It’s January 2nd, the beginning of a whole new year, and you’ve just gotten over your hangover—what time could possibly be better to be motivated and inspired? You have a whole 365 days ahead of you, and now is the time to start making them count!
The History of Motivation and Inspiration Day
Even though to many, January 2nd is in fact just about finally getting over your New Year’s Party hangover, the history of Motivation and Inspiration day is much more somber. National Motivation & Inspiration Day was passed by The United States Congress on December 18th, 2001, after the tragic events of September 11th, 2001.
That was when Kevin L. McCrudden became the first and so far only motivational and leadership speaker to ever have had such a day passed by Congress, acknowledging the importance of “motivation” and “inspiration” in our daily lives.
After the tragedy that was September 11th, 2001, McCrudden felt that all Americans needed something to remind them that there were still many things to live on for. The reality was bleak at that time, and many people felt sad, scared or lost—especially those whose family members or friends had gotten killed suddenly in the World Trade Center attacks of just a few months before. McCrudden originally intended for this day to be dedicated to helping people become the best they can be and maximize their potential through the creation of annual goals.
The idea caught on quite quickly, and Motivation and Inspiration Day is now celebrated in different places across the world as well as in the United States, encouraging people everywhere to change their lives for the better.
How to celebrate Motivation and Inspiration Day
There are a few things you can do to celebrate this special day. Firstly, taking into consideration the events of September 11th, 2001 that led to the creation of Motivation and Inspiration Day, it would be good to just spend a minute or two in silence out of respect for the men and women who lost their lives to terrorism so suddenly that day. And then honor their memory by appreciating your own life and making it better!
There are many ways to do this. One is to think of someone in your life who inspires you, whether it’s your mother, father, spouse or friend and find a way to show them an appreciation for being who they are. The gesture doesn’t have to be a grand one—take your mother, father or friend out to lunch and talk about their life and what helped to make them as strong as they are, thank them for showing you how to deal with life’s challenges. Buy a nice bottle of wine for your spouse and be sure to spend the evening with him or her, telling them how glad you are to be able to share your life with them. All too often in life, people take their close ones for granted, but we should never miss a chance to tell people who are special and inspirational to us just how much we appreciate them.
You can also start doing something you’ve wanted to do for a long time, but have kept putting off. Sign up for a martial arts class, start learning a new language, make a list of books to read, or buy a cookbook full of healthy recipes to make for your family instead of eating takeout every evening.
Whatever way you decide to celebrate Motivation and Inspiration Day, make sure it changes your life for the better and helps you appreciate life more!