Do You Ever Feel Lonely?
“Always follow the highest you know.”
—J.J. Dewey, The Immortal
Do you ever feel lonely as you pursue the higher truths of this diet-lifestyle? Well, you’re not alone. If I had a tomato for everyone who has recently described to me this aspect of cleansing, I could make a batch of gazpacho big enough for all of you!
I am the first to admit that turning your back on the common ways of thinking, living and eating is challenging. I’ve felt deeply lonely at times. I’ve cursed having to give up certain foods and drinks, and I’ve felt massive disapproval from the crowd for questioning commonly accepted beliefs. But the incomparable bliss that comes with living according to your highest good is more than worth it!
Whenever you move away from the herd mentality and toward advanced knowledge, you initially experience a sense of loss, deprivation, and solitude. This is the moment when “the knight comes face-to-face with the dragon.” You may either run from it and return to the comfort of the herd or slay it and heed your soul’s deepest desire for growth. Of course, it’s scary to face the dragon. It takes courage to stand up to the social norms—the parents, friends, spouses, and authority figures—and say, “I’m no longer going to conform to what everyone else does because it is not serving my highest good.”
So many of you are coming to the realization that all that you’ve been told about food, health, the origins of illness, and the methods of correcting them are wrong. That is not an easy place to find yourself in, when the rest of the world appears to be going along quite happily with all the nonsense. When other people appear effortlessly healthy and thin despite their mainstream diets, you might wonder why you have chosen this path or why you must work harder than others.
What you forget is that these other people, all appearances aside, are not functioning well: they need their coffee or their cigarettes or their drugs to keep them going. You have no idea what they do to create the appearance of being okay. I work with models, actresses, socialites and 99% of the time the story is the same: they either eat next to nothing (and purge when they eat more) or live off of chemical stimulation. It’s not helpful to compare yourself to them.
Try not to let self-doubt and fear lead you to the most uncomfortable place of all—the depths of loneliness, where you are stuck looking at the truth while still slumming it with the herd. If you do find yourself there, take the opportunity to slay the dragon! It’s a matter of personal choice. You can continue to follow the path of least resistance (the herd) or you can exercise intelligent resistance and choose the higher path.
In truth you are not alone. It’s time to recognize each other and feel a part of a very special community. When you discover how many brilliant, hip, highly educated people have come to the same conclusions you have, you will be able to leap up and slay the dragon faster that I can open a young coconut! Of course, it’s not exactly that easy, nor is it supposed to be. You are the frontline of this movement, clearing the path for those who will follow and need your guidance.
Whenever you feel torn about the changes you’re making, remember that the herd is blindly following a path of destruction, led by an even blinder authority whose rules strip each individual of his or her power. It takes courage and a sense of personal responsibility to follow this higher path, but it will empower you and lead you to a life of beauty, truth and radiance.
Follow your soul’s impulse to leave the herd and soar on the wings of independence and advanced knowledge to the light!
- Posted by Natalia on June 25, 2009 at 8:08 am
-
Tagged as: courage, diet, empowerment, Lifestyle, loneliness
Other posts by this author:
This is exactly what I needed to wake up to this morning. Thank you for your inspiring words
Metta,
Sarah
Great post! It takes a while to learn how to manage the reactions of others. I finally feel very Zen about it all…. after about 4 years of apologizing for not being able to eat what others do. Many people are really supportive, which helps.
thanks for sharing your insights!
Michelle
Sometimes, many people are not supportive of something they haven’t yet experienced. This can include allergies, diets, illnesses, grief, and even happiness. It’s important we all choose our independent needs and accept others. “Different strokes for different folks” is an old saying that comes to mind.
Thank you for your very well written and acurate description of this journey. I often feel that I live in two worlds- the world that does not follow the herd and the one that does. They are two different worlds indeed- and while I prefer the non following world- the reality is the majority of us have to cross over in order to sustain an income and maintian relationships – or even to seek medical advice when needed. Learning to navigate both worlds- especially when you are infinately more comfortable inone of them is difficult- sometimes I feel like a liar- when I pretend and hold my judgement back. I’d like to just tell people to just LOOK and see what I see- open your mind and learn- why is it so easy to follow- why does change have to be so difficult?
