Embrace who you are, especially your kindness

 

Delicate and bold, we dared to care

 

Have you always seemed more sensitive than average?

 

Maybe that's not the word you would normally use to describe yourself. I myself have wanted to escape that word, when it felt like a put-down or an assumption that I was weak.

 

But if you are sensitive to your own and others' feelings, sensitive to your environment, or sensitive on many levels, then it's likely you do struggle from having so much to hold inside...

Meanwhile, you may feel a deep connection with the struggles of others. Your sensitivity probably affects a sense of responsibility that you feel towards not only other humans, but people of other species, too.

 

Perhaps you've been told...

 

“Why do you have to be so sensitive?”

“They’re just animals.”

 

Have you often felt as if your intensity makes you an inconvenience? I've felt in my own life as if I'm too slow and fast, too picky, have too many interests, and that I'm overemotional and overthink all at the same time.

 

Being sensitive can help us recognize the sensitivity of a pig, a turkey, a bee, or a fish. You may have longed to live this truth of our interconnectedness with other beings. However, sensitivity can also present obstacles to exploring veganism.

 

If you already feel like you're "too much"... probably the last thing you want to do is give people one more reason to think that you're sentimental, overpassionate, or weird.

 

Human life is overwhelming enough. If you're already nursing a broken heart, somehow it just never feels like the right time to really take in the sorrow of how we treat other animals.

 

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

 

Another common problem is just figuring out how to feel emotionally safe - and connected with fellow humans - while mastering a radically different way of relating to our animal neighbors.

 

Many people start out excited, but end up burned out. Personal conflicts, existential grief, or the worry about doing veganism perfectly can weigh on a person.

 

I've certainly had days I've wished I could forget all about veganism, as if had all been a strange dream and things with animals were fine. 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 I hope that this site can encourage you to practice compassion towards other animals, humans, and yourself - slowly, gently, or in ways that work for your nervous system, making a vegan path feel safe and sustainable.

 

Caring about other animals and our world can be endlessly fulflling. Many vegans report that going vegan feels like the best thing they ever did, that they wish they had started sooner. Together, we grow more resilient to the challenges we face, and have our sensitive, deep-feeling lives be profoundly satisfying not in spite of, but because of how much we allow ourselves to 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.

 

To explore the depths of what you feel, and to hone the beauty of your compassionate habits.

 

Animals are strong and beautiful with us. Let's improve the way we think, feel, and act towards them, while being loving with ourselves.

 

If that sounds exciting to you, then feel free to read more on this website.

 

Reach Me Anytime!