ABCs of Me – today
Inspired by Kayla of Fruitful Soul (check our her blog and social media accounts) and her authentic 21 Years in 26 Letters, I decided to create this thoughtful post about who I am today and share it via the ABCs. I love how this post made me search deeply into who I am. A great quote I read today says, “Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different.” – C.S Lewis. As I age and the days, weeks, months, and years go on this list will evolve, but for today I shall embrace who I am. Here are the ABCs of Me – today!
ABCs of Me – today
Acceptance & Appreciation.
Accepting where you are right now and appreciating it is incredibly influential to one’s growth. My long-term goal is to create a lifestyle where I can change people’s lives, travel, and inspire a plant-based way of life. I know that accepting where I am right now is part of creating where I want to go. Once I learned the power of acceptance, how it is different from settling and how to use it to my advantage, my world changed.
Beets.
The earthy goodness of a delicious beet livens my spirit and my meals. From wraps to Buddha bowls and salads juicy beets are a staple in the VegInspired kitchen and couldn’t be left out of the ABCs of me – today since a beet is the feature image in our logo. Such wonderful nutrients; I challenge you to try them. Grab our Beet & Balsamic Hummus Recipe!
Cats.
All my life I have been a cat person. Fortunately for me, our first cat adored John, and he fell in love with cats, which certainly played out in my favor. We have three unique cats, each with their own fun personalities that share our home with us. Honestly, they pretty much run the place, and I am a-ok with that. Adopt don’t shop!
Doctors
I am not a doctor, but I think it is important to share the impact of the well-known plant-based doctors have had on the me of today. You see, I trusted doctors, I believed what they had to say and I agreed with pharmaceuticals and surgeries, and healthcare as a treatment. However, after further research and readings from these plant-based doctors (Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn – to name a few)…who have uncovered the best methods to prevent, reverse, and treat many common diseases and ailments my mind has been cleansed. Most people refuse to listen. Today I am a proponent of a whole foods, plant-based diet to prevent, reverse and treat illness. I take advice from the doctors who are seeing the results first hand; from the physicians who are reading the peer-reviewed medical studies, and the physicians who exhibit the adversity and confidence to stand up for what is right, even if they are the only ones standing. So, while I am not a doctor, plant-based doctors have molded me into who I am today!
Educate.
Since I was a little girl, I dreamed of teaching. I had a school set up in my basement with stuffed animals and old textbooks. I graded “their” papers and taught them everything I knew. Naturally, I headed off to college to get a teaching degree and stayed on to further my education with a Master’s in Education. People often ask me why I am not teaching; well, my path curved a bit. My teaching and educating now falls into the blogger realm. Through extensive research and the power of written word, I can now educate (and inspire) through this blog. #veginspired <3
Feel Good Now.
Repeat after me, “feel good now.” Those three words had a profound impact on who I am as I write this. So much of my life was spent focusing on what I wanted to happen next and how “tragic” my current situation was, and all “listen to this drama.” So, when I was exposed to the “feel good now” approach, I started to focus on just that; feeling good right now – not in an hour, not on Friday, not once summer arrived – but right now, every moment. I started to look for the silver linings and what was good in each moment. By focusing on the good, I can attract the good.
Grateful.
Every day I spend a few minutes, morning and night, listing things (anything and everything) for which I am grateful. This short but meaningful time, keeps me focused on all that have. Grateful should be highlighted, starred, bolded, and underlined within the ABCs of me – today as my mantra – be grateful. I have noticed a pattern of gratefulness of coffee.
Habits.
I can honestly say that I am more aware of my behaviors and habits at my current age than I have ever been before. I am feeding my mind inspiration that encourages embracing positive habits and replacing habits that lead to negative thoughts and actions. Habits define a person, and I want my habits to showcase all the wonderful attributes I exude. Focus on your daily habits – from what you think to what you eat to what you do. You will be forever grateful of this advice.
Inspire.
My passion; to inspire people. I want them to know they are wonderful and they can do whatever their heart desires. I want them to know someone is always cheering them on. Inspiring others is fostered by my love of educating and again, my hope is that VegInspired provides inspiration for others to encourage them to eat more plants for a healthier, happier self.
John.
The love of my life. He makes me a better person and has certainly helped me to achieve the me I am today; which is what these ABCs of me – today represent!
Kind.
Kind, kindness. These words have such a different meaning to me now than they did before. All along I thought I was kind, but to be honest… I was not. I was sucked into the habits of our society and never really thought about what the definition of kind was; Definition of Kind: a: of a sympathetic or helpful nature; b: of a forbearing nature; c: arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance. Sadly, I was none of these, most of the time. I judged versus finding empathy. I did not see why harming animals for food, clothing, animal testing, entertainment, etc. was unkind; frankly, because I only saw its benefit to me. You see, I was brainwashed by a society of people only looking out for the good of themselves. But now, now I am kind. Now I refrain from judgment, I sincerely care about people and demonstrate empathy. But not because someone told me to, but because I want to create kindness and leave a trail of kindness whereever I go.
Lifestyle.
Every day I focus on the lifestyle that I want. I create it in my mind: live it, breathe it, I eat, sleep, dream, everything of my ideal lifestyle. I appreciate the way of life I have now because I know (and recognize) the situations I am encountering in my current lifestyle are preparing me for the lifestyle I am creating. The habits, the nuances, the lessons, the tests, the challenges, the celebrations – I see those and I recognize that they are the facets of the lifestyle I am creating which is unfolding before me.
