Ever since I can remember I loved animals down to my core. I first became aware of the cruelty involved in the meat industry (on a very surface level) during middle school. I became vegetarian right in that moment.
I was a vegetarian for about 3 years until I became sick, which was mainly due to my lack of self care. However my parents worried and advised I continue my vegetarian lifestyle in the future. I slowly began incorporating meat back into my diet, although I still couldn’t eat anything that relatively looked like an animal and refused to talk about animals during my meals.
When looking back, I realized I blinded myself from the truth because I felt out of alignment with my core beliefs. I then became preoccupied with finishing high school and soon enough I was in college and grad school. Then one day at rotation, I met a very sincere kind-hearted doctor. We bonded over our love for animals and later discovered she was a vegan. We shared our stories and beliefs, which were very similar. So in the midst of our conversation, she said something that stuck with me, she told me to align my beliefs with my actions.
It was so simple yet so powerful, especially in that moment, because I was sharing my beliefs and passion for animal rights advocacy. I realized how disconnected I felt between my actions and personal beliefs, so I went vegan overnight. This time I was much older, independent, and did my research.
I really learned how to better care for my body through a plant-based diet (I do love my vegan junk food though), learned more about the dairy industry and how going vegan benefits so much more than what I originally thought. I’m still learning everyday and hope to continue to learn more throughout my life. Presently, I’ve never felt more aligned with myself than I do now.
