Spreading Positivity

I have been Vegetarian for over 14 years now and I have always attempted to spread the message of vegetarianism through social media and word of mouth. With that being said, I want to stress to you all the importance of spreading the message in a positive manner.

I've been using social media for quite some time now and there are some things I have discovered that don't sit quite right with me. As I've grown my blog and discovered new people through twitter and facebook, there's an alarming amount of people who force the issue of being vegan / vegetarian. Sharing pictures of tortured animals, criticizing friends / family for their participation in the meat / dairy industry, and constant belittling of those who have not made the switch. This is not the way to go about spreading the message.

What particularly bothers me is the attitude that Vegetarians should return to eating meat. Too often have I witnessed messages and tweets stating vegetarians should return to eating meat because they have not adapted a 100% Vegan lifestyle. This sort of negativity is painting a bad picture of vegans and overshadowing their compassion and the message they are trying to send. We're all in it for the animals!

These forceful means of spreading the message are actually hurting the cause. Bombarding people with horrific photos or bashing those whose lifestyle's are not vegan is also not helping. I can tell you from experience, people will reject your message if it is not delivered appropriately.

It is SO IMPORTANT to spread the message of a vegetarian / vegan lifestyle in a positive manner. What do I mean by this? I use my social media / blog to promote the benefits of the lifestyle. Saving the environment, water / land conservation, and overall health are some of the points I touch on. With that being said, you won't find me sharing pictures of skinned or tortured animals. You won't find me criticizing friends and family for their diets or lifestyles or forcing my message on anyone. 

You see, promoting the benefits of the Vegetarian / Vegan lifestyle and shedding light on the positive aspect of this is the best way to spread the message. By promoting the benefits, you are sharing your message without the use of graphic images or critcism. People in general are more receptive to a positive approach to a conversation especially when it comes to a major lifestyle change.

If you take anything from this post, (which was more of a rant mind you ;)) take with you some positivty. Being a vegetarian / vegan is a reason to be proud but using shock tactics and being aggressive is not the way to be. You won't convince anyone of anything aside from the fact that you might be an a$$hole!


HAPPY VEG