MADE WITH PASS!ON - In Memoriam

Anita Roddick passed away, said my mother to me over dinner. I was shocked. Over the years, my admiration for the founder of The Body Shop has continued to grow. And as I began to read more about her passing on the websites of BBC and CNN, I really felt grief. And I am deeply saddened by our loss.

Since I was small, I was taught to love all living beings and respect the non-living in our environment. "Look only," my mother would say, "...do not touch." So I would look and stare and appreciate a flower in bloom, a bug on a rock, a drop of water on a leaf...with my little hands clasped firmly behind my back.

When The Body Shop came out with its bold message of Against Animal Testing, I knew I had come across something that was changing the world. When the store finally opened its doors in Jakarta, Indonesia, I became a member as soon as I could. More and more campaigns blared at us consumers, raising our awareness, brining social consciousness to the masses. The masses who often do not realize that they do have the power to make change happen, through their purchasing power.

Since INSPIRIT was set up, Dani and I have continued to look for sources of inspiration. Entrepreneurs. People who know how to communicate a message with passion. And more recently, I have added, with comPassion. Anita Roddick was a living inspiration...and her legacy continues to inspire.

As I wrote on the website of The Body Shop UK...

Thank you, Anita...for living your life to the fullest, for showing us that compassion is possible, dreams can be achieved, changing the world is an amazing opportunity, and passion is a must.