Light Within Us All

What is resistance ? What is blind belief ?  What is competitiveness ? What are these words that we throw around ? What do they all mean ? Do they have a purpose and a significance in our lives that perhaps we do not see or yet know ? Yes. Do they have a place and feed into and kill the light within us and we do not even know it ? Yes. Is the idea of your friend being offered the opportunity of a lifetime with large sums of money a reason to be jealous of them ? No but some will and some will feel a touch of jealousy.

Resistance is something that sparks a decided desire to make changes in a world that you may see as being slightly off  kilter. Resistance could be as small as not shopping at the huge store and walking a little further to go get your food somewhere else. It could be finally taking a step in the direction you want to see the world going in. It is finally waking up and saying wait a minute, Why am I doing this ? Why do I wake up at the same time every day and do the same thing and ignore the things right in front of me ? Why do I accept this collusion of these massive companies as they erode the very foundation I believe in ? So many questions, yet I could literally write paragraphs of them. I could fill books with all of the questions I have gathered over the years. Even now I add more.

So you wake up and walk into another room and begin your daily ritual. You open the bag of or jar of or bottle of whatever you consider food to be and consume it. You most likely did not read the label. Most likely you do not know where the bottle came from or how many lives were invested in making it. How many lives helped to create this item for you. How many people slaved so that you could have this. You eat your food, have your smoothie, drink your coffee or tea or water. Then you move onto the next part of your day. Work, making money, making a future, making the lives of your family or yourself better. You do this to the extent that they have some sort of food on their plate and light to see by and warmth or a fan to heat or cool themselves. They have some clothing and toys to play with. You as an adult have your own toys to play with that you enjoy.Did it come from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, Russia, Mexico or some country you have not heard of. On the map if it was laid out for you to see where I wonder would these countries be. Could the average person show on a map the country where their item came from, many suprisingly could not. Can the people that produced these items for you and your family or friends feed their children healthy food and go to sleep in a semblance of a soft bed. Do they awaken and smile at their mother and know she is doing her best for them, yes I know this to be true. All over this world are mothers kissing their
sons soft cheeks before giving their food and off to..school or work. There are daughters deciding to stay home to work and help their family because some other wealthy corporation came to take what was not theirs and leave people with little to nothing. Leaving them barren and their original motherland was now stripped bare, so they go to the cities. Will the earth replenish herself in time, yes she will. But she needs to be left alone to do so. A little help would be appreciated I am
certain.

The decisions we make as a people do not just affect us and our country. They touch every nation at some point. They leave their ripples sometimes to be felt for centuries. There is a cost for everything. The despoiling of the land is something I have witnessed firsthand and through the news on the internet. Blind belief is in essence the giving up of your questioning mind. It is the allowance of submission to someone who says that they are knowledgeable. That they know this is right for you.

Most people I see are much too complacent to stand up and state what they feel. They have lost that spark. They have given it to the corporations, the institutions, the pharmaceutical industries, the politicians, the educational behemoths. They think that these things will protect, nurture, enhance, breathe life into their dreams, hopes and families. This is passivity at it's finest. Assumption at it's most obvious. Blind acceptance at the core. You turn away to get on with your life and question very little. You do what you are told and move forward into whatever future these places have in mind for you. Your children learn from you. You know this and you think you are doing the right thing.

Competitiveness is something that can be both good or bad depending on the function and the situation in which it is employed. It can lead to great thinkers and wondrous achievements. It can also lead to anger towards someone you love, who you perceive to be doing better than you. It is that itch on the palms of your hands wanting to do something, anything to get where they are. Will people do almost anything to get it, yes of course there is no end to what people will do. Can they
understand that it is something implanted into us now by the corporations to instill fear, wanting, desperation and desire. For things, things that have no sense of touch and compassion. Things that fill your house and look pretty. But do they nourish you at your core, can they hold you and talk to you, no. They give only a reflection of something shiny to catch the eye. When at the end of the day they really are meaningless things. Whether you bought it to make your son or daughter happy
for a moment. Whether you competed to make your partner proud of you, to see that look in their eye. Most of the time I see people with their heads down in their palms pressing buttons. They are blinded in so many ways.

