Before I venture into what the word “vegan” means, some insight into life as a vegan. I have been a vegan for over 4 years and never really had a sweet tooth before this. Once I became a vegan, I developed this nagging longing for cake and chocolates. Unbeknown to many people, is that there are everyday brands in so-called normal supermarkets that happen to be vegan. They may not be advertised as such (for whatever reason), but as long as you can understand the disguised ingredients and E-numbers listed on the packaging, you should be able to find biscuits, rusks and other sweet tooth treats. I emphasise the word “treats”! Just because it is vegan, does not mean it is healthy.
Having dealt with the sweet tooth dilemma, the answer to my question is thus “no”. It is not hard being a vegan when I walk past a butchery, go to a meat-fixated restuarant, see animals being abused, see leather garments, peer into pet shops or glance at TV programmes about barbeques and braai’s. It reinforces why I believe I am on the right path.
There was a time when I admittedly felt that most of the answers about me started with “But I can’t…”. This is because I could not eat this or that, or wear leather etc. I soon realised that I had to make a shift in thinking, and how I verbalised things. The “I can’t” became “I have chosen to….”. With this shift came relief and lighteness. The underlying negativity was replaced with a softer acknowledgement, and an acceptance of a choice I had made.
Being a vegan is a life choice. It is about ethics, compassion and radiance. For me, it guides me through a very complex world and gives me purpose.
Until my next post: yours in gratitude and abundance.
