During August we’ve been exploring the topic of Veganism. In this video I’m talking about my take on veganism, and what it means to me.
For a transcript of the video – if you prefer to read rather than listen/ watch! – see below the video.
Video transcript
If you’re a conscious animal lover who wants to learn about new or different ways of making a difference in the lives of animals through your everyday actions then this is a good channel for you. I’d invite you to subscribe if you’re interested.
Today is Day 13 for SSSVEDA. Throughout the month of August on the blog and on Facebook with The Animal Edit we’re focusing on the topic of veganism. So last week on the blog there was an article covering the basics of veganism, the benefits of a vegan diet and other reasons that people might decide to be vegan, as well as a few basic tips on how to start introducing vegan practices to your lifestyle. If you’re interested, today’s video is basically my personal response to that post, how I feel about veganism in today’s world.
So personally the way that I feel about veganism is that it’s not necessarily going to be for everyone. I think that everyone has their own personal values and beliefs, backgrounds and dietary requirements as well. So even though I do mainly live by a vegan diet that doesn’t mean I think that everybody else should as well. Having said that, I think that it’s a really valid approach. It’s a really valid choice for a lot of people and I do believe in the benefits of veganism. I believe in the health benefits and the major benefits for the environment and most of all I believe that it’s a diet and a lifestyle that’s respectful of animals. For me personally it allows me to demonstrate my compassion and respect for animals so I absolutely believe that it’s a valid lifestyle for anyone who may have similar values to me, and I think it’s worthy of consideration from anyone.
My hope from making this video is not to convince anybody that they should be vegan or adopt vegan practices, but it’s really just to explain one viewpoint which is my viewpoint, of a vegan lifestyle. And contribute to the discussion, and maybe give you something to think about if you’ve considered veganism… not necessarily to ignite debate but just to show that people who have a vegan diet and a vegan lifestyle aren’t necessarily the kinds of people who are going to argue that everybody should be vegan!
I also believe that people can make a real difference and a contribution to the world by even just adopting parts of a vegan lifestyle. I don’t think somebody has to be completely vegan in order to make a difference in the world. So even if someone was to be vegan for one day a week or three days a week, or a few months in a year or something like that, I think that makes a real difference and a contribution to the world as well. But the biggest thing is I think that helps people align their lifestyle to their values because someone who’s considering veganism is no doubt doing it for some kind of reason. It may be about animals, or it might be about the environment or it might be about their health. Whatever it is, it’s tied to values and how you feel about the world and how you see the world, and how you want to contribute to the world.
So I think that veganism is a real way of bringing to life the philosophies that you believe in.
I also think that, traditionally, vegans have been viewed as almost ‘hippies’… So many people are adopting elements of veganism to their life, and it’s people from all different walks of life… I think, these days, people from different walks of life are adopting vegan practices along with, I think, a growing industry for veganism.
There are so many products popping up and restaurants and even just options when it comes to dining out or purchasing alternative products, and I find it really amazing the amount of variety that’s available for vegans. It makes it so much easier to consider being vegan. If it’s something that has ever entered your mind, I think this is a really exciting time to live in because in our world today there are so many options available for how you want to live your life and there’s also so much information available.
I think there is so much information and resources at our fingertips you can do whatever you want, and you can find out whatever you want… it can certainly become overwhelming if you do too much research and you can be overwhelmed by too much choice… but for the most part, I think it’s a really fabulous time to be living in, where we have so much choice and so many options available to us, and ways of living out a belief through our everyday life.
So if you want to have a positive impact in the world these days there’s really never been a better time because you can reach so many people with a message or a question or a resource if you want to. But on the flip side of that if you don’t want to reach lots of people but you really want to make a big contribution by the way you live your life every day then there is a massive amount of information available at your fingertips.
So you are empowered to make decisions about how you’re going to be contributing to the world.
I think that’s such an amazing thing.
So overall, bringing it back to the topic of veganism, I think that it’s not necessarily for everyone. I don’t believe that everyone should be forced to be vegan or even that it’s suitable for everyone, but for those who have values and beliefs with which veganism aligns I think it’s a really valid option and it’s a really important choice to have.
I do feel like it’s a really beautiful way of life for me. It really aligns with how I want to interact with the world around me and the kind of contribution that I want to make. For me it’s perfect. It’s not going to be for everyone but I think it’s a really beautiful option.
So if it’s something that you’ve ever considered doing I absolutely recommend looking into it and, not necessarily assuming that it’s going to be too hard or that you won’t have enough options, because these day there are so many options becoming available. So much information available and so much support as well. So if you’ve ever considered it I think it’s a really worthwhile path to look into and just find out whether it’s something that you could really achieve.
Thank you so much for watching, I really appreciate it. Don’t forget to subscribe if The Animal Edit is something you’re interested in. Don’t forget to check out the Facebook page as well. There’s also a Facebook group if you’re interested in having a discussion around these topics. This month is really focused around veganism. I hope to see you on one of those platforms and I will see you again in another video really soon.
In summary
While I think veganism is a beautiful approach to a life that’s respectful of animals and our planet, I don’t assume it will be right for everyone. I encourage everyone to consider it, if it aligns with your values, and to take advantage of the information and options we have available to us.
Want to make some simple everyday changes?
I put together a simple one-pager to help you make more considered choices everyday. It’s not going to revolutionise the world, but if we each do our small part we can affect significant positive change!