Can’t we all just get along?
Veganism has blown up in the last few years. It's been around since 1944 and the hippies in the 60's were eating vegetarian with their drugs, love, peace and stuff. The new age of modern technology, the internet, and our ability to share and spread information very quickly, has helped (and hurt) the vegan movement in a way I never dreamed possible. We live in exciting times. With blogging becoming more and more popular, everyone and their dog can express their thoughts on any subject. Vegan diets and animal rights tend to be at the top of that list.
With veganism becoming more mainstream, different types of personalities/authors/chefs/etc have popped up all over the internet, spreading their message of how to help animals and be healthy. Everyone has different personalities in the vegan community and we attract different people with our energy. This is a good thing because we are all different. But we are not separate. We are all on the same team. Whether you are an abolitionist vegan, vegan for health, or vegan for spiritual reasons, we are all fighting against the injustice happening to animals, to our government and food system, to our health, and our ability to live healthy lives free of suffering and disease.
Vegans talk about rights for animals, but what about our rights as human beings? I have a right to have a different opinion than you. You have a right to your opinion. Neither one of us is right or wrong. The in-fighting that I've witnessed inside the vegan community is just silly. It's become clear that too much ego, immaturity, and judgment is what's causing all the problems. I saw recently a scuff where a vegan author saw a negative review on Amazon, called it fake and attacked the reviewer (then attacked/blamed another cookbook author). I was shocked by this behavior and even more so that others thought this behavior was appropriate. This kind of stuff divides us, creates useless drama, and I'm sure turns people who would like to be vegan off. Of course, not everyone is going to like every vegan book out there. And people will buy all different kinds of books with different ideas.
"The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases." – Carl Jung
I know for a fact that not everyone is going to like my book and I suspect negative reviews will show up. And that's fine because my energy and my book, which is super healthy and uses high quality ingredients, is not going to be for everyone. Some may find it too spiritual, some will find it too healthy, who knows. But the message in it's pages will connect for many people. And if you are ready to take your health to the next level then my book will help you do that.
We have a serious lack of awareness, and I fall guilty of this too. We need to take a hard look in the mirror, really dig down deep to see how we can change ourselves to help others. Not how they can change. If you change your heart and mind, and how you react to the world, the world around you changes.
If people could just love all and embrace all, which is what veganism is about imo, then we wouldn't have so much bullshit in-fighting. But, noooo people want to be "cool" and cliquey, and vegans like to think they are better than everyone else. It just boggles my mind that vegans can be so cruel to each other and to others outside the "club". It all boils down to living with true heart, integrity, and honesty. That is what helps animals, that is what helps others go vegan, and that is what eventually will save us all.
Thanks for reading my rant 😉 I hope it got you thinking. We all can better ourselves and love a little more. I love YOU!