Transform Yourself Transform the World

 At the time my motives were selfish as I desperately cling to the things in my control to prevent me from succumbing to Alzheimer’s late in life. I’ve watched multiple relatives and now my own father’s light disappear gradually over time as the tangles and plaques take over the spaces of his brain where healthy connections to his memories and emotions once lived. While my diet happens to also be vegan, I did not generally identify as vegan until now.

I made a choice in the last six months that I no longer want to be complicit in suffering. This is impacting every decision I make from the food I eat in order to avoid all animal suffering, to the clothing I now select and the products I use on my body and throughout my home. As an example, I discovered that the majority of the world’s cashews, my favorite nut, are painstakingly processed by hand by women and children of India. The cashew nut that you see has already been shed of its toxic outer shell that works on the skin like acid. I’m no longer purchasing cashews or cashew related products that I have not vetted for where they came from and how they were processed.

Instead, I’m discovering cruelty free brands and purchasing fair trade products. I’m avoiding pollutants and excessive packaging. I’m spending more time scrutinizing purchases and asking myself if they are necessary. I’m moving more toward minimalism. While I am not perfect and certainly have a lot to learn, I’m also feeling a deep sense of peace about my love for self, the planet, and all her inhabitants. This peace has placed me in a position to be able to share and move others to make small changes for themselves that transform their lives as well.

While I do not expect you to follow my example, my hope for each of you is that you find or have found your own transformative path, are following it, and are using it to transform the world around you—moment by moment, one interaction at a time.

Together, in our own ways, let’s transform the world.