Saying hello

I've never had a blog before but I can't say I never wanted one. I've had friends who used to have live journals or who would write Myspace notes similar to blogs all the time. For whatever reason though, I was never really up to the task of blogging. Until now that is. To be quite honest I am not sure what I will be speaking about in these blogs. I think I may speak largely about my odd quest for for self improvement. To begin this blog then, I am going to talk about self improvement in general.

I have been a Vegetarian now for a little over a year. While in comparison to many Vegetarians I am still a newbie, this year has been a huge accomplishment for me. In my experience with other Vegetarians at my school I have noticed how few of them actually make it past the 6 month mark. In some way I am very surprised that I have made it this long, but in other ways I am not.

Before you start any form of self improvement, it is important to first do your research. I personally know that it can be really easy to want to jump into things and to try incorporating a new habit or lifestyle before really understanding it.

For instance, a few years back I tried to become a Lucid Dreamer. For those that don't know, a lucid dream is one where a person is aware that they are dreaming while it is happening. This often allows them to interact with the dream and to possibly manipulate it. That is lucid dreaming in a nutshell. It is also about all I knew about being a lucid dreamer when I tried to become one . I was under-informed and therefore was unsuccessful in my attempt.

I think my lack of knowledge about lucid dreaming also pointed out another major flaw in my attempt. I didn't want it bad enough. Sure I thought lucid dreaming was cool. Yet I was unwilling to put in the time to do the proper research needed. I think this stemmed from a lack of true desire to become a lucid dreamer.

I was able to become a Vegetarian because I really wanted it. My interest was originally sparked through my desire to live a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. I was well on my way towards becoming an environmentalist so I was already well informed about the negative environmental impact eating meat had. I knew it was something I wanted to do.

Adjustment to a new lifestyle also benefits from interaction with someone who has already made the same adjustment. I was lucky enough to have a close friend who had been a vegetarian for years before I was. Her support and knowledge were both very beneficial to me.

Verbally acknowledging your goals to another is also very important. By verbally expressing to someone else that I wanted to become a vegetarian it helped to make it a reality. This was no longer a thought it my own head. In a way, explaining my goal to friends who supported me gave me permission to change my lifestyle.

As with any new lifestyle, becoming a Vegetarian took a period of adjustment. The easiest way I found to adjust, is to work out the kinks before you get in too deep. I began to pick one or two days each week where I would not eat meat. This allowed me to explore vegetarian options and forced me to figure out how the lifestyle works. It was not overwhelming at all because I had not ascribed to the label yet. If I needed to, I could still eat meat.

After a few weeks of eating Vegetarian once a week and doing extensive research I knew I was ready. The real question was, "When do I begin this?" It felt weird to just jump into things one day. I felt like it would be strange to simply wake up one morning and never eat meat again.

Luckily the question of "When do I begin?" came at the perfect time. I was home from school for a week on a short break. I had not discussed becoming a Vegetarian with my family, but I had told some friends of mine what I was planning on doing. Mostly they tried to talk me out of it but I already had my mind set and by the end of the conversation I had their support. So on my way back to school I stopped at a rest stop and enjoyed the last piece of meat I have ever eaten. (If you exclude that incident where my sister let me finish her "cheese quesadilla" that was really a chicken quesadilla).

The reason the switch was so easy for me was because I was already making somewhat of an adjustment in my life. I was going back to school after being on vacation. That physical transition helped me transition to a vegetarian. I did the same thing when i first came to college. On my way to college with my parents I had my last glass of soda. I have not had any since then. If I had just woken up one day and said "From now on, I will not drink any more soda," I think I would have failed. But because I could visualize my transition by attaching it to something that was visible it made it all the more easier.

In the weeks that followed I just took things one day at a time. I did not try to go overboard and attempt to cut out meat, dairy and eggs all at once. In fact when I began I still ate fish for a couple of months. It was a nice way to transition into the lifestyle. When I was comfortable enough with that, I moved forward and cut fish out of my diet. Pretty soon I think I may try cutting dairy from my diet as well. All one day at a time though.

In closing here are the steps I have noticed that help me make a change in my lifestyle:

1. RESEARCH, research, research!

2. WANT to make the change.

3. VOICE your desirable lifestyle change to someone else who will support you.

4. CONNECT with individuals who have made similar lifestyle adjustments.

5. TRY it for a few days to see how it works. Work out the kinks before you make the complete transition.

6. Find the right time and Go For It. Remember though, there is no right time like the present time. While these "times of transitions" that I spoke of can make it easier, don't put off your change forever because you are waiting for the right one. If you really feel ready then just go for it.

My success in becoming a Vegetarian has in many ways empowered me. It has shown me that I can change my lifestyle for the better. All it takes is a little will power and some determination. I hope this blog can provide to whoever reads it a better understanding of how to better your own life.