One of my number one goals is to lead a simple life. I am
by nature quite a simple person. However, there are
always areas in one's life to simplify more in order to
create more space and time for those most important and
meaningful things of the heart. I strongly believe that
the simpler we live, the more in touch with truly living
and all of life we can be.
I cherish values that embrace our earth, and all life in
it. I eat, dress and consume animal free products
accordingly to strong vegan values. Consequently I am
very critical and careful of each of my choices in terms
of what I buy, wear, do or say. I have never smoked or
consumed any form of alcohol. I regard every penny spent
as a vote and a personal statement in society. Therefore,
I make sure to put my money where my heart is. That means
supporting businesses and people committed to
heart-rooted values. I but organic foods and I am
currently sprouting all kinds of seeds, beans and grains
to eat at home and I am learning how to grow vegetables
indoors all year long.
I have always been self-employed. This has allowed me to work from home, and in so doing, not pollute the environment by driving a car to work everyday. Working at home means that I do not need to buy take-out food and waste paper and plastic cups and plates. When I do go out to eat, I make sure to bring my own dish and cup.
I only buy clothes when the old ones are totally worn
out. I've never bought them according to the dictates of
the fashion industry.
I like to strongly draw the line, at all levels of my
existence, between what are truly essential needs and
what are just outright desires or unnecessary cravings. I
critically observe the desires and cravings, let them go
and I act upon the needs.
I cherish what makes me authentic and unique. I believe
that this is my very gift to give to others.
I love animals and I do not believe in buying pets;
however I do believe in saving animals that will end up
in Humane Societies and are going to be put down.
I make environmentally friendly choices, such as: not
using pesticides in my lawn. I use composting as a
natural fertilizer. I grow my own herbs in the summer and
whatever else I manage to grow in my garden. The rest of
the year, I consume only organic food.
I do not support big corporations or supermarkets or
organizations that support the meat and dairy industries,
or those which make use of animals or which exploit
minorities.
I try to research as much as I can what goes on behind a
label or a product. In spite of all this research, many
times, I end up finding shocking facts about companies
and this brings me to make new choices and stay away from
such companies.
I am and look very healthy. I've been practicing yoga
everyday for the past 12 years of my life, as well as
walking by the lake (I've always managed to live near
water!) every morning and recharging myself with these
peaceful natural surroundings.
I also organize women's hikes on weekends. I create the
opportunity for women to be able to go to natural trails
away from the city and I provide a vegan lunch in an
attempt to make a little difference. In this way, I get
to offer people with a totally different lifestyle, a
taste of having a joyful, healthy yet relaxing day. This
might have a little or hopefully strong influence on some
people, towards taking interest in following a vegetarian
diet and taking steps towards reconnecting themselves to
nature and our Mother Earth.
In addition, I consider my house to be like little
'museum of recyclables'. Most of the furniture and
ornaments I have come from nature or from things that
I've found in the streets. Things which people have
thrown away, way before their time. I clean them, and
creatively use them, for years to come. Through the years
I have decorated all my house in this way. I also have a
'plant hospital' consisting of 82 plants, all of which,
I've saved from the streets. This lifestyle and unique
decoration become a strong message to all the students,
guests and people who come by my house. Specially because
they all love it. This in turn, gives me a chance to
explain my reasons for reusing all these objects and
things I find. I use dry leafs and dry seeds from nature
in order to make all the art decorating the walls. These
pictures strongly show my connection to nature and my
beliefs.
I can safely say that my whole lifestyle and home is an
open statement of my beliefs and of who I am. More
importantly, I feel that most people that come in touch
with me end up wondering about this way of living and
want to know more about the reasons behind who I am.
I can also say that I try my best to always offer my
biggest smile to each person that crosses my path. I try
to be compassionate and understanding of the needs of
others. I am aware in the streets of simple little
things; if for instance, an older person is trying to
cross a busy street, I try to give him/her a hand. I just
try to be picky in my awareness of all these very simple
magical moments, that make each day an open miracle. I
try to embrace those very moments, that if we are not
paying close attention, tend to go by without us noticing
that they are in themselves our life.
I am a positive, uplifting person, always full of energy.
I quite enjoy carrying out my daily job of spreading my
joy. In spite of the fact that some people seem not to
care, or are too busy to even bother making eye contact
and saying hello. In spite of the world, I try to give
away my joy and believe that in so doing, tomorrow I
might collect one more smile from a stranger. It is a
slow, but very gratifying and rewarding process. One of
my greatest joys is making others smile.
I also embody a very friendly, outgoing and open
personality. I am willing (with certain amount of common
sense) to talk to anybody that approaches me at random in
my daily life. I really welcome them and their needs
without passing any judgement on their social, racial,
religious or sexual background. I think that this
attitude makes a lot of people gravitate towards me. I
quite enjoy giving them some of my love and joy or
volunteering answers to questions they ask me.
Ninety-nine per cent of the time, I walk away feeling
that I've done something positive and constructive,
because these people walk away feeling happier than when
they first encountered me.
I am not perfect but I am happy to get up each day to
face the first light of the day very early in the morning
with the hope of making my life and the lives of others a
little bit better and merrier. This is one of my main
purposes for living to make myself so happy that my state
of bliss can spread around and become contagious to all
beings.
I am not perfect, but each day I try and each night I
thank God for having giving me the chance to try; and
that makes all the difference!