We’ve had our fair share of June gloom in Los Angeles recently, and the rain has brought with it colds and flu. It seems like more and more people have been getting sick around me lately–co-workers, family, friends. Of course, we’re talking about the sniffles and not the swine flu, but I have been worrying a lot about how to stay healthy and keep my immune system up and running, outside of the age-old advice to take vitamins, drink lots of water, and get enough sleep.

As I started reading more about the body’s intricate immune system, I was in awe of how it works and how many different cells play a role in keeping our bodies healthy and functioning properly. A quick Google search informed me that our bodies are made up of somewhere between 50 to 75 TRILLION cells–all of which are actively doing their parts and working in tandem with all the other cells to keep our bodies running at any given moment.

That really got me thinking about how our beautiful planet Earth is one giant body of life, and we are all its cells–we each play an active role in its health and function. Right now, our Earth is being crippled by an auto-immune disease, in which its own cells are attacking it. We’re polluting its air, poisoning its water supply, and stripping it of its energy reserve. We’re cutting its trees, causing the extinction of many of its species, and twisting its natural elements into weapons that we use against one another. In short, we’re severely impairing its ability to function and thrive.

The Earth needs a cure, but in this case, the cure isn’t in the form of a pill or a shot–it’s in the form of action. We cannot undo the damage that we’ve already done, but we can cease the destruction and start the healing process. And that begins one cell–one person–at a time.

The idea behind this blog is to show how easy it can be to get involved in different issues. In line with that, every month, I’ll pick a different issue and chronicle my journey to get involved with it. I’ll inform you of different events you can attend, petitions you can sign, organizations you can join, and daily actions that you can take on those issues. I’ll also interview other people who are involved in these issues, both professionally and recreationally. It is my hope that, along the way, both you and I will find our vision and our voices and become TakePart-ners in making our planet a healthier and happier place to live.

This month, change begins on the ENVIRONMENTAL front (after all, it’s National Great Outdoors Month). To start, I’m joining the 1,295,152+ supporters of the Stop Global Warming Virtual March. To learn more and become a part of the march, go here.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you, and I hope that you will share your journeys with me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and experiences. Every single person’s actions make a difference–I can’t wait to see the change you make with yours.