I have to say I am really excited about the year 2018. Not that I pay much attention to the calendar and I’m not the »new year, new beginnings« kind of person either. It just so happens that I see a lot of opportunities coming my way in the near future and I am starting many new projects next year that I am very excited about.
I recently watched a documentary Vegan 2017 and it filled me with optimism and hope. The world is changing slowly, people are waking up and there will come a day when I will not be considered a freak anymore 🙂
The Christmas holidays are somehow bittersweet for me lately. I like the lights, gifts, family time and food, but I also find myself in uncomfortable positions more often. I am being constantly judged by others at every holiday event or dinner just because of my way of life, my choices, because of being what I am – and I have to say that my way of life doesn’t really hurt anyone. Even if I know that my way is the right way and eventually people will open their eyes and understand, I am still so tired of explaining myself at every family dinner and every celebration, because that is the time when I just want to enjoy myself. So in 2018 I would like to see more compassion, understanding and tolerance. And I would like everyone to let others BE.
I’m sure now you think that all I am talking about is me being vegan, right? Just because I mentioned the documentary at the beginning. Well you are wrong. There are so many things that inspire people to make me their target 😀 Choose one: I’m a yoga teacher and do that for a living (yes, only that), I don’t drink (no, not even champagne), I don’t consume animal products (yes I can live without cheese), I try to reduce waste and live a healthy lifestyle, I care about the environment, I am not a typical consumer (no I’m not going to buy those useless small perfume balls for the washing machine and I am not interested in getting rich with Amway!), I use natural cosmetics, I don’t want to have children (no, I don’t have fertility problems and even if I had them, that’s none of your business) and I don’t want to live a typical life of mortgages and debts… The funniest thing is people think I am somehow living this acetic life and that I need a lot of self-discipline to maintain this way of living (some people even commented that »I am still searching myself«, implying that all this would change once I truly »found myself«. LOL, what a joke!). When the truth is, these are all things that naturally left my life as I progressed spiritually, and this brought me immense freedom. But that’s all ok, even I was blind once. Very blind, actually. I just don’t remember being so annoying towards the non-blind. Well, my memory isn’t that good anyway 😁
I wish people payed so much attention to themselves as they are to others. That they would analyze their own habits and lives instead of interfering with other people’s ways of living. Our lives would be easier and the world would be a much better place. Some places in the world already are that great and I am so happy I had the chance to live there. I miss Rishikesh in India, the town where you can meet like-minded yogis and there is only vegetarian food (meat is prohibited in the whole sacred town). And of course, I miss Vancouver in Canada, where everyone eats vegan food because it’s healthy (even if they are not vegan!) and where there probably isn’t a single person who hasn’t been to a yoga class at least once in their life. I wish people traveled more! On the other hand, even traveling doesn’t open some very closed minds, unfortunately.
But I must say I am also very proud of Slovenia. Coming back here I was worried, I admit, because it isn’t the most open-minded country. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of vegan restaurants and open-minded people, friends who support and accept me the way I am. So yes, there are still a lot of people poking me, making fun of me and being incredibly mean to me at parties, but I am optimistic about the future. It will get better, and I will continue to do my best being a great example of this amazing lifestyle, that is the right lifestyle. For me, for other people, for animals, for the planet.
Let’s all bring more awareness into this year and make the world a better place!
Happy new year!
Nush
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