Give a Little to Get a Lot

There are lots of different ideas about the concept of receiving when you give freely. Believers in karma think that your actions will follow you even into another life. The book The Secret explains the idea that the energy and thoughts you put out into the environment will influence what you receive in return. It also discusses “paying it forward,” which is the concept of doing a good deed for a stranger in the hope that it will come back around.

I like to think of being vegetarian as another way of giving a little to get a lot in return. When you really think about it, it isn’t as strange an idea as it may first sound.

Giving up animal products is, for many of us, a decision we make because we don’t want to contribute to the needless suffering of billions of animals every year. I formerly enjoyed the taste of meat and cheese, but like others, I gave them up anyway. Every person who makes this decision is saving up to 100 lives every year—which is truly a gift that keeps on giving!

So if we are constantly giving by making this simple but meaningful choice, what can we expect to receive in return? Obviously, knowing that we are not contributing to the needless suffering of animals is rewarding enough—but the benefits by no means end there. Here are just a few of the great gifts we get in exchange for making the move to a cruelty-free lifestyle:

• A chance at a healthier life: People who don’t eat animal products reduce their risk of many life-threatening and debilitating illnesses, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and zoonoses (infectious diseases that can pass between species), such as salmonella and listeria.

• The Earth: I know it sounds a bit clichéd, but going vegetarian really does help save our planet from environmental destruction. According to the United Nations, the meat industry is responsible for about 18 percent of the greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change. By reducing emissions, we get a healthier planet to enjoy for many years to come.

• Power: The knowledge that we do have the power as consumers to make choices that save innocent lives makes us feel stronger and more confident in ourselves.

• Hope: This comes with the knowledge that if we can make the decision to go vegetarian, there’s no reason why everyone else can’t. And the more people who choose a cruelty-free, plant-based diet, the more hope there is for every individual—both human and nonhuman.

• New experiences: These days, going vegetarian means that you don’t have to give up anything at all, with so many delicious vegetarian recipes out there.

So try giving the gift that just keeps on giving back. Go vegetarian today and find out what you’ve been missing out on!

Posted by Claire Fryer