Every year, there are certain celebrities who go above and beyond looking good on the red carpet and simply dazzle us with their talents, philanthropy or both. The following celebrities have touched our hearts and are an inspiration to many around the world~
1. Ellen DeGeneres : We are thankful for Ellen’s laughter, humor, dancing skills and her openness to help everyday people become stars. Ellen constantly features new talent on her show, plucking people from YouTube and helping them showcase their talents to the world. Ellen is also a big philanthropist and continues to give to those in need. Ellen just keeps on giving and keeps on dancing. How can you not love that?!
2. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah has become a household name worldwide and although her daytime talk show has gone off the air, she inspired us all to meditate in 2014, during her collaboration with Deepak Chopra and recently went on tour around the country with Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert. Together they inspired the masses,” continued to get real” and helped women and men uncover the truth of who they really are! We look forward to seeing what Oprah brings to the world in 2015!
3.Richard Branson
Although he is not a Celeb in the typical fashion, Richard Branson is definitely a star and a household name in his own right! The founder of Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines and Virgin Galactic ( which will soon see regular folk be able to go into space). Branson continues to push the boundaries in all realms of life and we just love his philosophy of “work hard, play hard and believe that anything is possible”. Richard Branson is the king of innovation and continues to inspire us all to reach for the stars!
4. Jim Carrey,
Funny man Jim Carrey, is number 4 on on our top 10 list of Celebs that we are thankful for in 2014. We always knew Jim was a wildly funny guy, yet after stumbling across his commencement address to the graduating class at Maharishi University earlier this year, we couldn’t help but be deeply inspired by his profound message and wisdom. Carrey concluded his address with the following inspiring message ” Take a chance on faith — not religion, but faith. Not hope, but faith. I don’t believe in hope. Hope is a beggar. Hope walks through the fire. Faith leaps over it.”
5. Emma Watson
Most of us remember Emma Watson as a young Hermione Granger, in the wildly successful Harry Potter movies, however in 2015 we saw that Hermione, is now all grown up and also holds strong opinions for change. Emma was appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador and used her popularity this year, to speak out about gender equality. Her moving speech in September at the United Nations Headquarters, went viral around the world as she pushed for us to take notice of this pressing issue , with her campaign titled ” HeForShe” , which ended up trended all over the world.
6. Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez inspired us in 2014, with her vulnerability and openness to show us what love and loss really feels like. Following her live performance of ” The Heart Wants What it Wants” at this years American Music Awards, there was not a dry eye left in the house! At 22, Selena is really showing her maturity, as she evolves both as an artist and a positive role model for the younger generation. We look forward to seeing what Selena brings to the table in 2015!
7. Will Smith
From his days on “The Fresh Prince of Bel -Air”, to his performance in the movie Men in Black, Will Smith has captivated us with his funny, witty and extraordinary acting ability. In recent years though, Will’s parenting style has been highlighted in the media, as both him and his wife Jada, prefer to take on a more Avant- garde type style to parenting. Smith spoke to Oprah in recent times and revealed his very mature and enlightening outlook on both parenting and his view on the world at large. Will has definitely grown into a strong and inspiring Hollywood figure for both young and old and we are excited to feature him on our top 10 list for 2014.
8. Susan Boyle
Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle gained international attention when she appeared as a contestant on ” Britain’s Got Talent” in 2009. Susan stunned the crowd, with her angelic voice, after initial scrutiny from both the crowd and the judges. Susan didn’t quite fit the usual mold, as far as what a ” pop star” should look like, yet when she opened her mouth to sing, it was undeniable fact that a major star was born. We are excited to feature Susan in our top 10 list of 2014, for her strength and ability to shine publicly, despite the negative attention she has openly received. With  raw talent and a humbling presence despite her acclaimed fame, Susan has become an admiration to many around the world.
9. Taylor Swift
In 2014, Taylor showed women around the world, that it’s okay to be single and that you can still shine with  confidence. Recently celebrating her 25th birthday, Swift has shown maturity and class, as she continues to make many changes in both her personal and music life. Becoming an unofficial spokesperson for New York City, with her new single ” Welcome To New York” and her exceptional success with her new album titled “1989”, it was also during this time that Taylor made the move to encourage people to pay for her music, by boldly removing it from sources such as Spotify. Taylor croons in one of her latest songs, how the haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate, and how you should just ” shake it off, shake it off” and we couldn’t agree with her more. You go girl!
10. Bill Murray
Bill Murray has been acting for a very long time. We have watched his funny man antics over and over, particularly in the award winning feature film “Ground Hog Day”, where Murray’s character woke up every single day, only to experience the same thing literally over and over. In recent times, we have seen Bill feature in such heartwarming films as 2014’s ” St Vincent”, where he played an obnoxious, yet lovable character who struggled to recover from many different losses in his life. What we love most about Bill, is his relatability to everyday people and although he is a big time Hollywood star, that never stops him from gatecrashing Bachelor parties and other various events, offering up his witty and yet very profound advice on life.
