How To Properly Be a Happy Vegan/Vegetarian/Animal Lover/All of the Above

Okay - so this week has been a long one! TGIF, people! TGIF... 

I may or may have not shared this with you all, but last month, I started two jobs. One is working on a west coast cage-free egg campaign in Southern Cali, and the other is a foie gras campaign in Los Angeles. So, I guess it could be said that I, Lindsay, am working full-time as an animal advocate. It's a crazy idea to behold, simply because I never thought it would be real - I always thought that making a living helping animals would be a pipe dream for me. And pursuing the acting thing always kept me from properly giving this animal activist thing the old college try - until now.  

How Jumper and I feel when five o'clock rolls around...
This week was a reckoning of sorts - I realized that if I really wanted to try out being an animal advocate, I would need to jump in with both feet. Which means committing fully to taking a year to really do this work with all of me. And I have. The result of all this? I am one tired blogger...

Oftentimes in this work, whether one is volunteering their time to help animals or being paid to, the feeling of exhaustion and stress can easily creep in, and for good reason too: being an animal activist of any kind is tough work. Most of the time, the work we do does not always directly benefit animals in the short term, and coming to that realization can be quite humbling. This does not mean that being an activist is a thankless job, because no matter what you are doing to help animals, be it blogging, working at a sanctuary, or interning at an animal protection organization, you are still doing an immense amount of good and promoting compassion.  

Since I work mostly from home, finding ways at the end of the day to close my Excel files and Word documents and shut down the computer can a challenge, and one that I am finding to be even harder when I'm having to balance my blog and social time online with my job. What's a vegan lady to do?

Well, first of all, take a coffee break (or a decaf tea break - whatever your preference). Second, breathe. Third, giggle.

Yes, I said giggle. Because what would life be without the giggles? How would we possibly be able to do this fulfilling, yet taxing, work if we didn't laugh at ourselves and at life from time to time? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be able to do it. I need the giggles. 

That's why I've devised a lovely little list of ways to have fun, laugh, be silly, and celebrate your veganism - and you don't have to be 100% vegan to use this list. Feel free to take this apart and use it at your leisure. Trust me, having the fun stuff included in your week will make the work stuff even better, whether you're an animal advocate, a full-time mom, or a college student who loves animals and wants to help.
 
Okay, here it is: 

"Lindsay's Top Ten List of How To Properly Be a Happy Vegan/Vegetarian/Animal Lover/All of the Above"

1. Create your own "Reasons to Smile."

This can be like my RTS lists, or you can create your own version! RTS lists, like gratitude lists, are designed to remind us why we can smile while doing this important work, and I've found that they are an effective and refreshing way to keep my day positive.

2. Make a vegan birthday cake for yourself or someone you love (for recipe inspiration, go here), complete with sprinkles and candles. Make a wish together (or by yourself - who cares?!), blow out the candles, and enjoy that cake for all it's worth. 

Note: it does not have to be your birthday to enjoy this step.

3. Visit a farmed animal sanctuary and cuddle with the cute critters until the cows come home. Oh wait, they already are home. Awesome.

Need ideas? Check this list for more info.

4. Have a vegan celebrity movie night.

Here's a list of awesome vegan celebrities to get you started:

Ginnifer Goodwin
Joaquin Pheonix 
Natalie Portman
Alicia Silverstone
Casey Affleck
Woody Harrelson
Tobey Maguire
 
5. Have a tickle fight, pillow fight, staring contest, or whatever kind of silly competition you can dream up with a fellow veggie friend. Keep score. Have vegan ice cream be your prize and let the best veggie win!

6. Watch vegan comedian Myq Kaplan online here. 

7. Make vegan pancakes in the shape of plant-eating brontosauruses. If you're like me, you will probably fail miserably. But you WILL laugh.

8. Look at cute pictures of rescued farmed animals online, like these:



   
9. Write a poem from the perspective of a cow in a farm sanctuary.  

Here's my contribution:

"Comfy, Healthy, Happy, and Home"
by Lindsay at Kiss Me I'm Vegan!

 
There are cows everywhere and my family is here 
I'm comfy
There's sunshine, sky, fresh air and grass 
I'm healthy 
There are people who cuddle me, feed me, and hug me
I'm happy.
I love and I'm loved, I'm free and at peace  

 I'm home.

10. If all else fails, say "vegan baby buggy bumpers" ten times fast until you laugh. Repeat as many times as needed to get a smile on that face of yours.

If none of this works, contact me, and I'll tell you the whale joke. That should do the trick.

Comments

dirtyduck said…
wow full time animal advocate!!! i get what you mean about not seeing results right away, glad you are still optimistic, way to go!
Unknown said…
vegan baby buggy bumpers, vegan baby buggy bumpers, vegan baby buggy bumpers - infinity!!!

LOL :-))

I just really needed to read this right at this very moment.
Lindsay Wolf said…
So glad you enjoyed Jeri! You always inspire me with your posts, so it's nice to give the gift back a little! :)
Molly G said…
Your optimism is astounding. You are doing amazing things for animals. Keep up the good work!!
Sava said…
Pictures of happy piggies always get me smiling.

They're sooo cute ;_;
dirtyduck said…
ps, i LOVED that duck picture, right up my alley! i would like to hear/read more about the foi gras(sp?) work that you are doing. is there a website to go to? im with you on caring for the farm animals, they are so abused. i hate that people dont know about the horrible treatment of "livestock"