Music.
My soul yearns for music. For rhythm, for beats, for bass, for treble. My heart beats along to my favorite songs. My hair blows in the wind from the windows down and sunroof open while the music fills my car. Music is a gift that I appreciate every day. It makes me happy, and it’s relatable, reminiscent, and freeing.
Nutritional yeast.
Fondly called “nooch” in our house. This post wouldn’t be complete without a post praising a vegan pantry staple that pushed me past my excuse of not giving up cheese. This delightful substance paired with some nuts or beans, and other items, depending on your desired outcome, creates the healthiest sauce, dip, spread, drizzle, topping, etc. that resembles cheese without the animal factor. Nooch helped me become who I am today by opening my eyes to the possibility of a cheese alternative.
Outgoing.
Self-explanatory, right?! I am outgoing, social, and I love people. Whether in person or in our VegInspired community – I love chatting with people!
Plant-based
I would be hard pressed to use something other than plant-based for P in capturing who I am today. You see, plant-based and adding more plants to my diet was my initial goal. Creating a healthier lifestyle by eating more plant-based foods was the whole purpose of our shift. Little did we know that by omitting animal products in one aspect of our life (food) would lead to eliminating them in all facets of our life (clothing, beauty, cleaning, entertainment, etc.). Plant-based is simply defined as food products that are consumed as close to how nature intended. Examples: eating fresh strawberries on toast versus jam. Eating baked potato wedges instead of commercially processed tater puffs. Eating dates or dates filled with fresh ground peanut butter instead of a commercially prepared date granola bar. Plant-based isn’t some vague notion; it is taking us back to pre-processed, pre-commercial foods. Basically what our great-grandparents ate. #eatmoreplants please – your body will thank you!
Quiet.
I used to be the turn the TV on when I got up and leave it on all day and turn it off at night girl. Now I appreciate the quiet. The sound of the breeze blowing through the open windows. The cheerful chirping sound of the birds nesting in the bushes. The pitter-patter of curious cats exploring our home. It isn’t the silence I hear, it’s love, nature, life, the world that share the quiet with me.
Routine.
I have been writing in a journal for a few minutes every morning and night. One of the things I appreciate and am grateful for are my routines. I love waking up a little early and enjoying some coffee with a cat on my lap. I like my weekly grocery store routine with John. These simple routines are a part of who I am right now, and they are activities I look forward to.
Sparkle.
From the water I drink to my personality I want it to sparkle. I strive to be the energy in a room that people want to be around.
Travel
Earlier I shared lifestyle as a way to describe me today. Travel is part of the lifestyle I am creating. I love my house because it requires little outdoor maintenance, which means weekends free! I love blogging because I can do it from anywhere. Planes, trains, and automobiles are friendly places for me. Hopping in the car and heading North, South, East or West and only having a slight idea where to you’ll end up excites me. I envision suitcases and road trips as key components in the lifestyle I am creating.
Understand.
This is a tough one. I flip-flop back and forth between understanding other people and not understanding them. Pre-vegan, I had the same thoughts as them. In fact, I would have dismissed the idea of adopting a vegan lifestyle if John had not have been so consistent in showing me videos and sharing articles. One of the hardest parts of this way of life isn’t not eating animal products; it is being able to show understanding when people give you excuses for why they “can’t go vegan.” Being understanding and able to understand is a characteristic I work on every day.
Vegan.
I could write a whole post about how adopting a vegan lifestyle has changed my life, but if you’ve read any of my posts, you know my passion for it. From how I feel physically to how I feel emotionally, living vegan is a joy and pleasure.
Wheels.
Wheels – circles, they never end. Infinite. I wanted to be sure I included cycling, but I used B and C for other words to describe me. Cycling is a new hobby but is quickly turning into an exercise passion. I look forward to the weekends so John and I can hop in the car and head to the trail and ride. The breeze through my helmet/hair and the constant source of Vitamin D and nature are unmatchable. This new hobby is sure to evolve as we get used to sitting in the saddle and exploring new trails.
Xenagogue
I had to search unique X words – it is part of my love of the English language. I found Xenagogue, which means tour guide. VegInspired was created to educate, inspired, and impact lives. Therefore, I see myself as a vegan lifestyle tour guide. Right? Is that a stretch? Perhaps, but to be honest, I am okay with it. Stretching isn’t all bad and creativity is cool.
Youth.
Youthful. Many people say, “you are only as old as you feel.” I don’t feel old. Vibrant, sparkling, youthful – that is how I feel. Perhaps that is why I run, jump, do cartwheels, and don’t let my age hold me back, or why I think I can handle keeping up with our 20 something cousins at the beer tent (sometimes my age reveals itself the next morning). While I may not be able to keep up at the beer tent anymore, I can certainly appreciate my youthful vibe and how I feel the rest of the time.
Zest.
It’s practically fate that right after youthful comes Zest! From Sparkle to Zest I live my life everyday. The me today will have no regrets, no “I wish I had done XYZ!” I hope that my raw reality of these ABCs of me – today has demonstrated my zest for life, my kindness and compassion for others, and my passion for educating and inspiring. A zest for life makes it more interesting.
XO,
Kathy
**If you feel inspired to share your ABCs, please shoot me a message or comment below. I would love to read about you.