6 Stars Who Empower l Celebrities Who Inspire

Shutterstock.com

The media feeds us trivial garbage, serving up delicacies that don't really concern our lives and bringing on more toxicity than ever before.

The media is making you sick because it sets off your body's limbic system. "This deregulates your immune system and inhibits the release of growth hormones," The Guardian reports. When you turn on the TV, watch a movie, or flip through a magazine, the same holds true, and we're sick of the negativity.

Unfortunately, it's usually the most controversial celebrity missteps and actions that make the headlines, flooding us with negativity. A lifestyle of instant gratification and privilege is the perfect mix for controversies, gossip-fodder, and downright nastiness. Over time, we become overwhelmed by this negativity, and find ourselves needing a break.

But sometimes, we need to give ourselves a little affirmation that the news isn’t uniformly bad, and that not all celebrities are wicked. Many of these celebrities, in fact, walked away from their politically correct paths, empowering themselves by separating from the crowd and taking a stand for what they believed in.

These are the celebrities that inspire us with their moral choices, humility, and purpose. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by Hollywood nonsense lately, take a look at great stars who encourage us with their lives.

Matthew McConaughey

DenisMakarenko/Shutterstock.com

Matthew McConaughey is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and he also has one of the most inspiring, as well.

In his 2014 Oscars speech, where McConaughey won Best Actor for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, the actor detailed the three things he needs each day: “…something to look up to, another something to look forward to, and another is someone to chase.”

The first thing he did was thank God for the opportunities that “are not of my hand or any human hand.” That’s what he looks up to.

The second—the thing he looks forward to—is his family. McConaughey mentioned his wife, Camila, and his children, as well as his deceased father, who is “up there right now with a big pot of gumbo.”

And, finally, the thing McConaughey chases is a hero, and that hero, he said, is “me in 10 years.”

He went on, saying “So you see every day, every week, every month and every year of my life, my hero is always 10 years away. I’m never going to beat my hero. I’m not going to obtain that, I know I’m not. And that’s just fine with me because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.”

McConaughey, in his passionate speech, reminds us that we need something to idealize, something to look forward to, and a hero to chase, in order to keep growing as people. That’s something to be inspired by.

Goldie Hawn

RenaSchild/Shutterstock.com

Actress Goldie Hawn is a class act. She's been in roles in films like "Private Benjamin, "Overboard," and "The First Wives Club." Later, she found that the roles were simply not there anymore and she left the business for 15 years.

“You think you’re going to fight the system?” She told Harper’s Bazaar. “You think you’re going to prove to Hollywood when you hit 45 that you’re still a sexy, viable object? No. There’s a certain reality. Does it make me angry? No. I’m not an angry person. I’m not a militant person. Anger doesn’t get you anywhere. It’s not productive.”

In her personal life, she and actor Kirk Russell have been together for 34 years and are an example that a relationship can survive Hollywood. “Love, gratitude, compassion, because sometimes every man or every woman will drive their partner crazy. Family. Fun. Laughs. Sex,” Hawn explained. “If you don’t nurture that, and remember, you’re done.”

If they can deal with Hollywood, we should feel empowered to do the same.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Action Sports Photography / Shutterstock.com

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has been voted NASCAR’s most popular driver, retired following a concussion in 2016. He said he wanted to leave on his own terms and not have to be forced out due to injuries.

Whether it is deciding to leave a friendship, or making the decision to move to another state for a better life, decisions can be scary. There will be times that things won't work out, but it will make you bolder because you took the risk.

Deciding to retire was not easy for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has raced full-time since 1998. You're wondering why I reached this decision, it's really simple,” said Earnhardt. “I just wanted the opportunity to go out on my own terms.” Although Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s retirement from his career is mystifying to some, he made a bold move to move forward with his life.

Learn from his example, and when things don’t go according to plan in your own life, adapt, move on, and find happiness wherever your road takes you.

Steve Harvey

Joe Seer/Shutterstock.com

Believe it or not, television host Steve Harvey was once homeless and living in his car. When he started crying one day, “A voice said, 'If you keep going, I'm going to take you places you've never been,'" he shared with People magazine. "It was like God said, 'Don't quit, you're almost there,'" he said.

Harvey still hasn't forgotten those leaner times in his life, and he wants to urge others to endure during their struggles. For those on the verge of giving up, Harvey has some good news for you.

"Faith has been the key to my entire existence," Harvey tweeted. "Even when you don't have faith, just have hope and pray. That's enough to let God in."

Harvey is dedicated in helping other people to reach their full potential, and his rags-to-riches story will inspire you to connect with your own spirituality when things aren’t going well in your life.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon is not only a power actress, mom, and sweetheart, but she is also an advocate for all women.

In a study by Georgetown University in 2005, a group of professors asked candidates to evaluate male efficient versus female effectiveness in politics. Respondents were less likely to vote for power-seeking women than power-seeking men. They also perceived ambitious women as looking out for themselves. They even reported ambitious women as provoking feelings of disgust.

Reese started her own production company Pacific Standard Films to change the narrative. "The answer was very clear. My mother, who is here tonight, a very strong, smart Southern woman, said to me, "If you want something done, honey, do it yourself." She added: But our company isn't just thriving because it feels like a good thing to do. It's thriving because female-driven films work.

Instead of simply living a life for herself, Reese is giving some of her time to the cause of women everywhere. That’s something to be inspired by.

Drew Barrymore

Angela George/Flickr.com

Actress Drew Barrymore was born into an acting family dynasty, though her parents divorced when she was nine, and she subsequently struggled with depression and a diagnosed bipolar disorder throughout her life. She's held numerous movie deals, such as "The Wedding Singer," "Charlie’s Angels," and "50 First Dates."

Over the years her highs and lows have become less and less, but it is still something that the actress deals with every single day. She also suffers from panic attacks and has battled alcohol and drug addiction. Today, though, she wants people to see the good on themselves and in others, and uses her unique perspective to help them do that.

"Only a very cynical, narrow-minded person wouldn't be able to see people are far more beautiful than they are unkind. There's so much more love than there is a lack of love, there's so much more optimism than there is negativity, and you just have to gravitate towards it. You have to fight to find it."