1. Education
2. Passion
For many different reasons, it is especially important to focus on educating yourself on veganism throughout your vegan journey. Most importantly, education is important in order to keep yourself healthy and to nourish your body properly. Because most of us did not grow up vegan, it takes a completely new level of education about the matter to adequately nourish our bodies. We must learn what sources of food bring us what sources of nutrients and focus on including each of those foods in our daily diet in order to meet out body's nutritional needs. We were taught that cows milk is an excellent source of calcium... if we are not consuming cows milk, we must learn what sources of a plant based diet supply us with adequate levels of calcium for our body's needs.... (green vegetables, non-dairy milks, etc). We were taught that we receive protein through consuming animal protein (meat). If we do not consume meat, we need to educate ourselves on the sources, outside of animal products, that supply us with the protein our bodies need. Some possible protein sources are beans, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc. Since we are not consuming red meat, we must learn plant-based sources of iron. Many legumes, green vegetables, beans, and seeds have significant sources of iron in them. Education is important for keeping ourselves healthy and well balanced.
There are three main paths we can take after deciding to become vegan: healthful eating, junkfood vegan, or dropout vegan. A healthful vegan makes educated and informed choices about his food intake and eats both for pleasure and for health, assuring that he gets all of the adequate sources of nutrition his body needs through a plant based diet. A Junkfood vegan does not do much research on veganism and resorts to limited and restrictive processed vegan foods which do not completely meet the needs of the human body. A drop out vegan is one who does not do research on being vegan and feels extremely restricted and hungry while eating vegan because he is not adequately nourishing his body with nutritionally dense plant-based foods. He discontinues being vegan because he does not have the passion, education, or skillset to maintain his own body on a vegan diet.
I am committed to being an educated vegan so that I can nourish my body and maintain good health and wellness. Being vegan is not what most would call a "popular social decision". The majority of people we will interact with are not vegan nor would they ever desire to be vegan. While we may be on our own journey, many people may become upset and offended by our decision to go vegan even if we are not pressuring them to change their lifestyle choices. Especially in the western diet, being vegan goes against the grain of what is "normal". This can bring up strong feelings in the hearts of those who continue to eat meat. While you may not be trying to bring up tension in a situation involving food, just BEING vegan may be enough of a source of tension to do so. In such situations people may become defensive, hostile, and rude towards your personal decision to become vegan because it challenges their own lifestyle choices and path to wellness. It is in these moments that its important to be well educated and knowledgeable about your decision to go vegan. Not necessarily to defend yourself or to convince other people to go vegan, even though those are definite benefits of being educated, but to be sure that you are not broken down by the opinions of others. Being well educated on your decision to go vegan means that what others think and what others believe will not change your personal path. Its important to personally OWN your decision to go vegan and to recognize that it is your path. Through education, you are making an investment in making your veganism your OWN.
Passion, passion is important for making the initial dive into becoming vegan. It is with passion that we make the first move toward changing to a vegan lifestyle. Passion is what keeps us vegan when things get difficult. Without passion, education would do nothing. As I previously stated, being vegan is definitely a decision which goes against the grain of our society. If we are passion about one or all of the benefits of going vegan, we have passion.. whether it be the environmental impact, the impact is has on animal cruelty, the impact it has on the global poor, or for the health benefits.... we have passion. Personally, i am drawn toward each of the benefits of going vegan equally as I believe in a socially just planet! When I am needing a renewal of passion for my vegan lifestyle, I look at a few different things:
When I lack passion, I look at the world outside of myself. My lifestyle choices impact those in most need. We are so separated from the origin of everything we have, being vegan prompts us to understand the origin of what we own and what we use. I refuse to belittle someone or devalue someone for my personal pleasure. Animals and humans, alike, I will not devalue life which God has so graciously given us to protect, value, and love!
The environment: This world is separated by oceans, but we are responsible for the planet as a whole. Choosing vegan helps me to realize that this entire planet is mine to protect and value. The animals on it, the people in it, and the land that comprises it.... all of it is to be protected and valued. I am passionate about being vegan because I make an effort toward preventing our planet from looking like this.
The animals. I value the dignity and respect of animals. I believe that the "dominion" God gave us over animals is to protect and cherish them. I do not believe that God intended for us to devalue them and to abuse them. These beautiful creatures are certainly here for us to value, be inspired by, and cherish... but abuse and torture are not a method of valuing life. I believe the word "dominion" means that we have a responsibility to protect and care for the animals of this planet as each of them has a very important purpose in our world.
My health. A plant based diet is able to supply me with all of my nutritional needs without any ethical controversy. And its delicious!
The environment: going vegan helps me to make an effort to protect what has been so graciously given to us by God himself. The mountains behind me are a gift for our eyes to behold. Being vegan and making environmentally conscious decisions helps to protect this gift of beauty for all to see! I LOVE traveling and seeing the beauty that comprises this planet.. without regard for our planet and for the world outside of our front door, beauty like this will cease to exist. THIS is my passion!
Live for passion. Live for truth. Life for justice. Live for peace. Live for dignity. Live for health. Live for love. Live for life. These are the reason why I live vegan. Through a personal choice to educate and live in passion, I continue to feel more fulfilled by my decision every day! The word that I constantly keep in the back of my mind to keep my passion alive is "suffering". I seek to live a life that does not bring suffering upon another living being on this earth. I do not wish to contribute to the suffering of the global poor. I do not wish to contribute to the suffering of the planet. I do not wish to contribute to the suffering of animals. And i do not wish to contribute to the suffering of my body and nutrition. Educate yourself and live a life of passion... in this way you will be fulfilled!
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