Wow! Can you believe that 2014 is over? We can’t! Just seems like yesterday we were wishing you a Happy New Year and peeking back at our 2013 musings!

Well, we made it through 2014, gapmusers! Everything may not have happened as planned but there was still a lot to smile about, be thankful for, and inspire us.

Some of this inspiration came from women you know about while others not so much. From the businesswoman and mother who relentlessly fights for girls’ and women’s reproductive rights and an entrepreneur who proved to us that there are multiple paths to success, to the actor who showed the world that beauty cannot be defined by one culture and a motivational speaker who inspires women to face challenge, risk and fear differently, these women reminded us that we all have unique strengths that we can use to make a difference in girls’ or women’s lives.

Meet the 7 women who inspired gapmuse the most in 2014:

1. Melinda Gates

Despite being Catholic, Melinda Gates has made it her cause to ensure that girls and women everywhere are able to choose when and how many children to have. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she continues to fight for girls and women to have access to family planning resources. She sums it all up in this beautiful quote:

“Women and girls should be able to determine their own future, no matter where they’re born.” – Melinda Gates

2. Sophia Amoruso

Talk about being unconventional! Sophia Amoruso propelled an ebay store into Nasty Gal, a 100+ million fashion business. She accomplished this feat despite not having a college degree and a past life that was seemingly headed in a disastrous direction.  She proves to every girl and woman out there that with the work ethic, drive, and desire to chart your own course, you can be successful!

3. Lupita Nyong’o

Poise, class, beauty, humility…these are just but a few words we use to describe Lupita Nyong’o, a talented young actor and  first time Academy Award winner for her role in the critically acclaimed movie, 12 Years a Slave. She has become a voice for every girl and woman who has ever felt that her beauty did not conform to society’s standards. As she so eloquently said it:

“There is room in this world for beauty to be diverse.” – Lupita Nyong’o

4. Iyanla Vanzant

Have a tough time forgiving someone who has wronged you? I know I have! Spiritual life coach and New York Times best selling author, Iyanla Vanzant will help you through it. With her book “Forgiveness: 21 Days to Forgive Everyone for Everything“ she guides us through the process to forgiveness so we can free ourselves of the weight that comes with it. In her own words:

“…only forgiveness can liberate minds and hearts once held captive by anger, bitterness, resentment, and fear.” – Iyanla Vanzant 

5. Janine Davies

Featured as one of our inspiring women of the month in September 2014, Janine Davies is all about inspiring girls through sports. She’s a fearless competitor and the first female super biker! Now that’s girl power!

6. Emilie Cortes

Ready to face your challenges and fears and take risks? Emilie Cortes is your girl! As a motivational speaker and owner/cofounder of Call of the Wild Adventures, she inspires and empowers women of all ages and backgrounds through adventure travel. She embodies what sisterhood is meant to be and reminds us all that together we can accomplish great things!

7. Lady Cherie Blair

Is there any greater way to empower women than to give them a way to provide for themselves, their families and community? Lady Cherie Blair is doing just that for women in the developing and emerging markets.  And that is simply too inspiring to us!  Through her non-profit organization, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, she helps women become entrepreneurs – build and grow small businesses so they can become self sufficient.

We couldn’t leave 2014 behind without acknowledging that it was the year we lost one of our most beloved and inspiring women, Dr. Maya Angelou. The good news is that her words and wisdom will always be with us and will continue to educate, inspire, and empower gapmuse and generations of women to come across the globe. RIP Dr. Angelou.

What about you? Which women inspired you the most in 2014? Please share so they too can inspire us and our readers in 2015.

Happy New Year gapmusers!

Hope 2015 brings you everything you hope for and much more. 🙂

Be inspired.