I am a strong believer in simplifying. This month I decided to give up eating any animal with a face --cow, lamb, pig, chicken, turkey, fish, buffalo, frog, alligator, etc. etc. It's November, so that means no Thanksgiving turkey for me & I'm totally alright with that. This started out as one of the three lifestyle changes I had to take on for thirty days for my environmental studies class. I could have chosen to compost or take short showers, but I already do those & anyway, I love a challenge. I can't deny all the fabulous dishes I've eaten that contained meat/foul/fish throughout my life: tacos, carne asada, tapas, ceviche, holiday turkey, salmon kebabs, burritos, to name a few. But the fact is there are far too many people living on this planet to support a diet that contains meat. Did you know 70% of the crops we grow in the United States goes to feeding livestock? And that we could feed 800 million people if those crops were directly consumed by people? I didn't either until recently. Here is an article from Cornell University to support this: http://www.news. cornell.edu/stories/1997/08/us-could-feed-800-million-people-grain-livestock-eat
It's an older article, and the world's population has only grown, teetering in the 7 billions, as has agro-business. The whole not eating animals thing is also reinforced by watching documentaries like Food Inc. or watching real videos from mainstream livestock pens, where cruelty, disease & suffering for the animals reign. I genuinely like the idea of grass-fed, free-range, antibiotic-free & pesticide-free anything & everything; it's the way nature intended & also what our ancestors had the pleasure of enjoying. But times have changed & how often do we stalk, catch, kill, skin & process our own prey? And would we still eat animals if we had to? Our planet is simply too small to believe we as consumers can continue in the same manner. We our destroying our land & resources, depleting the oceans & still millions of people are going hungry everyday. We need to find a connection to what we put in our bodies, because being concerned with one's health, happiness & prosperity is environmentally encompassing. Once you are informed about the sources of your food, you will automatically have to be concerned about the environment & the people you share it with; you cannot have compassion for yourself & not have compassion for the world around you.
“The Taurus Full Moon on November 17 is shining the light on what you love and value. When your goals are aligned with your core values, your success is promoted. Your power is in the choices you make today. Your freedom and joy is in your ability to live authentically and in alignment with your core values. What you love and value is unique to you. It makes you what you are."
http://www.mysticmamma.com/full-moon-in-taurus-november-17th-2013/
It's an older article, and the world's population has only grown, teetering in the 7 billions, as has agro-business. The whole not eating animals thing is also reinforced by watching documentaries like Food Inc. or watching real videos from mainstream livestock pens, where cruelty, disease & suffering for the animals reign. I genuinely like the idea of grass-fed, free-range, antibiotic-free & pesticide-free anything & everything; it's the way nature intended & also what our ancestors had the pleasure of enjoying. But times have changed & how often do we stalk, catch, kill, skin & process our own prey? And would we still eat animals if we had to? Our planet is simply too small to believe we as consumers can continue in the same manner. We our destroying our land & resources, depleting the oceans & still millions of people are going hungry everyday. We need to find a connection to what we put in our bodies, because being concerned with one's health, happiness & prosperity is environmentally encompassing. Once you are informed about the sources of your food, you will automatically have to be concerned about the environment & the people you share it with; you cannot have compassion for yourself & not have compassion for the world around you.
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I don't mean to stand on a soap box, & quite honestly, this is a one month experiment, so I myself may not be take on a lifetime of vegetarianism, but it's probable. I do think it's important to be informed; to be curious about the consequences of our actions (& inaction). I see this experiment as simplifying because it's made me think twice, not only about what I put in my mouth, but about what I allow into my life. This often happens when I do these 30-day challenges: abstaining from alcohol or sex or certain foods. You start inspecting other areas of your life. What do you need? What don't you need? It goes way beyond this month's challenge. Maybe the Taurus full moon tonight has something to do with it.
via mysticmamma.com:
“The Taurus Full Moon on November 17 is shining the light on what you love and value. When your goals are aligned with your core values, your success is promoted. Your power is in the choices you make today. Your freedom and joy is in your ability to live authentically and in alignment with your core values. What you love and value is unique to you. It makes you what you are."
http://www.mysticmamma.com/full-moon-in-taurus-november-17th-2013/
Whatever it is, I feel a genuine need to connect, to be aligned in my thoughts & actions; my desires & dreams; my passions & motives. I've even given up on-line dating, not that it was an over consuming aspect in my life, but I really want to be present & in the here-and-now. I also like the anticipation of the unknown. The synchronicity of just being out in the world & meeting someone you find fantastic & who equally finds you fantastic; a game-changer. It's terribly romantic. Truth be told, I've met some incredible people via the inter-webs that are still in my life today (& if you're reading this, you know who you are, & know that I appreciate you very much) & had some great & not-so-great, but oh-so-hilarious, experiences. That's just it, though, I have had, currently have & will have amazing people & adventure come & go in my life; no need to seek them & have expectations, & undoubtedly disappointments, to go along with that. My experiment is in being present. There is the argument that social media can overly distract us, but I will still use it. There are so many beautiful articles, poignant stories, quotes & videos on my FB feed; epic photographers & beautiful shots to be found on Instagram & quite frankly social media is how I share this blog. Just looking up #SFBatKid & seeing how a Make a Wish project went viral & how an entire city shut down to make one little boy's wish come true will inspire you; it's social media at it's best. Besides all it's faults, it does keep us connected to the rest of the world. And again, I'm all about connecting & being present. There are so many harried distractions; what if we fully absorbed the world we lived in? Would it make us better people? Better friends, children, siblings, parents & lovers? I certainly think so.
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| ...not just for writers |
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| So simple |
