My new life

Good morning and Happy October 1st!

I have never been this excited about October before, that I can recall. It really feels like Fall now and there’s just something about pumpkin, warm drinks and staying cozy under the covers that just warms my heart. I really don’t like cold weather (winter, ugh) but I like being warm during the day and just a bit chilly at night

Today is also the first day of Vegan MoFo III, which I have decided to participate in.

I have been giving a lot of thought over the past month or so as to whether I can really call myself a vegan. I read again, in another book, that people who only adopt the dietary changes are really just strict vegetarians and not vegans. Vegans are people who’s entire lifestyle reflects a stance against cruelty, not just their diets. Especially since my diet is first of all health-motivated, I just wasn’t sure where I fit. Or if I even had to.

But, I have found that through the past month of experimenting with this way of eating and doing the research, that I do, in general, strive to be more peaceful. Eating this way has made me more aware of some other things, not just about food, but about my body. For instance, I am very sensitive to stress.

Even if I don’t necessarily feel “stressed out” I do sometimes have some internal things going on. This has made me more aware of my mental health and I’ve been identifying the things I can do to keep things positive. I am seeing more clearly now and I know what situations, people, and things stress me so I’m going to be working on finding ways to deal with that.

I’ve already started by “hiding” some of my friends on Facebook who are constantly writing negative things either about themselves, politics, other people or whatever. I don’t want to censor anyone, but if it’s bringing me down, I don’t want to read it. I even find that there are sometimes songs and tv shows that I used to watch but don’t want to anymore because they stress me out.

My overwhelming desire for peace is…well, overwhelming. My husband probably thinks I’ve lost my mind for real this time.

I have also felt more of a desire to help people, something I have always enjoyed doing but have been seriously slacking off with lately. I want to find my place of ministry in my church and perhaps do some volunteer work again. I also want to do some random acts of kindness and not tell you about any of them because it’s not about me or puffing myself up. It’s about making a difference in someone else’s life without getting any credit — that is what I want.

I’ve also felt closer to God recently, which may have nothing to do with this whole eating experiment, but I do think it comes from being intentional and making small sacrifices. I have been praying more and more and want to find a regular Bible study to get involved with because I haven’t been in one in a long time. I am thirsty for more!

So this month is about so much to me. I know it will spill over into November, December and next year, but here are the things I am going to focus on more this month (I will expand on all of these later and give you updates):

1. Eating a plant-based, animal-free diet (no meat, dairy, eggs, etc.) – essentially only vegan foods
2. Exercising for health, fun, stress relief, and peace of mind — not to run myself down or to “undo” over eating
3. Listening to my body and resting when I need to rest
4. Creating peace and harmony in my daily life through prayer, meditation, and relaxation
5. Eliminating or reducing things in my life that cause me stress
6. Focus more on serving others through volunteering or random acts of kindness and favors
7. Start ministering to people in my church in an area I feel passionate about
8. Stay close to God and find a Bible study to participate in

I’m so excited…I had no idea when I started writing this post that it would turn into all of this. Wow.

To get this month started, I ate a healthy animal-free breakfast of oats (cooked in water) with a sliced banana and peanut butter.

Happy Thursday!

What are your goals for this month?