What brings you closer to God is being in service to others. I think any religion or spiritual way of life will indicate that service to others will lead to a connection with a higher power.
Steve-O
The first thought that I had about really trying to get sober was, 'Man, I could do a lot of good in the world. I can lead by example and just be this heroic recovery guy.' And that's just a bad reason to get sober. You can't get sober for anybody's benefit, let alone the world at large. You really got to do it for yourself.
My main focus in sobriety has been to replace fear with faith or love.
I felt like it was inevitable that I was going to fail in life and die young. So I was frantically scrambling to document my stunts and pack my message into a bottle. I thought maybe I could be discovered after I'd died, like Van Gogh.
The psychiatric ward was a really creepy place and, hindsight being 20/20, the creepiest thing about it was that I truly belonged there.
There's definitely some parallels between me and Joaquin Phoenix, I think. The line gets so blurry. My rap career wasn't a hoax, but it was absolutely intended to be a joke. The problem was that I really was on a quest to somehow be a Caucasian Ol' Dirty Bastard.
When I was fifteen years old, my dad won a video camera in a corporate golf tournament. I snatched it from his closet and began filming skateboard videos with my friends.
Almost as soon as I went vegan, people started telling me that my skin looked great, and that I appeared younger, slimmer, and healthier. I'm convinced that of all the changes I've made to my lifestyle, it's the adoption of a vegan diet that has been best for me - physically, mentally, and certainly spiritually.
I have a rescue dog named Walter, and Walter and I are such fans of the 'Jersey Shore' that we changed his name to DJ Wally D.
I don't care if people think I'm boring.
I have a tough stomach, and I've put myself through a lot. But when I first found out what happens to animals on modern factory farms and in today's slaughterhouses, I wanted to throw up - I literally couldn't believe it.
I started out making skateboard videos. Soon, it dawned on me I just wasn't that great at skateboarding. So I put down the skateboard and just kept going with the camera.
I have been really enjoying making a project out of seeking out an extremely healthy diet of raw, organic, vegan foods - and I plan on continuing to do so.
I'm definitely a ham for the paparazzi.
I guess I just always imagined that I was going to die, like, somehow on top. I was going to, like, go out in some sort of blaze of glory. I never thought about sort of fading into obscurity. And I've worked so hard at having a life, an identity, in obscurity and finding peace with that.
I never contemplated any kind of existence or identity after my career. I never thought at some point the entertainment industry is going to be through with me. And when it first occurred to me that my career was going to cease to be ascendant, then I freaked out.
I came to San Antonio, and it's known for the River Walk. So I was just doing some sightseeing, I looked at the bridge and I thought, 'Man, if I do a flip off this bridge, that would be super-cool.' I don't recommend anybody jump off that bridge.
I got into being vegan because I was simply looking to benefit from being more compassionate. I have since come to learn that it is an animal-based diet that is responsible for the overwhelming majority of cases of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, multiple sclerosis, and all kinds of other problems.
I don't go around lecturing people and telling them they shouldn't eat meat. I just don't think that's terribly effective. I just try to tell people how I have personally benefitted from the vegan lifestyle.
Rather than wait to be discovered, discover yourself. Whatever it is that you intend to do later, start doing it now, get good at it, and show people what you've done. Actions speak louder than words.
I'm the perfect kind of personality for making YouTube videos. I deal in short attention span theater. I do wild things.
Anybody that's not supportive of me staying sober obviously has to go. But on the other hand, there are not really a lot of people who don't want me to stay sober. I was a nightmare.
When I was a kid, I loved a heavy metal band called Motley Crue. I was thirteen when they came to my city, and I called every hotel in the Yellow Pages asking for a room by the name of their manager in hopes of meeting the band. After two or three hours of calling hotels, I got through, and the manager's brother answered the phone.
I don't think I'm a gay icon. I have no axe to grind. I mean, I'm clearly not homophobic! I'm not pro or con.
I think people will be surprised to find that I'm not as much of an idiot as they think I am. I'm not a real moron.
At this point, I've really failed at a lot of things. It's nice to be able to say that, in a way. I've failed at music. I've failed at dance. And acting - there have been times when I went out and read lines to audition for acting parts. I believe that if anybody wrangled together those audition tapes, it would be pretty hysterically funny.
I think it's important for me to show the world that sobriety hasn't made me soft. I'm on a mission to prove I'm still a nutcase.
When I first became recognizable from appearing on television, I abused my notoriety as much as I possibly could, at the expense of both my health and personal relationships.
My first call is always to my dad. It's really rad. What had initially drove my dad and me apart - all my stunts and antics - has brought us together, closer than we've ever been. My dad's been a huge part of my team.
Being a vegan just helps me build up my self-esteem. I feel good about it every time I eat a meal.
It's commonly said that if slaughterhouses had clear glass walls, nobody would eat meat. I think people go out of their way to remain ignorant about how factory farm animals are treated.
Abuse yourself all you want - just leave animals out of it. Don't wear fur.
I'm a proud vegan, whistle-blower, and animal rights activist.
The idea is to improve somebody's day. That's how I've always viewed my job. I'm a distraction therapist. I make people's problems go away for just a little bit.
When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an 'issue-by-issue' basis - they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse in the circus as I sat on a leather sofa.
There really is no ethical difference between eating a cat or a chicken, a dog or a pig.
Initially, my decision to stop eating meat was motivated by fear of spiritual consequences, but right away I found that not eating meat made me feel good about myself. It increased my self-esteem, which I found so rewarding, I wanted to do more.
I wouldn't have really committed myself to any kind of spiritual lifestyle, I don't think, if I had not endured great suffering. I think that's the case with a lot of people.
I keep my iPod on shuffle most of the time, but I'm most into Cirque du Soleil soundtracks.
For me to make a living acting silly for as long as I can get away with it, I think the most viable way to make that happen is to evolve into more traditional comedy. I've really been putting in the work.
