

You Deserve a Pat on the Back