avanderland
04-23-2008, 07:26 AM
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone on this board, but especially the veterans. A couple years ago, I tried to go raw, and did not quite make it.
With my recent return to raw, I've been a much more frequent visitor of this board, and it has made ALL the difference. Before, I thought that it was extreme, and socially isolating. I let the "You're a raw foodist??" comments and "What do you eat??" get me down.
Now, though, I see that it is no different from any other lifestyle (except healthier!). Vegetarianism and veganism are only socially isolating if you think of them as socially isolating --- I never felt socially isolated when I was a vegan. Other people's attitudes only matter if I let them matter. It's not extreme to want to be healthy or heal yourself, and certainly not when viewed in comparison to someone eating red meat 3-4x/week.
There's a lot of conversations out there on the web, in other communities, etc... about how striving to be 100% is an obsession or a focus on perfectionism.
But you guys make it seem so natural, so easy, and because of you, it is becoming natural and easy for me. It does not seem like an obsession at all, simply a way of life. People don't call vegetarians obsessed because they do not eat chicken, and I don't see why we should be called obsessed either! You show me all the different things we can eat, all the amazing treats we can have --- and still be oh-so-healthy!! Who would pass that up!
It just really makes me appreciate this board, all the more. The patience, the support, the advice, and all the role models who show me every day that 100% is not only doable, but so worth it. You guys are thriving, and it inspires me to thrive as well, and I'm sure many others.
And so I wanted to say thanks, to this board, and all the members. Thanks for being a place where people show that 100% is amazing, and not all that negativity that floats around. And to let you guys know that you are really making a difference, every day, in every comment you leave. :D
With my recent return to raw, I've been a much more frequent visitor of this board, and it has made ALL the difference. Before, I thought that it was extreme, and socially isolating. I let the "You're a raw foodist??" comments and "What do you eat??" get me down.
Now, though, I see that it is no different from any other lifestyle (except healthier!). Vegetarianism and veganism are only socially isolating if you think of them as socially isolating --- I never felt socially isolated when I was a vegan. Other people's attitudes only matter if I let them matter. It's not extreme to want to be healthy or heal yourself, and certainly not when viewed in comparison to someone eating red meat 3-4x/week.
There's a lot of conversations out there on the web, in other communities, etc... about how striving to be 100% is an obsession or a focus on perfectionism.
But you guys make it seem so natural, so easy, and because of you, it is becoming natural and easy for me. It does not seem like an obsession at all, simply a way of life. People don't call vegetarians obsessed because they do not eat chicken, and I don't see why we should be called obsessed either! You show me all the different things we can eat, all the amazing treats we can have --- and still be oh-so-healthy!! Who would pass that up!
It just really makes me appreciate this board, all the more. The patience, the support, the advice, and all the role models who show me every day that 100% is not only doable, but so worth it. You guys are thriving, and it inspires me to thrive as well, and I'm sure many others.
And so I wanted to say thanks, to this board, and all the members. Thanks for being a place where people show that 100% is amazing, and not all that negativity that floats around. And to let you guys know that you are really making a difference, every day, in every comment you leave. :D