Anti-Perfectionism in Veganism Reminders:

Alyssa from Live Planted reminds me that perfect vegans do not exist. It is okay that I still own animal products that I got before transitioning. For me, I am most comfortable not purging these items or getting rid of them right away and that is okay. Transitioning to veganism is a process. I anticipated it being easy but it has not been easy and that's okay. Something that I can do to cope with difficulties (whether they are coworkers friends and family taunting me for being vegan, or even having bad headspace about the reasons I am vegan where I get overwhelmingly sad and feel hopeless for the cause) is to give myself space for those feelings. I do not have to rub my own face in reasons that I already know to be true. What good does it do to myself to be submerged in animal and environmental despair if I am already aware of the problems and I am actively putting in effort to reduce my share of contributions to the problem? It will not do me any use if I am in the wrong headspace for the information. It is okay to scroll past, to turn my head, to think of something different when I am upset instead of piling it on. Casey Hill reminds me to allow space for my feelings. Manifestations of this notion vary:

• I am noticing that I am feeling angry, sad, pissed, grumpy, but I will allow myself to have time to process this emotion instead of letting it root itself in my actions for the day.
• I am not feeling well or happy, so I will write down or intensely think about how I feel and make sincere efforts to identify the cause of the feeling (aside from the obvious) and develop a sincere reaction to it
• I am generally focusing too much on negatives. As a precautionary tactic, I will give myself time to "be" without having limits (time, immediate responsibilities, etc.).
• I will work to immediately replace negative thoughts. "Negative thou.....CUT OFF.....Positive thought."

I will try to be more gentle with myself and incorporate more fun things in my life. Self care is not always sipping tea. It has a lot to do with mental work. In the meantime, I will start by being grateful. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to do homework in a positive space. I am grateful for finding Live Planted. I am grateful for the happy thoughts and good mood that I am experiencing right now. I am grateful for having a family that generally supports me in my decisions and provides an outlet to talk about topics that weigh me down.