Self focus

An obstacle to success might be self obsession. So we put some energy into things outside self interest. Maybe we do charity work, become an environmentalist or a vegetarian. But the bottom line is how much self focus there is in what we do - my development, my road to enlightenment, my happiness. It shouldn’t rest there, and perhaps that’s what veganism tries to point out. To be fully rounded, to see beyond self-improvement, we need compassion, namely the ability to ‘be with’ another’s problems, to represent another’s interests as if they were one’s own. It requires a particular type of self discipline - thinking about others before thinking about ourselves. And that, by including animals, brings us back to vegan principles.
If we decide to become a vegan we have to see it not as a restriction but a liberation – it’s not just about abstaining from eating certain foods, it’s about developing something better. Food-wise it means healthier food, ethics-wise it means compassion. The route to success is having responsibility to do the right thing and having enough energy to keep it up. With good nutrition and clear conscience we can make resolutions that we know we can keep.