When I was first introduced to Steve Pavlina’s blog, I was taken aback by his radical ideas and what I interpreted as strange and unusual viewpoints. I soon learned however that even though Steve’s ideas were different from the norm, they were in no way how I had perceived them initially.
Every decision and change he made in his life was carefully thought out, and in most cases, they were actually intensely logical and insightful. The more I read, the more I yearned to improve myself and I started to notice a complete shift in my own thinking. I no longer viewed society as a perfect exemplification of how one should live.
Steve’s ideas had successfully altered my own capacity to judge right from wrong, and I recognized that many of the behaviors and habits I had known all my life were not necessarily ideal.
For most of my childhood and adolesense, I had never questioned the idea of eating meat. Animal products are so widely available in our culture, and it is so incredibly normal to consume, burgers, ribs, wings and so on, I frankly never thought anything of it.
The odd time I would be biting in to a hot a dog and a brief sensation of nausea would go through me as I the thought about what I might be consuming; but it never occurred to me that eating that hot dog might be immoral. Please be aware that I am not trying to convert anyone to vegetarianism.
I recognize that we all have our own ideals and values and I don’t assume that mine apply to everyone just because I believe them. I spent the majority of my life eating meat, so I can’t possibly justify passing judgement on anyone else for it. If Steve has taught me anything, it is to accept and appreciate the view points of others, even if it is different than our own.
My decision to become vegetarian was derived from an inherent desire to become more aligned with good. I want my life to be a constant journey of self discovery, and I never want to look in the mirror and realize that I am no different than the person I was a year ago.
I believe that the only way to obtain happiness is by constantly redefining who we are. Happiness is an evolving concept, and if we make a promise to ourselves to never stop learning and growing, we must constantly work to never fall behind our goal of sustaining our contentment with life.
Becoming vegetarian is just one of the many goals and changes I wish to make in my life. I feel like I am just beginning on my path of personal development, and probably won’t be fully satisfied with the person I am for years to come.
Until then, I am excited for the challenges and exciting turns that lie ahead. I can only imagine what I will see, what I will learn and who I will eventually become..
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