Prejudices Suck!

Today I want to talk about the prejudices that I have to deal with on a daily basis and explain the reasons behind my decision to follow Sean "Diddy" Combs (@iamdiddy) and Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) on Twitter - two issues that are somewhat interrelated.

So, yes, I do have a passion for philanthropy and environmentalism, and yes, much of my life does revolve around those two passions - but does that mean I have to be like the stereotype: a religious, "Jesus sandals"-wearing know-it-all wallflower? That's not how I see myself.

I do find it utterly important that people help each other, try their best to do the right thing - this is common sense to me! However, I am also an open-minded agnostic, I do make many mistakes, sometimes I'm funny, sometimes I'm deadly serious but most of all I want to make people feel good and I do have some sense of fashion! ;)

In fact, I feel offended when people imply that atheists don't do charitable work like religious people. Probably I even adhere to the 10 Commandments more strictly than many believers of God - seriously, do you need someone to tell you that killing, stealing and cheating is wrong? My parents are Protestants (who go to church every Sunday); I also have friends who follow different religions - and I do respect their beliefs but I expect that they tolerate my viewpoint, too. I love diversity and dearly hope that one day people of different religions, races, cultures and sexual orientation can coexist in peace - if my friends and I are able to do that, you can do it, too!

Now that I've got this off my chest, I tell you why I (like thousands of other people!) decided to follow Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ashton Kutcher on Twitter even though some of my fellow philanthropists and environmentalists may think that this was an unwise move. Maybe they are right, but as much as I enjoy taking over leadership, I still want to be a follower because there's so much to learn from others.

So, what do these two nice gentlemen have in common? - Yes, both are famous and many will tell you they are also very handsome and talented - and I certainly won't dispute that; however, that is not what my decision to follow them was based on.

As for Sean "Diddy" Combs, my admiration for him goes back to the late 90s. His success story (from ambitious intern to millionaire within 18 months: check out the video below!) inspired me to never give up on my own dreams - because as Mr. Combs has demonstrated - with hard work, ambition and persistence they can come true eventually! And this is also what I like about his tweets: every day he reminds his followers that anything is possible and encourages them to be proactive - I think everyone needs a mental boost like that every once in a while...

With regards to Ashton Kutcher, I came to like him after I saw a VH1 special about him a few years ago. Two things he said there that stayed in my mind (I'm sorry I don't know the exact words as I saw it in German) were: 1. Always be happy, never be satisfied. 2. Aim for the moon, if you miss, you may hit a star (a Clement Stone quote). On a more superficial note, I think Punk'd is hilarious! ;) After reading an article headlined "Ashton Kutcher Twitters Against Sex Slavery", I decided to follow him.

In conclusion, both Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ashton Kutcher are the kind of 21st century leaders that we need right now. In my opinion it's worth following them!

Check out the Sean "Diddy" Combs interview with Carlos Watson below: