The Gist: Good evening VegNews Book Clubbers! We are in the final week of our discussion of Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston. The book club will be taking a week's break for the holidays, and then we'll start back up on January 3 with our first week's discussion of A Vegan Girl's Guide to Life by Melisser Elliott. I hope you guys are looking forward to the new year as much as I am!We read the last two parts of the book this week. Part four was about overcoming obstacles, specifically crises and addictions. A tragedy such as the death of a family member or friend can totally unhinge you, and Freston explains different steps you can take to get through these types of crises. She even thinks that by overcoming obstacles such as these, you can become a stronger person. She also says the same is true when facing addictions, such as being addicted to smoking, alcohol, or even a certain food, and gives steps to help fight and overcome these types of setbacks as well.
In part five, called "Making the Leap," Freston talks about being the change. First, you can do this by changing ingrained, unhealthy traditions, such as abuse within a family, or even just eating very unhealthily, and changing them to be more healthy and positive. This may not be easy to do, due to the fact these unhealthy traditions could be passed on unconsciously, so you really need to look deep inside in order to make the change. Freston also says it is important to recognize your worldly aims, and that in addition to you helping yourself, you should also find a passion that is outside of yourself and give to that, such as charity work or volunteering. She also talks about finding your authentic nature, and introduces the idea of a "Vision quest," which is kind of a meditation in nature to help you discover your deeper self. Finally, Freston brings up honoring the fellowship of all beings, explaining that we are connected with all beings on this Earth, so it is important to respect every single one of them.
The Discussion: Here are two final discussion points to help get the conversation started. I look forward to hearing from you!
1. Have you dealt with any major obstacles in your life, such as crises or addictions? What steps did you take to overcome the obstacle?
2. What is your worldly aim, and what do you do to achieve that aim?
The Assignment: Please read the introduction to chapter two of A Vegan Girl's Guide to Life for our discussion on January 3, 2011.
~VN Book Club Hostess Lyndsay Orwig
