Embrace who you are, especially your kindness

 

Delicate and bold, we dared to care

 

Have you ever been moved by an animal's joy?

 

Arroyos-del-Mar wrote about growing up on a farm. As a child, they saw cows' sadness when their calves were taken away. But something else that moved them, years later, was seeing a video of a woman playing fetch with a cow.

 

"She would throw the ball and the cow would gambol with joy and retrieve the ball for the woman. I was shaken so hard, I had a deep, long cry after that. I had never considered the capacity for joy that animals have."

 

There is something magical about those moments, when you empathize on a new level with someone different from you.

 

But we live in a harsh world, and we often have learned to shut down our own sensitivity.

 

I myself have wanted to escape others' perception of me that I was "sensitive." It felt like a put-down, or an assumption that I was weak.

 

Being sensitive can create a deep connection to the feelings of others. You might even feel that humans are not alone. People of other species have their own stories to tell.

 

But perhaps you've been told...

 

“Why do you have to be so sensitive?”

“They’re just animals.”

 

Comments like these can discourage people from pursuing their desire to no longer eat animals. That's why I'm trying to reframe just how awesome it is to be sensitive!

 

Being sensitive can give you an advantage at recognizing the sensitivity of a pig, turkey, bee, or fish. It's a superpower.

 

But if you already feel as if you're "too much" because of your sensitivity - or need to carefully fit in or prove yourself because of being a woman or minority - then maybe the last thing you want to do is give people one more reason to think that you're "weird."

 

I'm not going to claim that being vegan is easy for everyone. But many people who do it report that it feels like the best decision they ever made, and that they only wished they had done so sooner.

 

Feeling more true to your inner compassion can feel amazing.

 

But taking the first steps on that journey can be difficult. Human life is overwhelming enough. If you're already nursing a broken heart, somehow it just never feels like the right time to take in the sorrow of how we treat other animals.

 

And what if you or your family struggle with poverty, your health, or staying on top of your life? Trying to replace eating chickens - and their eggs - with plant-based proteins can feel like an added complication.

 

That's why I totally recommend being kindly with yourself. If a big dive into veganism feels untenable, take very small steps. Celebrate each small action or choice you make that deepens your expression of support for animals.

 

One of the trickiest things about living vegan is figuring out how to feel safe standing out. And also, staying emotionally connected with other humans, even if many of us continue to relate to animals in a more disconnected way.

 

Many new vegans start out feeling excited about helping animals, the environment, or their health, but end up burned out. Conflicts with other people, grief about the world, or the worry about doing veganism perfectly... These can all weigh on a person.

 

I've certainly had days I've wished I could forget... forget food labels, forget my awareness of how meat is making our environmental issues worse, and forget animals' capacity for joy...

 

I've wished I could go back to a life where I stood out less and decisions were simpler.

 

If you're reading this site, though, you're probably not one to back down from these challenges.

 

You're allowed to explore veganism at a pace that's right for you.

 

You're allowed to be an imperfect ally to animals, who tries and who learns.

 

You're allowed to be yourself, to make mistakes and be misunderstood sometimes.

 

And you are absolutely encouraged to be all of who you are. Whether you're a vegan or vegan-curious person of color, low-income or rural, have a disability, are young or an elder, or are a man who is sensitive towards animals... or all of the specific ways of being human that I'm omitting... there are people like you, taking bite-size steps for ourselves and nonhuman friends.

 

You deserve a compassionate relationship with yourself. I hope that your exploration of kindness towards other animals and humans can happen as gently or uniquely as it needs to, to feel safe and sustainable for your body and life.

 

Caring about other animals and our world can be endlessly fulflling. Many vegans report that adopting a more cruelty-free lifestyle felt like the best thing they ever did. Many only wish they had started sooner.

 

Together, we can grow more resilient to the challenges we face, and live happier lives not in spite of, but because of how much we allow ourselves to feel and care.

 

So if you’ve ever been told things like, “Stop being so sensitive” and “They’re just animals"...

 

I dare you to be sensitive.

 

I encourage you to feel where it's safe to, and play your way towards a more compassionate life.

 

Animals are strong and beautiful with us. Let's evolve the way we think, feel, and act towards them, in ways that lift our own spirits too.

 

If that sounds exciting to you, then feel free to read more on this website, or contact me and I'll do my best to respond.

 

Reach Me Anytime!