Resistance is something that can be positive and can change things for the better. Listen to positive words and sometimes stop moving all together. Just stop and breathe. Listen to your breath and give yourself just a moment in time. There is so much joy in this world if you look around a moment. Can you see it now as it winds around you. The energy is right there and all you have to do is open yourself to it. Resist in  ways that help others. Resist by reading the labels and where things
come from. Try to wrap your mind around where things come from and imagine how many people had a stake in what you consume. Think about what you are doing and save up and buy things made in the country you live in. Because in the end when you consume cheap things that cost laborious hours to produce while stripping precious metals from the earth, you are not helping the people that made it to get jobs. You take their homes and communities from them. You are better than this ! You know it and so do I. Within you is the greatest and most complex system imagined really within the confines of a human body and human potential ! Resist in small ways. You do not need as much food as you think to be healthy. Eat less but more nutrient rich foods. Think before you spend any money. Look at what you are contributing to. I do not speak from an ivory tower. I make little money as it is and yet my partner and I do this. You can do so much more than you think. You can help so many people in a passive way to have better lives. You have this power inside of you ! The light resides within yourself.

Blind belief is something that can be changed also. Remove the blinders from accepting things as they are. Take control and power over your life and your education. Question everything ! There is no better way to lead the way for your children to follow. I know money is tight. I know that things are difficult. But let us think and consider this. Most people have time to spend on facebook or playing a game. I hear but I do not have any time. Yes, you do. You just need to be more aware of it
all. If you have time for a movie then why not start making some bread for yourself. Mix it up and set it to rise and walk away and watch the movie. Set a timer and make your bread. Then when it goes off pause the movie and knead the dough and put it into he tins and then preheat the oven and bake your bread and go back to your movie. Small interruptions yes..but worth it. You just made your own bread and you will know the difference. Anything is possible to achieve if you think of what time you are spending. Do not allow these corporations the power to make you think that you cannot complete things on your own without their help. You can.

Competitiveness is another thing that can lead to better things. It all depends on how it is used. Can you use it to better your life and the whole world as a community, yes ! yes ! yes ! You are a part of a whole breathing beautiful thing that grows and lives and pulses with energy. Things are much more simple than they seem. You are right now, in this moment and then it will pass and another will come. Every single day is a chance to make a difference a change however small it may seem. Every day is a chance to connect with people and tell them that you love them. What they mean to you. If you can go see them. If you cannot then go write to them. Whatever it takes do what you need to do. All will happen as it is supposed to. Stop being so stressed out. Stop caring if you have the latest product, labeled fashion, the best new chip flavor and so on. Those things mean nothing when compared to a smile from your child. When it is compared to taking a walk and maybe planting a tree and teaching your child things about where oxygen and wood comes from and why and how. You may learn things you did not know in the process. Connect with your children and let them know that you love them through words and deeds and not things. They do not need things. They need you. They need love and attention and books and walks and understanding.

There is no past in your life that can make any difference now. There is not future that you can really change. But there is the now and that matters. Live in the now. Teach your children by example you are their god in many respects. Remember the light in good music and turn your back on anger and hateful messages. There is no need to be so undressed and angry and full of disturbing images. Some artists bring the light even if they are no longer with us. Look to the light and be of the light. Learn compassionate will and loving responses. Read a little more and in time you will find most of these questions will no longer plague you. Consider others when you make a choice and you will find the true spirit that resides within you.

My Journey To Veganism

Gentle persuasion is something I try very hard to stick to. It is something I desire to hold onto and keep it close to me as I wander through life seeing things that make me cringe. I will tell you that i am quite passionate about things I see as unfair or hurtful. I like to think of myself as the superwoman in a special suit that can come to the aid of those that I see suffering needlessly. Someone to put up a gentle but firm arm in between those things I see as being the cause of harm and those about to be harmed.

One of those things that I believe in firmly is being vegan. Yes I know I am sure there are some people that have had bad experiences with vegans. But know that I try to offer people the opportunity to experience what the food is like. I try my best to reinforce the experience with something positive. Am I perfect? No. Have I offended people? I am pretty sure I did with the vehemence in my voice and cause. Even though my voice remained calm at the time. I do have strong feelings.

