My 2 Year Veganniversary

Can’t believe today marks my two year veganniversary. Time flies when you’re feeling great.

Two years ago today, I decided to go vegan. Most of my friends and family probably know this was never meant to be a permanent thing. I started out in a completely warped mindset. I wanted to do it as a cleanse. *cue the booing* To rid myself of all the Christmas cookie remnants and move on. I only intended to keep it up for a month or two. But I never went back; and in only about three weeks I didn’t even consider reverting back to eating animal products an option.

I felt so good. I was slimming down. Feeling energetic. And really starting to listen to my body and how it responded to certain things. I was talking with a friend of mine who is also vegan, about a month into my journey. And he admitted that he never thought he could do it either, but how easy it all became after only about a month of eating this way. He was so right.

Anyways. Now I’m here. Two years later. With a whole lot to show for it. I’m very happy with my life, and have never felt more satisfied with my own body. My health has never been better. I’ve found a community who I feel very connected to despite being scattered all over the world. My cooking skills have improved tremendously, thanks to Instagram inspiration and the numerous cookbooks from friends and family. I feel excited to move my body, which is something I have NEVER ever felt before. I appreciate life so much more; not just my own but the lives of all living things. I have a much better handle on my own environmental impact. I am getting my health coaching degree at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. And I’ve inspired others to want to make positive changes in their lives. Even if it’s only a handful of people.

I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to say all that. And I look forward to many more years with the vegan community.

And with that, here are some of my resolutions for the new year:

1. Smile more often. I catch myself more times than I’d like to admit, taking things too seriously. Getting anxious when plans suddenly change. Being cranky because I couldn’t pick the spot for lunch. Moping about the weather. I let little things bother me way too much and I’m committed to changing that; going with the flow, if you will.

2. Continue my few grounding rituals. Stole this one from Raechel of Rebel Girl Living. But it’s something I really need to keep up. I have been planning to write a post about the importance of rituals for a while but haven’t sat down to conquer. My morning herbal tea. Knitting before bed, even just for a little. Yoga. Jogging a few times a week. Taco Tuesdays (sort of joking, but mostly not).

3. Do more yoga. I lost touch with my yoga practice the last few weeks of school, and haven’t brought myself to jump back on the wagon yet. But my spirit and my body are missing it lots.

4. Be more present. I’m in my own head quite a bit. And when I’m not, I’m often submerged in some sort of technology. I really want to be here. Listening, learning, laughing and loving with the people around me.

5. Become a person that people want to learn from, rather than trying to force knowledge down people’s throats. This is more of a life goal than a resolution. But I get frustrated with myself for how often what was meant to be inspiring and eye opening knowledge isn’t received well or at all. It comes down to communication and self presentation, which of course always have room for improvement.

6. Be kinder to myself. Pretty straightforward, but this is especially important when talking about ED thoughts and behavior. The holidays can be pretty triggering. And even admitting to suffering from and ED is still really new to me. So I’m trying to navigate my own way to recovery and happiness, and the holidays throw a pretty big wrench into the mix. But I need to give myself more credit, and be thankful for the health that i do have. Stop stressing about the three cookies that accompanied my oily dinner. Stop thinking in terms of “good and bad” food. Stop imagining the few extra inches around my tummy. Compared to last year, my mindset was a whole lot healthier this year, and I hope it continues in that direction.

7. Work on my friendships, which sort of goes hand in hand with being more present. I’ve drifted from a lot of people, but I want to make more of an effort to actually get out of my grandma-mode and see people, and rebuild what once was great.

8. Tell people I love them more. And show them. I tell my mom and my boyfriend pretty often, but I want to tell more people. I think it’s something that people are afraid to do, because we’ve been conditioned to fear vulnerability. I feel so refreshed and appreciated when someone out of the ordinary tells me, so if I can do that for the other people in my life, I’ll be a very happy woman.

I’m sure there are way more things I could commit to doing, but I think this is a solid start. With that, I’m going to celebrate with the loves in my life, and probably some tacos. Happy New Year!

xoxo