How Do I Stay Motivated?

Hi, I'm Plant_murderer, a seventeen year old newbie (6 months and counting) and trust me when I say that I know a thing or eighty about people who straight up couldn't care less about factory farming, animals, veganism, or anything else more important than the next episode of your average "reality" t.v show. When surrounded by these people, it is almost a given that the all-consuming homesickness for our home planet, ( Vega), can leave a person ready and almost willing to return to old ways (omnivore-ism or vegetarianism). In this post I will attempt to show some of the miriad of ways that i've found to talk myself out of turning back on the road that is veganism ( and by extention turning traitor on the the animals and the defendors of their rights).

1. Remind yourself why!!! Those who forget are doomed to...get all meek and lame and "cheat". look at slaughter house videos, read some animal rights novels, whatever you do, if you catch yourself forgeting why, a good reminder is always a good motivator.
2. Get active or take a break!!!! if your not active and need motivation, get out and do something, you've made it, you're "tampering in dark-sided stuff" (its an inside joke if you didnt catch the reference) going out and spreading the information can make you feel alive and useful. if you've been burning at both ends of the soy candle and are tired, take a break and then show 'em how its done once the spring hits your step again.
3. Find and maintain a support network!! make friends with other vegans and meet online or in person to hang out and complain about omnis, veggies and ex veg*ns. It'll give you a chance to vent and a place you can go to ask things like "is ____ vegan?" and a couple of new friends, too.
4. REWARD YOURSELF!!!! every year take at least one day to celebrate the beauty and wonder that is veganism. why? ...do you neen a reason to celebrate?!? in case you didnt know VEGANISM RULES!!!! and celebrating anually will give you a reason to stay vegan ( if you convert back, you dont get to party)

It is not within our powers to make other people care, but no one can stop you from being the one person who always will. Make veganism a part of who you are and not something that you do, and the motivation is never further away than your next breath or thought.

thats my advice,
PM

On dealing with hostility

Fortunately this is something that, until yesterday, I had yet to encounter, but I understand that it happens fairly frequently in some circles.

First, we must understand that someone else's anger (I suppose towards veganism?) is not directed at us and we can't take it personally. I have no idea what would move someone to say ugly things to strangers, whether it be directed at a vegan, a homosexual, a minority...whomever, but I do know that the object for the game is to elicit a reaction.

Forget the notion that good manners are antiquated and ask yourself this question:

What would Miss Manners do?

No. Seriously. Stop laughing.

It's never appropriate to meet rudeness with more rudeness, and getting down in the mud with the sort of people who would lash out at someone for choosing to live peacefully isn't going to help your cause in the slightest. Our only reasonable option in this situation is blissful indifference, the same thing your mother taught you when you were young, dealing with the same ignorant bullies.

Ignore them, and I promise you, they will, in fact, go away.