This Article is Not About Food, But The Power Of Decision Making
For years, I have been one of those nutritional lurkers. I was always drawn to articles and documentaries about healthy diet, nutrition, about how the food we eat can either make makes us sick or or keep us healthy. But at the end of the day, all I would ever do is watch or read and nothing else.
I was raised by Italian immigrant parents, and growing up, food was everything. Pork, veal, beef, fish — You name it, if it was food — it was good — and good for you. Growing up here in America, I also developed a fondness for fast food, pizza, fried food — And all things sugary. And I loved it — I still love it.
But those pesky books, documentaries and articles kept haunting me, and so, for no reason other than to just give it a shot, I changed my way of eating and switched to a complete Vegan diet — COLD TURKEY.
Mindset And The Power of Making Decisions
Kind of like when I quit smoking fifteen years ago, something just switched on (or off) in my mind. A decision was made. It was like, “I’m doing this – IT IS DONE.” And right then, right there, I completely stopped eating any food containing any animal products – Beef, poultry, pork, lamb, fish, dairy, eggs — all of it —
Here is the interesting part — It didn’t bother me — At all.
I began in the fall and soon after, Thanksgiving arrived. I actually cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 17 people — Turkey, Stuffing with sausage, mashed potatoes with cream and butter, all of it — There were sugary, dairy rich desserts, everything you could imagine from soup to nuts – And I didn’t have one bite of it, not one. And the amazing thing is, it did not bother me at all.
The same thing happened on Christmas Eve also known as the Italian Super Bowl of Eating — Again, I cooked and I ate none of it.
So, what am I trying to say? The takeaway here is I learned so much about the power of the mind and the power of decision making. It is so important to make decisions — definitive decisions. The mindset is “It Is Done. Period.” A funny thing happens when you do that — You become stronger, more determined and you become invincible. Don’t ask me why or how, but that’s what happens. Never before in my life would I ever have had the willpower to sit at a table watch people eating a Pepe’s pizza right in front of me and not have a slice… or six. But once I made a decision to be vegan, it was easy. We can apply the same concepts to other areas of life and business.
When you want something or want to do accomplish something, the most important thing you can do is to MAKE A DECISION to do it or to accomplish it or to have it.
Once that switch goes off (or on) the human spirit has a way of making it happen. And it makes you stronger and more resilient, almost defiantly so.
As far as my Vegan journey goes, I do not know how long I will continue it. Not because I don’t have the will to, I’ve already proven to myself that I do, but I have yet to see if the benefits outweigh the limitations of such a strict way of eating — But for now, I’m all in and I’m not bothered a bit.
