This post is a contribution as part of Heart-to-Heart’s #VeganWednesday challenge, asking internet friends to share what being a vegan means to them. In my second contribution, I’m happy to share the purpose I find through my vegan lifestyle. Perhaps you feel similarly? I’d love to hear your own thoughts and reactions in the comments below!

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Last week, I submitted a short entry to the #VeganWednesday competition explaining what veganism means to me. You can read my submission here.

Today, I want to explain the sense of purpose that veganism awards me. Because of the value and impact I've experienced and observed since becoming vegan, I feel compelled to spread a vegan message with those around me. To put it simply, I feel a great sense of purpose to (1) be a voice for the voiceless animals who are the victims of meat and dairy, (2) explain what veganism is and why it's important, and (3) help others in their transition to veganism.

If Animals Could Talk

If animals could talk, we wouldn't eat them or their bodily secretions. We just wouldn't do that as a society. Maybe a few whack-jobs out there would try, but I do believe that most people would feel a strong sense of kinship and empathy toward animals if we knew how much they suffered.

Sadly, what people know about meat and dairy production and about the sentience of animals, is quite limited and often influenced by propaganda produced by those industries. We are led to believe that we get meat from "humane" sources, cheese from "happy" cows, or eggs and honey as gifts from nature that don't require animal exploitation or abuse. (Spoiler alert: that's all an elaborate lie told to keep people eating animals.)

If animals could talk, we'd know they feel strong bonds with their family and animals around them.

If animals could talk, we'd know they suffer and feel fear, agony, and happiness just as strongly as we do.

If animals could talk, we'd know that they want to live, and aren't just mindless creatures roaming the Earth for our pleasure and use.

But animals can't talk using human language. So they need human allies to speak up for them, and to share the sadness and suffering they endure at the hands of humans. I feel a responsibility to do that—and at the same time I feel a struggle to do so gently enough to help others hear the message, but boldly enough to provoke action.

Explaining Veganism

A lot of people don't actually understand what veganism is or why someone would live a vegan lifestyle. Hence, vegans are often bombarded with questions (and usually at the most inopportune times!). "Why don't you drink milk?" "What's wrong with eggs; aren't the chickens laying them anyway?" "What do you eat?"

Indeed, to the masses, veganism is a mystical and unfamiliar life. Since so few people understand the ins and outs, veganism is often perceived as "extreme" or "cult-like."

It's also baffling to some when they believe people go vegan solely for their health, but then eat Beyond Meat and Chao cheezburgers!

So I find it's important for me to explain that...

• Veganism is a way of life (not a diet).
• The reasons for going vegan are many (the animals, the planet, social well-being, economic sustainability, personal health, and so on).
• Vegans eat a lot of the same foods that non-vegans eat, and can find cruelty-free alternatives to most things they used in the past—so it's not limiting or extreme.
• Ending oppression toward animals goes hand-in-hand with ending oppression across the board (i.e., we don't only care about animals).
• There is actual science behind things like animal sentience, nutrition, environmental degradation, etc. I try to use facts to make the case.

Essentially, if there's something that can in any way be related to veganism, I try to unpack it and break it down easily so everyone can understand.

How To Vegan

As I unpack things about veganism, I use those opportunities to help people transition to veganism, or keep living a vegan lifestyle that's happy, healthy, and rewarding. I use my website, Crunchy Vegan, to provide resources, commentary, and insight into veganism. I'm happy to know that many non-vegans follow my site.

My friends and family are always asking for recipes and cooking advice, for shopping resources, for explanations of various vegan values, and health guidance. So I've used my site to provide downloadable content and information that (I hope) appeals to a broad audience—from high school students to grandparents, male or female, health-oriented or junk food vegans alike, and so on.

I might not be able to walk everyone through it while holding their hand, but I hope to provide enough guidance to get them started and keep them motivated.

The Reward

A benefit of approaching my life in this way—with a goal of helping others see the value of and commit to veganism—is that I'm compelled to live by example. As I have friends and family observing my vegan lifestyle, I am encouraged to be healthier, fitter, and happier. I'm not under pressure, though; it's not like that, like I'm forced to be perfect. Rather, I just want to live my best life, and show others how I'm doing it. And because of that, I now feel as though I am living my best life.

All thanks to veganism.

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Until next time, be sure to follow me! And find me on my website, Crunchy Vegan, and on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube (just to name a few places!).

[Note: The photos in this post were Creative Commons downloads, and are not original.]