Saturday, June 28, 2008

every little bit counts

I read something on a vegan blog a couple of days ago, and it has really been bothering me. It’s not something new – it’s a rather common sentiment among vegans. But it’s a part of why I almost *didn’t* become a vegan. And, at the possible expense of alienating myself from the very people that share my lifestyle, I’d like to share my feelings about this.

This particular author was commenting on people who say they are vegan except when they eat out, or when they are on vacation, etc., and how he felt that this was a bit of a cop-out. He, and other vegan writers, have said that “if you can be vegan some of the time, you can be vegan all of the time”. Sure, it’s not always convenient, but just suck it up, and do what you have to.

I have a problem with this – not with the idea of being vegan “all of the time”, but the idea that it’s “all or nothing”. This somehow implies that anyone who does “a little” is wasting their time, or isn’t good enough, or isn’t worthy.

My feeling is that every little bit counts. And I’m not just talking about being a vegan. In fact, that’s my whole point. There will always be people that do more than us, or do it better than us – doctors who save lives, teachers that inspire the children who are our future, every-day heroes that change the world.

And then there are the rest of us.

Maybe you adopted a cat or dog. Maybe you dropped some coins in the bucket for a charity. Maybe you sent someone a “Get Well” card. Maybe you were there when a family member needed you. Maybe you paid a friend a compliment. Or maybe you just gave a total stranger a smile today. A smile can work miracles. Who knows – maybe that smile was just the encouragement that person needed, to do something incredible that would change the course of history. Or maybe it just made someone feel good - a truly worthy goal, in itself.

I sometimes hold back from trying new things, because I feel like I'm not good enough, or I have nothing new to offer. Or, sometimes I know that I can't embrace something completely, and perhaps "a little bit" isn't enough, so why bother? I'm trying not to do that any more.

No one is perfect. Life shouldn't be an "all or nothing" venture. Every little bit counts.

Have you given someone a smile today? :-)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Kitty..i know what you man about not doing something b/c you don't think you can do it good enough, etc. I was like that with scrapping, but i gave it a try (and we all know what happened there! LOL)...but i am also like that with exercise too...i convince myself there's no way i can do it to the level i need to in order to burn serious calories. I dunno...Sometimes i think people set themselves up for failure- i know i do...love yah, Shrimp

rcprncss said...

Hi Kitty! This entry really inspired me...you are right, every little bit helps! I will have to tell you more about the book i am reading. The chapter I am on is about being a vegeterian. This is something to think about.