Feeling Overwhelmed? Let Veganism Empower You.

I feel sad.

It’s winter – and though spring is less than thirty days away, it seems like it will never come. It’s cold – and I know I have no right to complain when others haven’t seen an above-freezing day in weeks. I miss my dad and I consider the fact that I have another half lifetime of 9-5’ing it ahead of me and it all seems so overwhelming sometimes. I mean, why can’t I be doing something to help animals? Why can’t I change the world?

Although this pity party ebbs and flows the way I imagine one of those high school raves I never went to does, I am not completely blind to the fact that I do something to help animals every day. I choose not to consume them. I speak up when the situation presents itself (though I admit, I must stop apologizing for “being preachy” because there is nothing to apologize for… after all, I am an unapologetic vegan!). I keep myself informed on the endless topics surrounding animals and how we use/abuse them. I hug my dog every day and know that adopting her from a rescue was the right choice in a system she didn’t choose to be a part of.

Am I speaking to thousands of people in venues across the country? No, but it’s just as well – I fear public speaking. Am I handcuffing myself naked to a telephone poll in some sort of protest against fur? No, and I would never – I am not a PeTA supporter. Am I writing a vegan cookbook? Not qualified. Am I writing a vegan book of some other genre? No… but never say never.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to do any of those things to change the world. You just have to live truthfully – authentically – and with the best intentions. It’s those moments when you least expect it when you effect change. I’ve seen it for myself – in the friends who’ve moved towards a plant-based diet, in the discussions I’ve had about SeaWorld (one just today, in fact!), and in the friendships I’ve forged with like-minded folks since I read Skinny Bitch five and a half years ago.

Life is messy and unkind and things aren’t perfect. It’s okay to celebrate the victories and to refuse to beat yourself up. Changing the world isn’t going to happen overnight, but it’s going to happen. We’ll see to it, won’t we?

Photo credit: Hauptillusionator via Flickr