by Stacey Smith

Created on: March 31, 2010

I've read numerous articles lately which claim a Vegan lifestyle is a choice. I didn't really choose my new life as a Vegan; it chose me. When I finally got to a place in my life where I was comfortable being me, it just happened. It came with self-awareness and finally understanding my purpose and place in this world. It was one of those Aha! moments. I love those moments and have been blessed with many of them, but none as poignant and meaningful as when I realized I MUST live a cruelty-free life, a life of kindness and love: The life of a Vegan.

I am always amazed at  how life works, but I am  especially in awe of the way the universe aligned everything just right so I could begin my new journey as a Vegan. I was taking a master's course in quantum physics and studying Newton and the interconnectedness of all things. The deep, dark recesses of my brain were being stretched and prodded with new ideas and insights. One day, I was sure I had the answer to all the world's problems and the next day, I would fall apart from an inability to change anything. At the same time, I was learning the value of kindness and unconditional love towards other living beings and deepening my relationship with God through meditation and prayer. In the midst of all this, I was given the book, The Kind Diet, by Alicia Silverstone. All of these separate pieces and moments came together and ...Aha!

Becoming Vegan has been a gradual process for me. It began with the cessation of meat. And, as I said earlier, it wasn't much of a choice. Leading up to the day when I finally quit eating meat, for weeks before I found it difficult to chew meat and I would fixate on the texture of it and the way it felt in my mouth. The only meat I consumed in my final days as a carnivore was chicken and, as I would chew it, the image of a chicken would enter my mind. It was as if my mind and my heart were finally connected and for the first time in my life I understood what I was really doing by eating meat: I was promoting and encouraging the slaughter and torture of defenseless animals. On that final day, when I took a bite of the chicken, the image came into my mind once again, but this time I couldn't keep the meat down. I vomitted. I haven't eaten meat since.

Cutting out all dairy came next and I'm now focusing on clothing, shoes, handbags, make-up, etc.  What I know for certain is that it takes time to change a life so drastically. So, I have been patient with myself and instead

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