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When each New Year rolls around, many of us are tempted to make lofty resolutions or entertain noble aspirations, with the hope that “This year will be different!” Usually, however, our high-reaching dreams are dashed, often just a few days or weeks after we crack open our new calendars
 The beginning of a new year is when many people commit to making positive changes for the next twelve months. Sadly, those lofty promises often fizzle out in just a few weeks. Despite our noble intentions, our objectives may simply be unrealistic or out of our reach. Instead, if we focus on taking small steps toward our ultimate goal -- steps we can truly achieve -- it's possible we'll actually get to the finish line, or at least be a whole lot closer to it.
Eating is typically something we do several times a day, and it is an activity that gives us great pleasure. Consequently, food holds an important place in our emotions and our hearts. It should come as no surprise, then, that when people shift to a vegan lifestyle, they tend to place their initial focus on their diet.
To understand what it means to be vegan, it is vital to reflect on the historical roots and origin of the word. Many people think of the term "vegan" and its associated lifestyle as something new, faddish, insurgent, or radical. In many ways, just the opposite is true.
Compassion can be described as “empathy in action.” Vegans have not cornered the market on compassion — there are many types of compassion and many ways to be compassionate. However, most people construe compassion strictly in terms of human-to-human interaction, and even then often only in light of certain groups.
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Jo StepaniakJo Stepaniak, MSEd, is the author of numerous books on vegan cuisine and compassionate living. Here are some of Jo's most popular essays about vegan living and ethics.
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