The solution begins with a deeper transformation that must occur in each of us. I AM isn’t as much about what you can do, as who you can be. And from that transformation of being, action will naturally follow. Tom Shadyac More Quotes by Tom Shadyac More Quotes From Tom Shadyac If you bounce a tennis ball against a wall it will come back to you the same way every time. But if you shift the wall a few degrees it will come back another way. Tom Shadyac tennis degrees wall I didn't want to hear the usual answers about what's wrong because I believe these are symptoms: global warming, genocide, hunger, poverty, war, environmental crisis. If we can identify the root cause, we can change our ways. Tom Shadyac hunger-poverty war believe I come from a family of lawyers. I was expected to be a professional of some sort, not an artist. I was never uplifted for my art. Tom Shadyac lawyer artist art Our culture does not teach us this, but what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. If you cheat in Vegas, it comes right home with you. If you cheat in Vegas, you walk home as a cheater. You lie awake at a night a cheater. You cannot escape it. Tom Shadyac cheater home lying I am operating under the philosophy that I will simply use what I need and the rest - even if I still have it somewhere - is not mine. It is others'. It is for the healing of the natural world. And it is in the process of returning. Tom Shadyac healing philosophy needs I have not walked away from Hollywood. I'm walking away from the way I personally did business in Hollywood. The budget of whatever movie I do needs to be efficient; it needs to consider what kind of resources we're using and how to be as responsible as possible. Tom Shadyac walking-away hollywood needs The word contentment comes from the word content, which is what we hold inside - love, value, a feeling of a life that has meaning or purpose, a cause greater than yourself that you're a part of. These are the things that bring true happiness. As a culture, I think we need to redefine what it means to be happy. Tom Shadyac feelings mean thinking Look at native cultures - they've lasted for tens of thousands of years, not doing everything right. We wouldn't want to emulate them in many ways, but their basic philosophies - being a part of nature, a part of a tribe or group without elevating, not what you call dominator philosophies - they lasted for tens of thousands of years. It took us to come and put them asunder. Tom Shadyac groups philosophy years Communism didn't work because people weren't ready for it, it was corrupt, and because it squelched individualism. Tom Shadyac individualism communism people I don't have any interest in changing a system, because the system will simply get bucked back by people who haven't changed. Tom Shadyac changed interest people I was always kind of finding humor to be an access point to the conversation, to a pain relief, if you will. My mother was in a wheelchair since I was very young, so she was in pain and we used humor. Tom Shadyac relief pain mother Love is the essential energy of the universe. It is the force that puts the stars in the firmament, and it makes the blood run through the veins. Tom Shadyac stars running love-is The way I think we were living is an invention. The truth is nobody can own anything. That was an unheard-of concept among indigenous people. We invented that. Tom Shadyac people way thinking Christ is in all, meaning that the divine spark is in all things. Tom Shadyac spark meaning things christ Truth can be a matter of perspective, but I also think there's a truth that exists, that there are laws to the universe the way Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King believed. Tom Shadyac king perspective universe truth When you do something in a nonviolent way, people will die and there will be casualties. But you're taking a different point of view that has a power. Tom Shadyac die you power people One of the challenges of the church is to accept humanity for all it is. Tom Shadyac accept church humanity challenges Facing my own death brought an instant sense of clarity and purpose. Tom Shadyac own my-own purpose death I don't want to be your hero. I want to be your brother. You know, I want to be your family member. I want to be your equal. Tom Shadyac you family brother hero I was paid $8 or $9 million for 'Evan Almighty.' I didn't want that money. Tom Shadyac million paid money want
