People who want to make money, love addicted and/or obsessed customers. McDonald's calls them "heavy users." Do a Google search on the words: "temptation in every bite," and you will see, for example, that Garden of Eden, the NYC "gourmet" grocery store, has legally designated the phrase a registered trademark. Other corporations use similar phrases to assuage your guilt, meanwhile padding their coffers.
But, just imagine: having a life free from such manipulating forces. This is what a Spartanista Vegan seeks. We are vegans so we've already taken a huge step toward personal liberty. We've pealed away quite a few layers of the onion by now; we've decided, we can think for ourselves! We're willing to believe—and most people are in denial about this—that someone or something out there is trying to feed us a pack of lies, and we're not going to buy it.
Indeed, we've given up meat. But many of us are still encumbered with the self-inflicted wounds of cravings and addictions, which drag us down, way down.
We are here together to support one another, so we can cast off those demons. Ultimately, we seek a Zen state of un-need. And here at the Spartanista Vegans blog we are ultimately here to come together, one by one, to achieve that goal.
For starters, each of us needs to ask: what are our encumbrances? They may have been fostered by corporate (commercial) forces, but in the end it is up to each one of us to shed the power of those forces. For each Spartanista Vegan the answer is different. Are bready, fatty, salty, sugary, savory, caffeinated drinks and foods a problem? Are we in love with our collections (books, shoes, beer glasses)? Do we gain comfort from our archives (papers, CDs, greeting cards)? Are we literally dependent on addictive drink, drugs, sex, or gambling? What about the guy who was addicted to Red Cross rescue missions. He volunteered regularly to be flown from one to the next, essentially completely abandoning his family responsibilities. Some obsessions appear to be good ones but are just manifestations of a workaholic. In any case all addictions, cravings, and obsessions are "crutches" that harmful though they may give us momentary comfort. But each drags us down and keeps us from the job at hand: to discover a new strategy for transforming ourselves so we can transform the world for the better.
Let me say it again: the people who want to take us for all we've got love us to have us debilitated by our cravings and addictions.
Intellectually, each of us knows what is most important. A clear mind and a healthy body. So, first things first. Clean up your own mess (your cluttered, flabby, undisciplined self) before telling the world what it needs to do.
Assignment: Each Spartanista Vegan must today make a list of what he or she must do to free up. What are your addictions? Oh, yes, be honest. The first step is acknowledgment.
Spartanista Vegans: Simplicity, then strength, then power, then control.
