A year in review with 5 good news to remember
What a year!
I bet we are all saying this phrase, because it has been indeed an interesting year (to say the least), full of unbelievable things, mostly bad, but some also good.
Just like yours probably, my year was full of unexpected things, mostly difficult things. But it has also been a year of learning, of self-inspection, and lots of personal and professional growth, which, I believe, made me a happier and more efficient person.
So, besides saying thank you and happy holidays, I want to share with you, what I think was great about this year:
1.
After a lot of frustration and doubt, I left my solo-business Daniela-Cabrerizo.com to become Explora Creative.
Explora Creative is a mission-driven business based on what I truly believe: that every person and every business, even if they don't have much money, can make a difference and can be a force for good.
Explora was inspired by the collective good, by collaboration, and by exploration. This was my vision, to use my business and my talents as a force for good, so I made my business model reflect that:
How it works
2.
Peru (my home country) elected a great president! for the first time in my life, I was proud to go vote.
In Peru voting is mandatory, so for many decades you had to do it holding your nose. This time though, I went happy, and even after a few hiccups in the last few months, I still have faith that this will be very good for Peru, specially in the fight against discrimination, poverty, and corruption.
3.
The US elected their first female candidate for a mayor party!
Yes, I know the final results were/are sad news for a bunch of us, but just take a minute to acknowlege how good of a news this is. It's a little step forward towards gender equality, and a reminder that women can do it. We are now a little bit closer to, someday soon, have a good, smart, capable female president. This has empowered women of all ages to collaborate, connect, and fight for justice and equality. Go girls!
If you want to get involved with one of these movements, the Woman March on Washington would be a good start. You can march not only in DC, but also in Denver and lots of other cities across the country to make your voice heart. Find out more here.
4.
A zero-fuel plane completed a round-the-world trip.
Who knew this could ever happen! I thought it was almost impossible, but this year André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard became the first pilots to fly around the globe in a solar-powered plane. Go solar!!! This, combined with the global accord to combat climate change, that officially entered into force on Nov. 4, therefore putting pressure on nearly 200 countries to start plans to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, gave me hope for a clean and sustainable future for all.
5.
Peace arrives to Colombia
President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC rebel leader Rodrigo Londono signed a peace deal to end a 52 year old war. Just let that sink for a second, and think how much of a big news that is and how much it will positively affect Colombians in the following years. They have lived the longest running conflict in Latin America, killing over 200,000 people.
Santos was awarded the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.
You see? even in the darkest years, there are good news to celebrate. I hope this 5 cheered you up and made you smile a little, so you can start this 2017 with hope, knowing that there's still good to be done in the world and there're lots of people working to make it better. I invite you to join them: get involved, participate, and make a difference however you can.
“The world doesn’t need more vandals, It needs more clean up crews.”