There are thousands of articles and posts that will tell you how to go vegan.Â
The resources are available to each and every person who wants to learn. But not everyone resonates with you.Â
Some humans are just too different from us, and we don’t trust them or feel connected to them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it just means we have to keep looking. We have to keep searching for the right fit.Â
If I am that person for you, then I am looking forward to helping you go vegan and start making more ethical choices.Â
My journey began 7 years ago when I saw a photo of a cow hanging upside down with her throat slashed. Something inside of me changed and I could no longer stay naive and unaware of what I was supporting.
Everyone has their own reason for why they were interested in veganism and so do you. Not a single person was moved by the same photographs, the same movie, or the same words.
I hope you hold on to that why, the foundation, as you start to transition. The whole experience will be much better if you do that. When you have this figured out, all other steps flow with more ease.
Here is how to go vegan (and never go back to eating animal products ever again):
- Make it a value, not an obsession.
Veganism is a philosophy, not a religion or a cult. You will not be sent to hell and you will not become a sinner if you go against it.Â
There are no leaders and you need only stop supporting the exploitation of non-human animals to live according to it. Unfortunately, I have seen people become obsessed with it, treating it as an identity.
Everything they read, listened, watched and did was vegan. This word consumed their mind and all the joy was sucked out of everything they touched. Being obsessed with anything will immediately destroy its value.
Just as freedom is a value, so is veganism. Yet no one is obsessed with freedom. Values are supposed to guide you, not enslave you.Â
- Commit to growth, not perfection.
There are a lot of purists who will judge your every move. You will be closely observed and every step you make will be either approved or rejected by the vegan police. Fuck them, do you hear me?
Life is about growing. Growing into the person you dreamt of being as a child. You wanted to be a good person full of happiness and joy. No matter what your vision was, you just wanted to have a permanent smile on your face.
That’s veganism. It is you becoming even more you. You will never be perfect, no matter how hard you try, but nothing and no one ever is.Â
All we can ever do is follow what we believe is our moral obligation.
- Seek companions, not cheerleaders.Â
Not everyone will support your decision to go vegan. That’s okay. You only need your approval to improve your life.
But that doesn’t mean you don’t need companions. People whose shoulders you can use to cry and lean on. Your own little tribe to hold your hand and help you get up if you fall.
Not everyone in my life understands veganism, and not everyone supports it. But I can always count on them to bring me soy milk if I need it from the store. They will give me a ride to the city so I can attend a vegan event.
They don’t support my vegan lifestyle. They support me.Â
Seek out people who will accompany you, even if they don’t cheer. Friends don’t have to agree with you to love you and to respect you.Â
Leave me a comment below to tell me which of these tips you liked best. I would love to know.
Ideally, we would all go vegan overnight and sustain this lifestyle forever, but it takes work. Everything worthwhile takes energy, effort and commitment. It’s not difficult, per se, just challenging enough that your values get tested.
It would be easy to go out and get a beef burger to eat while watching a movie wearing a cosy cashmere sweater. It would not cost me much money and I would only need to take a 15-minute walk to the centre.
But I know why I am vegan. My values of freedom and truth guide me and the choices I make. And I have learnt how to live a vegan lifestyle with ease and peace.
I faced many obstacles when I started transitioning 7 years ago. Yet I was so motivated that I was excited for what was to come. All of it. The whole package.
Today, not eating and wearing something that came from a dead non-human animal is as easy as looking at the sky. I hope you can get to this point in your own journey too. Because it is wonderful.Â
If you want even more resources that will help you create a sustainable vegan lifestyle, please make sure you are following me on Pinterest and Instagram.
Tanja
