You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
- Gandhi
Those words have always resinated with me. As if from the first time I read them, something pulled from deep within my soul, outward. That's where my purpose lies, that's who I'm meant to be. Whatever this change is in the world that I seek, whatever desire I have to be positive impact, no matter how small, is found in these words.
It all rests on my actions. Before anything I'm a truth seeker and probably a bit of an empath, too. These truths don't lie in what can always be seen, but from what can be felt and experienced. Empathy has taught me not only to see things from other perspectives - the joy, pain, and chaos of others no matter how different they are from me - but to also realize the alternate paths. There is a path that I am not on that is necessary. It's easy to live within my comfort zone, to do what I've always done because after all I've survived that way and the world does not seem to be effected negative by it.
But how can I possibly want better things for myself and for the world, if I'm not willing to change myself? Leo Tolstoy wrote,
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.
I've always had a calling towards caring about the earth and it's creatures, I think we all innately do, I think that's very much a part of being human. I've stumbled upon a whole new entire way of living in which by making small decisions every day I can greatly impact the world, all while actively and consciously loving the world and it's creatures as I've always claimed I do. My choices have an effect on the world and hopefully they might inspire others to change, to..
I'm on a slow, intentional path towards a vegan lifestyle. It isn't my first experience with this way of living. In high school I was a vegetarian for the right reasons but unfortunately I also had a horrible relationship with my body and with food so I went about it entirely wrong. Then about a year ago I decided to go vegan, for the same reasons that I'm on this path now, but I went about it, again, the entirely wrong way. I cut everything out at once and I placed a lot of pressure on myself to be all or nothing. That if I were going to have a vegan diet, I couldn't fail and meanwhile should be taking all other steps towards a vegan and sustainable lifestyle. This is unrealistic and unhealthy, especially in one step. Completely changing your lifestyle, I've learned from both experience and research, is a process. I'm learning to be patient with myself, forgiving, and as a result I'm becoming passionate about this journey.
This realization came to me about a month ago and not entirely on my own. I watched a lot of vlogs and read a lot of blogs of people's experiences with their transition and with almost all advice I received was to be easy on yourself and to take it slow. I decided to first focus on my eating habits. Before I did anything else, I cut out foods that I knew were effecting my health. Primarily milk and cheese, that I already suspected made me feel sick. As soon as I cut those things out, I felt so much better. Next I cut out red meat and pork and eggs. I almost never ate pork anyways and even though I ate red meat and egg sometimes, that transition has been fairly easy, too. Next I want to slowly remove poultry from my diet as well as cut out unhealthy drinks.
Following that I will continue to cut food groups out until I'm eating entirely plant based. I'm taking this journey slowly and I'm really learning to listen to my body. That's another thing I've discovered in all my research and listening to advice about adapting to this lifestyle, not only is it about connecting deeper with the world, it's about connecting deeper with yourself. There's an intuition you build from it that leads you to a better understanding. This decision, I'm learning, is entirely life changing, but mostly in the ways that you don't expect. There's so much to learn by stepping out of your comfort zone and by following your heart. I'm so excited for this journey and to share it with others.
Best wishes, keep changing the world, I love you all
Sarah
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