Chloe's life: On being vegan or not... but absolutely being nice about it!

Hello!

It's vegan Thursday again!!! Yay!!

Today's post is intended to be a reflection on the choice we all make in life and how we deal with it! Hopefully this post will rock a few boats...
I know it is something that I have been discussing about with a few vegan and non-vegan alike and we seemed to agree... but I know it will not be the case for everyone.

It is about something that really makes me sad... and the naive me likes to think that it can change with this simple post!

Without further due...

I am vegan. I have been since March 1st 2013.
Before that I had been vegetarian since October 2007.

I have all kind of friends, followers and readers... vegetarian, vegan, omnivore... and meat and potato people too! And I truly appreciate and love each one of them! They are the reason I am doing what I am doing.

I took the decision to go vegetarian and then vegan for health reasons to start of with. If you want to know more about that you can read my book Life Happens. This is not the purpose of this post.
Then by reading more and more about it, I found out about the animal suffering and the benefit to the environment.

I am vegan and will remain vegan.
I have non vegan friends and I wish to keep them...
I have vegan friends and I wish to keep them...
In most instances they are nice people... and we respect each other's decision to be or not to be vegan.

I truly believe that respect is the base for every relationship.

I truly believe that there are not better vegan than others. Vegan is vegan. Whether you advocate animal suffering.. whether you're an activist or not... you're vegan. Even if you "only" do it for health reasons... the reason or the way to do it is NOT what matters most - the end result it!

I truly believe that vegan are not better than vegetarian. Only different! But everyone is different!

I also truly believe that vegan are not any better than non-vegan : they simply made a different life choice. And vice-verse.

I also truly believe that vegan is a healthier choice. So is not smoking... not drinking... and not doing drugs!
Can we change this overnight? Absolutely not!
Do I wish we could? Of course!

If I could, with the snap of my fingers, change this planet, it would turn smoke free, alcohol free, drug free and vegan overnight! But this is not going to happen! Let's be realistic.

All we can do, as vegan is do what we know best - BE VEGAN.

And be nice about it! There is not point in judging non-vegan... there is no point in unfriending them or unfriending not-vegan-enough people... this only makes us look like a bunch of 5 years old!

If you want to change the world, you have to be a model... you have to be loved... you have to be someone people want to be! You have to be someone people can relate to! Not someone that scares people away... or that people despise! Not someone that people do not want to identify with...

Change takes time! And we do have time... not much but we do. Let's stop wasting it with arguments with each others. Every small step is a step in the right direction!

We should stick together... we should be nicer... not as judgemental...

Vegan are compassionate people - so I thought... let's show that side of us!

Some of us say we are doing this for the animals... to end their suffering... well guess what? Humans are animals too... and being vegan does end their suffering... as long as we (vegans) do not create it! Let's help make a change, not scare people away.

I am asking vegans to be nicer... I am asking vegans to show a united front! Who would want to join a team that can't even stick together?

Please... for humans... for animals... and for the planet... let's work together! Not against each other in a meaningless competition that no one will win!

Who's in with me???
Who wants to make this planet a better place to live on???

p.s. if you are not vegan, this still applies to you... in the sense that as human, we tend to believe that we are better than others... well guess what? you are not! No one is... we are all more or less the same... but different nonetheless... Look at your behaviors... take a deep look at your actions... which ever team you are in (vegan, non-vegan, sports team, at work, lifestyle)... are you a good team member? Are you a role model? Are you compassionate? Do you help other? Do you respect your team mate or non-team mate decisions? This is the only way out of the situation we are in!

By the way, if you want today's breakfast recipe, please go to www.veganrestaurantfinder.com it will be right there!
Here's a picture of what it looks like: