Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Living a Simpler Mantra - Limiting Choices

I'm out to dinner with my Aunt and cousins in Arizona. Lately, I have been trying to live a simplicity based lifestyle and for the most part, I fall short of the goal, but I'm trying. The restaurant we go to is one I normally avoid. A glittering, monolith of post Y2K consumerism; a Cheesecake Factory. If you've ever been to a Cheesecake Factory you know the menu is extensive. Most of the stuff is filled with meat, cheese and generally things I am trying not to consume. As I peruse the menu, item after item of sumptuous, delectable artery cloggers call out to my former self to get me a gulping.

In April of this year though I made a decision that would limit the rest of my choices as long as I followed through. I went Vegan; or at least Vanessa went vegan and I am along for the ride. In all honesty, what started as a health based decision has turned into a quest to eliminate all animal products from our lives and it has a liberating effect on what we decide to eat and not eat. As well as what we wear and buy in a range of areas.

Becoming a vegan was not easy for me at first. We tried it a year ago, launched this blog and spent 3 months living vegan and suddenly crashed. Some dramatic life changes happened, including moving back to Alaska and now after settling back into our lives we are back to being vegan but with an important change. This time it's not just for us, it's for the animals. It started with health again but after doing some research and watching some pretty gnarly movies we are in it whole hog and Vanessa even ditched her makeup to get the cruelty free kind. And all of this has been intensely liberating.


No cheese for me please!

Why liberating? Well one of the best hings about eating a plant centered diet is that it naturally limits your choices at restaurants and allows you to simplify your life on the quick. At the Cheesecake Factory there was exactly 1 item on the menu I could eat, and believe me I was glad to have it (though I did have to alter it and ask for it without cheese) a bean and farro based veggie burger was just what the doctor ordered. It took me 2 minutes to order dinner! It took the rest of our party far longer I can assure you.

So get a mantra going, a life simplifying mantra. I won't eat animals...does this decision make me a better person to be around? etc. Limiting choices is the first step to a simpler and better life. This blog is going to take on a new dimension too; I am trying to think of ways to incorporate outdoor activities, fitness, veganism and my overall goal to change my life for the better a part of this blog. So I guess it becomes part diary, part blog. I don't even know if anybody is reading but if you are and you are taking a similar journey, i'd love to connect and learn from your experience. Write me in the comments, hit me up on twitter (@tonyversandi or @GoMadFresh) and shoot me a link to your blog, i love learning more and meeting new like minded folks!

Peace

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