the 10 rules of vegan living

Ready? Please read, memorize, or print out a copy and put within easy reach.

1. Don't eat, drink, wear or use anything that comes from another animal
2. Eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains
3. Drink lots of water -- preferably with or before every meal
4. Be kind to everyone -- even vegans you disagree with
5. Get out of your vegan bubble once in a while i.e. explore other interests
6. Buy, beg, borrow or steal an additional sense of humour (or two or three)
7. Donate 10% (think of it as vegan tithing) to animal rights organizations
8. Educate (both yourself and others) and (re)evaluate (y)our vegan goals and strategies on a regular basis
9. Be kind to everyone -- this is worth repeating because if you're at all like me (a self-confessed former pessimist and misanthrope), this can be a bit (or a lot depending on the day) difficult
10. Read 10 Difficult Questions Every Animal Advocate Should Ask Themselves -- they're very good, and again, if you're anything like me, the answers will make you a tad uncomfortable, but that's not a bad thing
11. Throw out all the rules above except for #1 and #10

So, why did I make you read and then discard these lovely rules? Well, essentially, rules schmules! With the exception of rule #10, which I think is helpful enough that maybe it should be required reading for all vegans, I don't normally like articles that feature 7 Steps or 13 Rules or 16 Days or 22 Ways because they tend to be gimmicky, or promise easy solutions to things that are probably fairly complex. 

Fourthly (why start with first, second or third?), while all of the above do-and-don't rules are perfectly fine (I try to follow most of them), I know that readers are smart, capable, and more than equipped to come up with their own guidelines for living the vegan life. As long as you stick to the principle of not consuming other sentient beings (rule #1), I trust you'll be able to figure out on your own the best way for you (uniquely wonderful you!) to be the most fabulous vegan you can possibly be. Yes? No?