Information overload

It is too easy to look at all of the death and destruction we see on factory farms and become overwhelmed.  The suffering and death is to such a degree that it boggles the mind.  It is too easy, in those moments, to want to give up. Just be a vegan and shut up, hide inside yourself and hope no one notices.

So powerful is this propensity towards all or nothing that detractors will use it as part of their arsenal against the truth.  They will point out all of the death or they will attempt to swing the discussion over to all of the starving children, the homeless, the slave labor, the sex trade, etc., in an effort to stop the discussion on animal suffering.

Now don't get me wrong.  Not everyone knows they are doing this.  Some (Many, I hope) are truly concerned about those other things. But it is a problem nonetheless.  There are a few things to keep in mind when you find yourself in this situation, either self-imposed or imposed by others.

1. You cannot save everyone. You might as well face that fact now. Could you imagine if the resistance in Nazi Germany saw all of the Jews being murder in the death camps and said, "I cannot save them all, so I might as well not do anything. I'll just send them my thoughts and prayers"?

2. You can only do what you can do.  You are one person with limited resources, limited time and limited capacity.  In short, no matter how strong you are, you are weak.  You must focus on what you can do, not on what you cannot do.

3. Start here and take one step at a time. Right now, right this moment, decide you are going to do something and take that first step. Watch a video, commit to going vegetarian (if you haven't already), write you thought in your journal.  Start. These may look like small and even useless steps, but they are not. They are the beginning.

4. Have a mission.  This goes with number 2 and 3. Sit down and write out what you want to do. This is your mission. Many people have no clear idea. "I want to save animals" is good, but it is too broad and too vague. An example might be: "I want to save animals by going vegan and participating in some marches/protests". Then write down steps you can take to get there. Don't be afraid to change that mission later on. This is just a first step. Stretch yourself a bit. Just don't set goals you know you will never reach.  There is a balance and you will probably need to learn what that is by trial and error.

5. Remember. When people bring up the list of other terrible things going on in the world, remind yourself of your mission. That is what you can do and that is what you will do. It is o.k. to acknowledge those other things. It is even good to be concerned about them. But your mission comes first. [As an aside, you might want to ask that person what it is he or she is doing about those terrible things they just listed. My guess is that it will be nothing.  If they are doing something, encourage them. You know what it feels like to want to change the world and to be doing something about it. Share stories of success and failure. Even share your fears. Start a conversation. You never know where it might lead.]

These are just a few things you can do.  I am not saying you cannot do other things or have other missions. What I am saying is that you need to focus. If you spread yourself out too thinly you will just be setting yourself up for burning out, discouragement and ultimately failure.  Too many people have started well and got so completely overwhelmed that they just walked away. Don't let this be you.