There is no doubt that 2014 was a year of discovery, change, inspiration, and hope. There are countless YouTube videos that have gone viral documenting these great moments as 2014 has come to a close but if you only watch one of them, make sure it is Google’s “Year of Search 2014”. This video instantly gave me chills and I found myself watching it multiple times. If you’ve been looking for some motivation to make this year a great one, this video will definitely provide that for you.
Click below to watch Google’s inspiring and heartwarming video documenting some of 2014’s greatest moments:
Across the globe women are working tirelessly to create change and improve the world in which we live but many of them go unheard of or unrecognized by the public.
L’Oreal Paris is trying to change this reality by publicly recognizing and celebrating these strong women. So each year 10 women are chosen whose causes are creating change in our world and L’Oreal recognizes them for their efforts. The public can then vote on what cause they believe should receive an additional $25,000. The work of the grand prize winner is honored during the annual Winter Gala, which is on December 2nd this year, and the other ten nominees will celebrated for their work as well.
This year’s nominees for L’Oreal’s 'Women of Worth' are:
1. Corinne Cannon- “D.C. Diaper Bank”
2. Stephanie Decker: “The Stephanie Decker Foundation”
3. Shaaron Funderburk: “Off the Streets Program”
4. Mary K. Hoodhood: “Kids’ Food Basket”
5. Deborah Snyder: “Operation Renewed Hope”
6. Phyllis Sudman: “Simon’s Fund”
7. Brittany Wenger: “Cloud4Cancer”
8. Audra Wilford: “Maxlove Project”
9. Jenny Williamson: “Courage Worldwide”
10. Rachel R. Jackson-Bramwell: “Project Compassion, NFP”
Read more about the nominees and their heroic work in the second part of this two-part blog; “The 10 Women Nominated for This Year’s ‘L’Oreal’s Women of Worth’”
While growing up, or watching your kids grow up, were you ever told or heard someone else being told they do something “like a girl”? Think about what the person who was saying that meant with those words. Was it that they were kicking, running, or hitting impressively and with force? Probably not. Most likely the teacher, coach, parent, or peer meant they were performing below average or in a way that would be considered by that person to be weak.
But why does doing something ‘like a girl’ have to mean doing something poorly? It implies that acting like a girl or being a girl is something to be ashamed of, to try to change. And is that the message we want to be sending to our young girls as they become young adults? Definitely not.
I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure not only do I hit like a girl and run like a girl but I also wake up like a girl, brush my teeth like a girl, and go to work like a girl- because I AM a girl.
We need to be raising our girls to be proud of who they are and what they are capable of. Young girls should recognize all that it means to be a girl. Because being a woman is a beautiful thing.
When most people are asked who the strongest person they know is, a lot of the time their answer is their mother.
A woman.
A strong, independent, resilient woman. So next time someone tells you that you hit like a girl, thank them because they just complimented you. And encourage them to think about the meaning behind their thoughtless statement because their beautiful, strong mother raised them- like a girl.
This issue is finally brought to the world’s attention in an inspiring and powerful ad by Always.