I began in January as a vegetarian. We consumed Milk and Eggs and Cheese and Butter and yogurt and anything but the flesh of animals. I thought things were going along rather well. But my boyfriend Alexi made his feelings known to me. I respect his feelings above almost anyones and so I listened to him. I said well I cannot just go vegan like that *Imagine a finger snapping in the air* Yet he really believed in this and while I was not ready for it, I went ahead with it. I walked and most likely stomped up to my neighbors flat and knocked on his door. I tried with a calm voice to explain to him that we had some food for him. Was I happy in this moment? Not even close. But he came down and I methodically went through everything to see what we could have and by the time I was finished my neighbor had several bags of food.

The whole time I sat in my chair with an occasional glare at Alexi. I was not a happy camper but I remained silent. Our neighbor who is a lovely man left with the food and I had a calm talk with Alexi. See I cannot take yelling or being yelled at. It hurts me.So I told him that I was not happy and what would we be eating? I think a typical question for anyone that wonders what vegans eat. I felt lost to be truthful. So I told him if we are going to be vegan I had to have some things that did not change.

1. Hot Tea or coffee with cream in it.

2. Toast with butter.

Honestly those were big deals for me. He duly wrote down on a list the things that I needed and then put his notebook away. I took care of him and he held me that night as I think I still grumbled a bit. When we woke up I made him what I could. See I have always had quite a bit of pride in my cooking skills. I grew up in a house where my mother shooed me out of the kitchen and did not teach me anything. So here I was basically starting over. I was just lost..so throughout that day I did some research on the internet and later that night when Alexi came home he brought home soy milk and hemp milk and some dairy free butter spread and bread and fruits and tomatoes. The next morning he made breakfast. I was handed tea that tasted exactly the same as I remembered. He had purchased also single cream soy milk. The toast was a bit lighter than I was used to but I ate it slowly trying to get used to the taste.

He left for work and I tried my hand at my first vegan recipe and I found out that it was delicious. Here I was slowly over time working with ingredients I had never even heard of. Some i recognized but had never had before. So I had tofu, tahini, all these new herbs I had never head of.



The first thing I did was walked into the kitchen and grabbed a scone mix. I checked to make sure I could use it and jumped up for joy when I found that I could. I got the cocoa powder and some dried apricots and some ginger pieces and some almonds and some California seedless raisins. I mixed in some apple juice instead of the egg and then the required water and made my first vegan dish. I checked on the oven scared they might burn and they didn't. I was being a bit silly. When I took them out I looked at them sniffing them a bit apprehensive. Then I tried one and it was good. I would have jumped for joy if I could have. So I put them in a bowl in the microwave and waited until Alexi got home.

Now every night I run him a bath and make him a cup of tea and set up a candle and some incense and sometimes I make a dessert. I spoil him but he works so incredibly hard. He deserves it and I would do anything for him. Making him smile is a joy I look forward to. He loved them ! That made me so happy. This being the first recipe I did not write it down. But I fixed this from now on.



 My next experiment was this one. *Points Down*



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This recipe feeds myself and then a full lunch for my boyfriend. You will need.

2-3 Large potatoes.(Any color you like)

1/2 cup of onions (I usually use frozen)

1/2 cup of bell peppers(I use frozen that I cut up myself)

1/2 cup of any other veggies you may like.I recommend tomatoes,leeks,mushrooms,carrots,peas.Usually anything you have handy.

Half a cup to a full cup of pressed tofu pieces. You can usually find them in your dairy section and sometimes in the frozen section.

1 Heaping tablespoon of turmeric

Enough fresh ginger that when cut up fills your palm heaping.

Two garlic cloves

Salt and pepper to taste.



Now I usually begin by cutting up my potatoes into cubes and wait until the water in the pot is almost boiling. You can check them by pulling one out and testing it. You only want them about halfway cooked no more. Then on the other burner you put in some hemp,olive,sunflower oil...whichever you prefer. Enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Then put a lid over it and cut up your ginger and garlic. Once you have that you put it into the hot oil with the onions and peppers and whatever other vegetable you picked out. Cover on high for about five minutes then turn it down to medium low or setting 3 on your hob.



Then stir it and watch it cooking.Make sure it does not burn. Then stir in the turmeric salt and pepper. Cook until slightly all dente. Or a little more if that is what you like. Put it on a separate plate.



