New Year and New Inspiration

2015 Tournament of Roses Parade

I've recently returned from a quick trip to Pasadena where my husband and I had the rare opportunity to attend the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl on New Year's Day thanks to a good friend and generous client.  Over the years, I've watched the Tournament of Roses Parade on television, along with millions of other folk, listening to the commentators discuss the construction of large, slow-moving floats, built with floral varieties I cannot pronounce, along with other natural materials used such as sticks, leaves and grains.  It was beautiful, yes, and interesting, but not something that necessarily kept my undivided attention for two hours while I attempted to make breakfast in my PJs on New Years Day.

This year was different.  From the moment we arrived at the grandstand, we felt welcome. Pure joy emanated from the ushers and volunteers in white coats to the other attendees wishing each other a "Happy New Year" and waiting anxiously for the start.  As we found our seats, we discovered we would be viewing the parade, sandwiched between the HGTV's broadcast booth with "Property Brothers"Jonathan and Drew Scott, and the NBC booth with on-camera talents Al Roker and Hoda Kotb.   It was colder than usual for Southern California, but the complimentary hot chocolate and warm energy from the crowd kept us in good spirits.

But, for all of these wonderful details, that isn't what drew me in or why I wanted to share my experience.  It was the theme of this year's parade and event that hit home for me and this blog -"Inspiring Stories."  Segmented into chapters, the floats, high school bands, and other groups entered were representative of five inspirational themes:

-Courage and Honor
-Heritage and Vision
-Community Spirit and Relationships
-Perseverance and Hope
-Imagination and Joy

Concepts ranged from Farmers Insurance "Dreaming Big" and Sierra Madre's "I Think I Can" to the Rotary's "Changing Lives through Clean Water" and the Shriners "A Million Stories of Hope and Healing."  There were breast cancer survivors, NCAA athletes who had overcome odds, Men and Women who serve in our military, Donate Life organ donors, celebration of gardening and life, and so many others to name.  The 2015 Rose Queen, Madison Triplett, was also truly inspiring as a beautiful 17-year-old girl active in school and leadership, hoping to attend college and aspiring to develop a non-profit organization educating minorities on financial literacy.

In the words of the 2015 Tournament of Roses President, Richard Chinen, as quoted in the official program, "I knew that I wanted the theme to be about ordinary people who do extraordinary things as a result of their effort."  He added "I asked myself: What would be positive, uplifting and representative of who we are?"

I couldn't think of a better way to start the new year, than to share this experience and this story with all of you, in that this has been the purpose and reason for this blog.  It truly is about ordinary people who through little steps or big ideas, have extraordinary impacts.  Each of you do it and/or experience it every day, and there should be a simple but meaningful venue, in addition to a magical parade, to share those stories.

So, it's a new year, and I'm more inspired than ever to re-commit and re-connect with all of you through "Together We Inspire" and to do great things this year. What's your inspiring story? Perhaps we can write it together.