Looking back on yesterday, everything went well, thanks to the VeggieWorld team! However, I couldn’t film my lecture, I forgot my camcorder in the car at the last moment. I was late, I will anticipate the next time better…
This day has been extremely intense for me, physically, psychologically and emotionally. When I got home I cried for half an hour. Suddenly I started to think about the animal condition and I went completely nuts in my head, I felt all the misfortunes in the world and I felt immensely helpless, overwhelmed.
Last year, in January 2017, was the first time I was at VeggieWorld in Lyon. I was seated at a table next to the conference room. I looked at this 200-seat room, this room that seemed huge to me and I told myself that I could never put myself in the shoes of the people who hold the microphone, I will never be able to speak in front of so many people. I had been vegan for 3 months, I knew almost nothing about veganism.
Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Stop setting yourself limits, stop believing yourself to be powerless, you will never know if something is impossible until you try.
Yesterday, I was seeing myself from the outside when I was doing my presentation, and I was laughing to myself as I heard myself yell on some sentences, search for my words on others.
The one who shares my life told me after the people behind her were talking about vitamins, that I better take them to have better speech.
What about me? I was laughing in my head, I didn’t care so much what people think of me. I could have left the conference right in the middle, smiled and left everything in the air. I didn’t care so much about the judgment. I was happy, euphoric, transcendent because I knew I was taking another step that would make me grow.
I put on the shelves, I sold slices of ham. Back then it was different, I didn’t realize what was behind the tray.
Ease will get you nowhere. Living off your passion is a goal for me. This is where I can start working on side projects that I am passionate about, while being psychologically free, and that is what is most important to me. Life is short and how you make a living is a big choice in your mental health.
This day was truly defining in my life. I went through all the emotions. I am writing this article the next day, and I feel deep inside that this is the start of something new.
I haven’t spoken about you yet because I wanted to pass this message on to you: before seeking to give happiness to others, you have to find out how to be happy yourself. More than ever, “You have to be the change you want to see in this world”. Thanks to all of you.
Go beyond yourself. Try. In sport, on the plate, in everyday life. Do you want to know something? Going vegan is the easiest thing I have ever done in my life. Finding out the truth has been and still is the most complex thing to deal with psychologically in my life.
