Discussions around nutrition feel a lot like discussions about climate change:
- Name the enemy
- Call out their immoral behavior
- Rally others to join in the “fight”
Today we see nutrition crusaders and activists labeling kibble companies as the “bad guys” and finger-pointing at “bad ingredients”.
I’ve been guilty of this behavior myself.
In trying to do this for others, I had to try it myself.
To see what it felt like to create content like this.
And then sit with the consequences and reactions from the community when I did.
I’m not the first to communicate this way.
This approach has been the breeding ground for scare campaigns. And it goes viral. That’s why people do it.
The premise is, “bad things will happen if we don’t make changes to how we feed our dogs and hold the big corporations accountable.”
This approach is a war-based fight approach, but should we affect change through fear?
There are casualties when we take this approach. Those that don’t jump on the bandwagon feel shame. And excluded.
But is this the energy we want for our community?
What about the opposite?
What if, instead of using stories that separate us, we offer stories that unify us.
I have personally grown fight-weary with Covid and people we love passing.
All the angry activists burn me out. I have no energy for the call-out culture. Because it leaves me empty by the time we start talking about what truly matters.
Respect for all human beings as divine souls taking care of dogs as sentient beings mean we should not insult them by low vibration tactics.
It’s dishonorable to do so.
Dehumanizing corporations or those that don’t align with our beliefs separate us from each other.
The way you see people, is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them, is what they become.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
And I believe in humanity.
When you act out of love and compassion, this creates a field of the same energy that affects your internal and external world.
Ultimately nutrition is grounded on healing.
And don’t we all want to be healers? We all want to do what’s best for ourselves and our dogs.
And when you’re grounded in that energy, the way you talk starts to shift.
It’s more about empowerment and giving others a different perspective.
And it’s respecting and holding sacred that each person is a divine soul living their reality making their own decisions on how they want to live.
To my community, who felt excluded by anything I’ve said. I’m deeply sorry. That approach and language end on my pages and websites.
I’m here to help heal our dogs when they benefit through nutrition. And I’m here to do so from a positive and loving space.
Ultimately, the choice in what you decide to feed your dog is yours. And I respect you in your decisions.
Let’s be humble in our beliefs.
Let’s be gentle in our approach.
Eat well. Feed well.
This is Susan Barnett from Franklin Tx. I reached out to you a month or so ago regarding Annie, my 12 mos old Boston baby with narrow nostrils and sent you some pics of her. Anyway, I love reading your newsletter and after reading yesterday and with Annie and Chloe (my 12 mos old chihuahua) reaching the age of advancing from puppy food soon, I really want to feed them a higher quality diet. I am convinced dry kibble was partly responsible for the deaths of my two adult Bostons, Lucy and Abby earlier this year. Abby was 9 and Lucy was 11. However, that being said, I admire the choices you have made with Maggie and Orbit’s diet but it isn’t realistic or affordable for me. I have fed Annie and Chloe Blue Buffalo Puppy, chicken and brown rice up to this point and I’m ready to wean them off of puppy food. I go out of town a couple times a month for 2 days leaving my girls home with my husband so I don’t want feeding them be difficult for him. I would appreciate any advice on transitioning them from puppy food.
Thank you for all the newsletters!!❤️
Hello Susan. I do remember when you reached out. You’re not alone, I speak to countless other dog parents with similar stories and similar requests. I will create an article to give you some advice on different ways to approach the transition while keeping it easy on the wallet. =) Thank you so much for reaching out.