Not much has been going on these past few days. To be honest, I have been a bad vegan.
Well, I really hate labeling myself at all as "good" or "bad". There really isn't a good or bad when it comes to doing something beneficial for farm animals and the environment, but as far as my health and my diet goes, my energy is way low and my actual food intake has been unhealthy as of late. I find that when I'm not prepared with actual meals at work, I eat whatever I can that is closest to vegan, and most of the time it isn't filling at all. In case you didn't know, I work at Starbucks. And it case you've never been to a Starbucks, Starbucks doesn't have options like Walnut-Hemp burgers, Quinoa Pizza, or Sweet Potato Thai Soup. Those are things I actually have to make myself. Which to be honest, can be costly and time consuming.
But to be honest, putting in the time is worth it, and the spending is worth it (to me). It's really subjective, what we "can" and "can't" afford. Walnuts, quinoa, and sweet potatoes are available at most local grocery stores. But coconut oil, hemp protein, and coconut milk can be a little more challenging to find. So I find myself doing great for a few days, and then not so great for those other days. It's easy to get discouraged when you are so determined to do well 100% of the time. Isn't that called perfectionism or something?
I've learned over time that if I put my all into something, I get burned out way too quickly. So when I decided to try veganism, that's exactly what I did - I tried it first. I didn't dedicate myself to it immediately. I said, okay, first I'll eliminate meats. I did that, that wasn't so hard. Okay, now I'll eliminate eggs, but I'll still eat my favorite bread which contains eggs. Okay, I'm ready to sacrifice my bread because I've seen the way chickens are stuffed into cages and forced to lay eggs and then beaten to death, so do I really need the bread with the eggs in it? No. And thus, another vegan was born. I may not be an exceedingly healthy one (yet) but I am "one" nonetheless. And I am making a difference in the death toll for many suffering sentient beings on this planet.
I wrote this really great comment, and then google ate it! (shaking fist at google!) Anyway...
ReplyDeleteIt sometimes takes a while to make changes stick... in whatever changes you want to make in your life. Try not to feel too bad about it; I've seen so many people decide to go vegan overnight, and then they have a misstep and give up entirely. Just remind yourself, it's not all or nothing forever until the end of time; it's one day at a time. Or one meal at a time. The best we can do is... the best we can do. We get up the next day and start over, doing the best that we can, knowing that this is what makes a difference. Be encouraged!!