Once upon a time, I was a vegan. I died. The End.
Just kidding.
Yes, I was a vegan for ten years until it almost killed my family.
I’m being dramatic. Maybe.
In defense of my veganistic decisions, I thought I was doing the right thing (don’t we always?), and I learned a lot. Although I wish I hadn’t been vegan for ten years of my life, maybe two would’ve been fine, I’ve moved on.
It’s also why my story about eating a carnivore diet, in my book — The Carnivore Diet Handbook — is not preachy. Everyone does their own thing, me included. I learned my lesson from my vegan days. #neversaynever
But today, I’m bringing up my days as a vegan because, back in those wheatgrass-drinking days, I read a book that had a gem of an idea that I’ve carried with me, over a decade later. This strange and peculiar book — Survival in the 21st Century — was written by a truly enjoyable fella, Viktoras Kulvinskas.
A Bible for Raw Vegans.
Today, with my elk-heart-eating, carnivorous ways, I am far from a vegan. But something I read in that book has stuck with me for over 10 years. I remember reading it to Greg while we drove to Fort Bragg, CA, all hyped up on raw chocolate, to attend the raw vegan cooking school, Living Light.
When I finished the book, I cut out a little chart from it and taped it to my journal.
And over the years, as I went from journal to journal, I would tape it and re-tape into all of my journals. Until I internalized it, I guess, because I don’t have it anymore.
And while I won’t reconstruct the table for you (you can get the book if you want to see it), I’ll share the general idea.
It’s a Simple Idea.
A Powerful Idea.
Happy Sexy Millionaire Stuff
It’s taking the words “I hope” and never using them again.
It’s replacing those words with the words “I prefer,” every time.
I prefer. I prefer. I prefer. I prefer.
I started doing this. I was baffled at the difference in my reaction to whatever it was that I was claiming to have previously hoped for.
You see, when you say I prefer, there is less attachment to it, yet more agency and personal power. It’s more uplifting in a weird way.
I was teaching this idea to my 10-year-old, and I asked her what she thought about it. She said, “Yeah, it sounds more educated.”
So there.
Try the Magic for Yourself.
Try it for everything you want positive to happen in your life AND everything that you don’t want that could be negative.
When driving my car, instead of “I hope I make this light,” say “I prefer to make this light.”
Ahh, doesn’t make you feel like pink cotton candy?
There’s this feeling of untouchableness that accompanies the words, I prefer.
I hope to lose weight? No. Try… I prefer to lose weight. Nice.
I hope I don’t get sick? Nope. Try… I prefer not to get sick.
There’s just less stress behind the words, I prefer, than the words I hope.
So, those are my thoughts today. I prefer they’re as useful to you as they are to me. :O)