This post/article is just in time. I awoke with a change in me one more time: No more sugar for me. Now, I will allow myself a vegan cupcake here or there or maybe a nice, cold smoothie fromt the local coffee shop but for today, no more of that white (or brown, for that matter) devil. Essentially, I have cut out most things that would cause me destruction via my body but sugar has been my sweet surrender time and time again. Today, I pledge no more. I will choose my personal principles over a simple yet demanding desires. I will walk softly but carry a big stick of compassion, patience and self-knowledge with me on this road and when all else fails I will connect with my higher power to get me through the tough times. I wouldn’t be here without pulling on that strength in times of need. Good luck to the rest of you on whatever your path for today may be.
I have to say this post is very relavent. There have been many people talking about this on the site. I have been blessed lord knows I feel lonely. I work in an office facing computer and phone with my husband asleep and sick most of the time in the other room. Thank God Saatchi is full of brilliant conversation. She helps me in everything I do. I have been blessed to not feel lonely in this eating plan. Maybe I am just left of center to have never beat to anyone else’s drum or I find what I learn here so exciting that I share it with everyone and that enthusiasim is not crushed although the person across from me is eating a loaded taco salad and just put out a Marlboro light. I have no idea why. I do feel like this is my personal journey so I dont expect others to get it. I am always surprised when someone sends over a vegan meal if we are both sick or tries to cook loads of smothered down veggies when we visit. If you pick the ham out at least we have a start. People care and make me feel loved so what more can I ask for. It may also be that for a while I carried Kris’s books around and gave them to everyone with anything. From diabetes to cancer, and always had either csc or csl there for the company. When csc just started we could recognize each name and it was very personal. But when it grew we were blessed by having a garden of lovely people to reach out to at any time of the day. I have felt so blessed to have you all… I could never feel lonely. And I love this plan. Hey it cured me… literally.. well I am cancer dormant and plan to stay that way so I cannot begin to complain. Not that those feeling the strange sensations of living outside the norm are.. we have just had a different experience. Much love to you all.. and it is wonderful that we are not alone… just plug in and voila instant playground and learning center. Not so instant for our CSL team and all the workers.. but we are blessed to have them. Thanks all. Callie
Thanks for the post, very inspiring. To me it also come down to one thing, how much you love yourself to give yourself what you need. I have gone that rar where I would change my beliefs to make others happy. But that bagfired also, and I ended uole anyway and misserable on top of it, because I knew I was not active froma place of love, but greed. Now, I might be alone, but I feel good, and I invited couple of my friends to a raw feast. They never had raw, but are willing to try. You never know. When we create positive energy, people will respond, or at least they will get curious, Love is in the juice.
Well, it couldn’t have come at a more convenient moment than NOW! That was the universe sending my crying out for support. I do find it extremely difficult to be honest to handle the discussions. All of a sudden I find myself trapped in discussions and debates about my foods and drinks, and wishing I had never said anything about it at all. Why do I feel so tempted to convince, whereas deepdown I feel that this journey towards healthy living is doing ME so good!
Thanks for the dragon….I am going to face it! Again. And again. And again. Giving up is not an option.
xxx
oops, my comment got lost!
Natalia, I love your book RF detox, I have all my new raw folks read it! I am NEVER lonely, how could I be with Crazy sexy life forum, this blog, my life mentor Kris, Raw Fu, Give it to me raw and all my twitter raw pals?? But some folks do feel very alone, I say Join us!! We are a big crazy sexy family.
thanks for all you do
deb
Excellent blog post. I feel the same way. We need to be strong and know that others are making similar choices…reach out and get to know those who are living outside the box with you.
Lots of love to you,
Wendi Dee
XOXOXO
Wonderful blog post! I don’t usually read them but the word “lonely” caught my eye. I have breast cancer and know and want to change the way I eat but am scared for lack of a better word. I am at that moment where “the knight comes face to face with the dragon”. I must remember that the change needs to be made not only for my health but my wellbeing as well. Thank you for being so inspiring!
Thank you. You put into words what I was feeling and didn’t know how to articulate. I tend to get frustrated at the chosen ignorance of many people in this world, and especially when they scoff at my views and consider me “out there” or like I’m just buying into some new age thinking. haha. But what I really feel is loneliness- it is hard to live this way of life in the middle of mainstream society without feeling a little alone. But reading your post and knowing that I’m not alone in my feeling alone (ha!) makes me actually feel less alone.
So thank you.