For the New Year, Try Something Different

Now that the wrapping paper’s all swept away, it’s time to start thinking about the year ahead. The custom of starting the New Year with a resolution has good intentions behind it. With a little self-reflection, we all see areas of our life that we’d like to improve and bad habits that we’d like to shake. But for most, our resolutions don’t get very far as the force of habit take hold again. This year, instead of making the same old list of quit-this, lose-that, self-improvement resolutions, resolve to be the change you want to see in the world.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela

Meatless butcher shop – The Herbivorous Butcher – to open in Minneapolis in 2015 

As a vegan, my mind, eyes, and heart are always wide open to the possibilities of positive change that I can help affect for myself, the earth, the animals, and those around me.  Here are a few simple yet powerful New Year’s resolutions that can have far-reaching effects:

• Consume less of one thing (single-use plastics, sugar, meat…) – No wrong answer here and endless options!
• Go Vegan – After overindulging during the busy holiday season, you might be ready to veg out in January — or, more specifically, vegan out. The Veganuary campaign encourages people to go vegan in January to reduce the suffering of animals by inspiring and supporting people across the globe to go vegan for the month of January.
• Buy only the food that you need – The U.S. wastes 40% of the food it grows, produces and sells. That’s inexcusable by any standards. Especially when you think about the resources that go into producing it (soil, water, packaging, labor, innocent animals) – and the number of people suffering hunger and malnutrition.

Natural Resources Defense Council

• Drink more water – check out ‘You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty’ book by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj
• Carry your own glass or stainless steel water bottle– and just say no to plastic. Take the REFUSE Pledge.
• Learn theABCs of Animal Rights – an entire alphabet full of activism terms!

PlasticPollutionCoalition.org 

• Start/join ‘Documentary’ Meetups– Feed your curiosity with fact-based films that expose us to unfamiliar, yet thought-provoking topics. Invite friends and family and start a conversation.
• Volunteer – This doesn’t always have to be done ‘on-site’. Many organizations will greatly benefit from a special skillset you may possess and administrative functions that can be done remotely, such as web design/support, designing/folding/handing-out brochures, soliciting donors/supporters, etc. Of course, it is always best to reach agreement with the organization first before proceeding with such activities.

Make it a Happy, Healthy, and Compassionate 2015!!

courtesy of Bemagazine.org

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