The potatoes once they are halfway done drain them and set aside. Then put a little more oil in the pan and once hot on high again toss in the potatoes and cook until crispy and golden.



At this point your potatoes will look exactly how you like them. Then toss in the tofu and the vegetables you just cooked. Mix well. Serve hot with a cut up tomato on the side or some greens etc.



This is my favorite dish right now. I hope you like it !

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Well once I made this I was hooked. It was more of an experiment in the kitchen after this. Since then I have learned of the practices in the animal industry and have felt so sad. There is a difference since I learned all of this. When I go shopping and I see people and their carts full of meat and cheese and eggs and milk.. I know that they are doing themselves a disservice.  Once you know the information it is impossible not to unlearn it. So you find yourself biting your tongue when you see people doing these things. When you see them not reading labels. I cringe when I see people doing there things and I have to hold back from saying anything. It is as if I have been instilled with this need to help my fellow man. I want to help them. I want them to live healthy lives and help all of these millions of animals that suffer needlessly.

My friends, bless them know how vehemently I feel about all of this. They know and they listen to me patiently. Some of them are trying to make changes and I feel good. But at night when Alexi is home I ask him. Am I doing the right thing when I tell them?  Do you think they resent me? Do you think they wish I would just shut up so they could go on with their lives and not think about these things?  Do they understand that I really sincerely care about them and I want them to live as long as possible and be healthy? Do they know that all this pain I am living in only strengthens my will to try and give other people a better life?  I am not pompous, nor a know it all. I am always learning more. Every day.

Some people I think just listen and move on in their life. If I manage to plant a seed in one friend and help them then good. I do not watch animal cruelty videos because it is fun for me. I do not watch it because it makes me feel good. But it is knowledge. It is a perspective. It cannot and should not be ignored. So I share these things with my friends and I hope one day that people will stop.

I hope for a world where there is no more animal product consumption.

This is a list of animal products. When you read all the things they make out of animals you may feel sick. You may recognize some of these ingredients as items that are in your own products. Products that you might use every day. 

http://www.peta2.com/STUFF/s-AnimalIngredientsList.asp

Now PETA is a good source of information. But I am not some enormous blind follower of them. Every group has it's issues. I am not trying to pass judgment.

Now are there some people on this planet that cannot be vegan? Yes I think so. Some of the tribes that live up towards the Arctic circle are limited on the things they can eat. So would i force them onto a vegan diet? No of course not. For the man who live in a rural part of the world that cannot afford to feed his family and is getting no help. Say he goes out and shoots some rabbits to feed his children. Am I going to go down there and preach to him about how wrong he is? No of course not. There are exceptions to almost any thing in this world really.

Some of the biggest arguments that I hear is this.

1. Being vegan is expensive - No actually if you think about it buying a bag of chickpeas some bulk herbs and some oil combined with some rice, potatoes or pasta and bags of frozen veggies are actually much cheaper than meat cheese eggs and milk.

2. Being vegan is hard - No not really. It is a change. That is the hard part. Adapting is the eventuality if you are determined. IF you need help then I do have a vegan beginners group on facebook. Here is the link  http://www.facebook.com/groups/310251979023374/  You can ask me to join and I am happy to offer you help.

3.But meat tastes so good - no not really. It is a texture you have grown used to. Most people do not just put meat in a pan and cook it and eat it. They cook it with spices and cover it in gravies or marinades etc. You can do the same thing with tofu and it has a large portion of protein in it. If you have any doubts. Watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNCGkprGW_o  They name Americans quite a bit but this is also true for people in any modern industrialized country.

http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/fruits-of-hot-climes/fast-food-facts-effects-and-health-risks-of-a-junk-food-diet/html  Talks about the UK.

4. Animals do not feel pain. What about free range? 

Farm to Fridge - The Truth Behind Meat Production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THIODWTqx5E

Earthlings  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky4RGYva90E&feature=fvst

I am quite sorry to show you these. But the screams these sentient beings make haunt me. They stay with me. I suffer with pain every day of my life. How can I possibly justify causing millions more animals to suffer without trying to help them? I just cannot do it. If you tell me I cannot watch this because it is painful. I will tell you again. Imagine how painful it is for them. I beg you to reconsider your habits please.

                                                  Please Reconsider Your Choices..