Lately I’ve been feeling rather overwhelmed, and I’ll be honest, down right discouraged. Choosing a vegan lifestyle is rewarding in so many ways- I feel healthy and strong, I don’t miss any animal food products, and I sleep well at night knowing I did not contribute to any animal cruelty. The downside? Feeling like I’m not doing enough. There are people who dedicate their whole lives to vegan activism yet animal deaths are exponentially increasing. I’m confident that at some point, hopefully in my lifetime, this will change, and the consumption and use of animal products will be nonexistent.
I’m sure every vegan faces this feeling at some point in their journey. Some people choose to keep to themselves, knowing their choices are slowly but surely impacting the world in a positive way. Others are outspoken, true activists, putting themselves in extreme and dangerous situations, ruthlessly fighting for animal equality. I suspect the middle ground lies somewhere on social media.
I want t
o spread awareness, but I also want to be effective. I want to make an impact on the people that I’m reaching to the point that they make a change, and commit to the lifestyle. How does one accomplish such a goal? There is an incredible amount of information to share, how does one choose the most effective topics without coming off like a know-it-all, a lunatic, or a dummy for having compassion for animals?
I went on a instagram posting spree a few nights ago, sharing vegan posts that I later deemed too gruesome, and decided to delete them. As much as I think people need to see the tough truths and watch the compilations of horrific animal treatment, I need to balance my violence exposure posts with uplifting messages. Watching undercover factory farm and slaughter house is worse than watching multiple horror films. The scenes never leave my mind, forcing me to wander further into the reality of life in a livestock 
animal’s shoes. I am quickly filled with a terrifying emotion; fear. Whether you consider yourself and animal lover or not, fear is an emotion that animals experience just as humans do. This information fuels my deep desire to expose the cruel and unnecessary fear infliction on animals. I want to fight hard against animal cruelty in our food, clothe, and entrainment industry. However, it is important to not be swallowed up in the negative, even when the information is valuable.
You may notice I go through phases of posting positive and uplifting sides of veganism, and other times posting darker, uncomfortable, truth exposing material. I try to use my best judgment when sharing this material, but real talk, it is a gruesome topic with
gruesome facts. I suppose I’m sort of shooting for the yin-yang approach of vegan activism. The other option is to continue to quietly purchase my vegan groceries and rely on others to do the leg work. But I’ve never been one to stand by with my mouth shut, so all aboard the vegan activism train!
Veganism isn’t a hippie fad or diet loophole. It is a conscious way of living. It is a compassionate way of living. It is a selfless way of living. It is a way of living that does not create suffering toward any living being. It forces you to awaken, and think with your heart and head instead of falling in line with the lies society is marketing.
Imagine a 100% vegan operating world. It sounds crazy, yet it is the solution to so man solvable problems. It can be challenging to see the light in the midst of so much darkness, which is why I went in search of vegan victories to encourage my spirit. Turns out vegans movements are taking place all over! I was encouraged by my finds and am motivated now more than ever to continue my animal rights-compassionate eating- transforming human consciousness quest.
If you or someone you know is interested in going vegan but need some assistance, check out some of these vegan mentor programs available to all!
Sav's Journey 
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