The Selfish and Selfless Reasons Why I Decided to Stop Eating Meat

Some of us don't think about what we are eating, and simply go through our daily lives without paying any attention. Some of us perhaps pay too much attention. One thing I'm sure about is that all of us start our life not thinking about what we put in our bodies. We take what is given to us by our parents or caregivers. Eventually we learn, not only through reading but listening and paying attention to the way our own body reacts to certain things. It has been almost one year since I stopped eating meat and here are the two main reasons why I do not eat meat.

4 Books For a Better Person

There are so many books out there that we can read to help us become a better person. I think most of us are always trying to better ourselves—internally.  We want to learn how to get rid of that hate, we want to heal from that trauma, we want to live joyfully, we want to be more compassionate and loving to ourselves and others. I think that is the best thing we can do in order for us to move forward. It really all starts with ourselves.

To be a better mother (or father) we must take care of ourselves. Nourish ourselves mentally and physically so that we can be better equipped to help our children. Help them deal with whatever emotional thing they are dealing with, and by modeling love and compassion towards others.

This is the same as a being a teacher. I remember one of the classes I took emphasized taking care of ourselves as teachers so that we can be suited to care for our students (meditation was one of the practices that was recommended). Being a preschool teacher can be very taxing, especially on our mental being, as we could have a troubled student that needs a lot of love, and/or a lot of attention, in addition to having to be there for the rest of the students. 

We must learn how to care for ourselves in order to be able to care for others. 

So, if we need to take care of ourselves first of all (both as parents and as teacher), then to be a better friend, or a better person and a better human being of this world, why shouldn’t we need to take care of ourselves first?

A Reasons To Smile

Smiling when you aren't feeling well is difficult. Most of us are pretty good at hiding our feelings and emotions even when we are feeling down. 

You might fool someone when you talk to them. You nod while you listen to them talk about their day. You answer some questions or input a thought in between the breaks. You grin, showing your beautiful teeth, and produce lines at the corner of your eyes. If we don't know how to read you because either a) we don't know how to read anyone, or b) don't know you enough to be able to read you, then we might miss how you are truly feeling. We might miss the unsettledness in your eyes, and the distress in the depths of them. 

Image by Giulia Marotta from Pixabay 

You might be the other person. The one that talks and asks questions, and perhaps smiles. You might not know this but sometimes that is what we need. You might be someone who can read us and know the questions to ask. You smile at us and lightly touch our arm. When you do we'll feel the warmth of that touch, and then perhaps be able to smile; a genuine smile from a genuine caring touch. 

Perhaps you walk by a stranger, a stranger with somber eyes. You smile and say hello. You might not know this but sometimes that is what someone needs. A friendly hello. Why? That stranger could be feeling lonely, or has been let down by someone. What if you go above that smile and compliment them? "I like your shoes" or "that shade of orange looks great with your skin tone." It might seem superficial, but perhaps the stranger has been lacking confidence and need a tiny boost to their self-esteem, at least for that moment. 

Smile. We all need more of it.
We need to give a compassionate smile as much as we need to receive it.
It's a small thing we can do.

Have you smiled at anyone today?

You Are Not Alone

The mornings from last week were lit up with an orange glow. It was as if someone decided to turn off the sunlight and instead replaced it with a light bulb. It felt artificial. 

Also, the whole street and cars were covered in white specks. It must have snowed ash while we were all asleep. They probably fell gently and lightly. But instead of them being cool and evaporating into the air, they’re warm and dusty. 

Now, this whole week we wake up and step out of our home to the slight smell of burn, and the air a smoky haze.  

How Reading Develops Empathy

 “So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.” 

-Roald Dahl

Image by Pexels from Pixabay 

As a young girl I was constantly reading whatever I could. I learned to read English when I was nine. My mom would go to night school and bring back her Side-by-Side Workbooks, I'd open them and devour each word I learned. I was excited every time she came back with a new workbook, and would right away sprawl out on the floor to explore it. I was not a great reader, in fact I was slow and by 9^th grade I was reading at a 5^th grade level. However, I loved stories, and still do.