this was an awesome message to hear. speaking my truth thought about my diet, has been a challenge for me. i sometimes tend to not want to offend my family and friends and I realize now that b/c I am uncomfortable discussing it, that is exactly what I project. i will try to come from a place of there are a lot different ways to eat and I have found a great one that works for me. if you'd like to know more I'd be happy to share.

Great message but complicated topic. Another thing to consider. I've been in the vegan/raw food community for a while. I've noticed that many people who join those communities already have problems bonding with others. Some unconsciously set themselves up to be "unrelatable". When evaluating your (universal You) motivations in this and in all things, look at your socialization habits in general. If you are constantly participating in philosophies and activities that make it hard for others to relate to you-you may have yet to realize that you are not comfortable with intimacy. One sign is the making of premature, instant, bold announcement of "I'm a vegan, I'm a raw foodist, I'm a born again Christian, I'm an orthodox Jew"..upon meeting with someone or when no one has asked the leading question. People with intimacy or security issues are really saying is "I'm special, I’m not common, or I'm not like you, I want you to think I'm superior somehow, so that you won't see me as I really am...or as you see everyone else". This happens often with people who don't yet see or appreciate the specialness or value in themselves.
When a person becomes comfortable in who they are, the need to announce stops and the conversations flow naturally, the defenses drop and people feel free to just talk to you. The food, religion, job title, possessions...become just a part of the conversation.-as is normal.
This is not true for everyone who complains of being misunderstood... but a significant number. CEOs, athletes and celebs have driven themselves to successful careers by not wanting to relate to common-average-(“mediocre”) people. To be fair, many people don’t know they are doing it. Some know, but continue because of the benefits outweigh the discomfort. Actually, “I’m doing something good and yet am always misunderstood” is also a claim of specialness…that should be evaluated. I have been touched more powerfully by those I watched live than those I’ve only listened to. Great video. By the way, you are beautiful Mr. Purohit.

a little late but i need all the counsel and advice possible at this point... not that i need cause or inspiration to begin my raw journey but i haven't really had anyone to relate to about my vegan journey, let alone going raw
so, i have always had a positive outlook on my new experiences and haven't encountered too many negative views so not really any issues there but in personal relationships? yes, definitely!
my last relationship started about 3 1/2 years ago. he wasn't even a vegetarian which wasn't a big deal [to begin with]. Big Problem! i had never been in a serious relationship before, and so, had nothing to base any sort of criteria on. i didn't think that i should NOT give someone a chance because they weren't a vegetarian or vegan... that aspect changed dramatically through the course of that relationship! what a big deal it was; what an unnecessary reason to argue; and what a significant "detail" my diet became!
such a small thing became THE most important thing and THE only thing we talked (fought) about. besides the fact that my views weren't shared, they were no longer respected.
the worst, however, was when we actually spoke about our "future". marriage, kids, a family?! what were our ideas on raising a family together? how would we decide on the choices in our children's lives when we couldn't even agree on dinner?
it was a long time coming but, needless to say, it didn't work out. so six months single and i am starting to feel alone again. not just relationship-wise, but in my journey again... not having even a personal support group makes the lack of a support group elsewhere more relevant... more apparent in every way.
guess thats where you all come in. i just need a friend or someone to talk to. and so far, though we haven't actually spoken, your video posts, blogs, etc. have given me a little help along the way... thanx!
and if you actually read this long drawn out rant on life, thanx again!!

brilliant stuff dhrumil. thanks for holding such immaculate space for the community. much love! laura

Wow, this resonates so much with me I could cry! The social aspect of eating raw (and also other facets of how I live) have been much more challenging than any other aspect, but recently I've been letting go, and it's true that people are so much more open to what you're doing if YOU are comfortable and at peace with it. This also applies to any area of life, and I'm glad I'm learning it sooner rather than later.

I am thankful for this, especially tody.