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Woody Harrelson was my first crush.
We love Woody Harrelson because he works for social and environmental justice. We appreciate him because he’s fighting the good fight for causes we believe in, and his fame and fortune make him a powerhouse that we can count on to effect real change. To say thank you to Woody for the important work he’s doing, we thought we’d take a moment to honor the ideas, causes and products we’ve heard him talk about lately.
1. Healthy food. You may have heard him talk about food. As shown by today’s news headline about the 22 Indian school children who died after eating a free lunch tainted with insecticide, this issue is of critical importance to the health of humans, the earth and all creatures who share this spinning rock with us. Woody Harrelson has been an outspoken advocate for clean, organic food for years. In 2012, he was named PETA’s sexiest vegetarian. For the past few years, he and his family have lived in a solar-powered sustainable community in Maui where biodynamic farmers grow food for the locals.
2. Healthy planet. Have you heard of Woody’s new venture, Step Forward Paper? He is selling a new kind of paper that only uses 20% wood. The other 80% is made from leftover wheat products, which makes it a much more sustainable choice compared to your average paper. Plus, the wheat paper is compostable. Woody has long been known for his hard-core environmental activism. He walked on the wild side when he scaled the Golden Gate bridge with Earth First! to hang a banner that read, “”Hurwitz, aren’t ancient redwoods more precious than gold?” in protest of Maxxam Inc/PALCO CEO Charles Hurwitz, who once stated, “He who has the gold, makes the rules.”
3. Positive priorities. If you haven’t seen the short video, “Thoughts From Within” by Woody, watch it. He calls us to pay attention to the things that matter in life and asks us to unite for the cause of a better world.
When I lived in incredibly wealthy Montecito, California, I interviewed for a nanny job. The young girl who was to be my boss posed an interesting challenge to her father, who was the one making the hiring decision. She told him something to the effect of, “It’s all well and good that these interviewees are nice to us. But why don’t we have them spend time in the stables and the kitchen and ask the workers how they were treated?”
I was blown away by the wisdom held by this very young girl. She knew that it’s not how we act when we’re in the spotlight that’s important; we are defined by the way we act in those moments when the world isn’t watching. Celebrities have more freedom than most of us to act in any way they please, on and off camera. That’s precisely why it’s so impressive when they live the beliefs they claim to hold.
It seems to me that Woody Harrelson is an excellent example of a celebrity who isn’t just performing when he talks about causes. I think he sets a great example for all of us through his 24/7 commitment to the ideals he believes in.
Woody is a leader worth watching as we move into the new paradigm. He knows where we’re heading, and he has the power and resources to get us there faster.
Do you resonate with Woody Harrelson’s brand of activism? Please tell us what you think in the comments section below!
– See more at: Ignite.me
