As we make improvements on our way of living through refining our diet and various forms of detoxification a distance can start to be felt between those around us, even people we are close with and have been for a long time. This is what I call the vibrational gap. The example many of us have lived through would be when we stop eating meat or another type of drastic dietary improvement while people around us continue with the old ways. A contrast becomes apparent and typically is not a pleasant one but it has a rational explanation. As we detoxify we begin to raise the frequency we’re vibrating at. Often times when people begin refining their diet towards a plant based whole food diet they will say they feel sort of lighter. This statement may be paired with a quizzical look because they’re still thinking in strictly physical terms and don’t fully understand their own explanation. Maybe they’ve lost a few pounds but the weight lost isn’t quite equal to the newfound and pronounced “lightness”. That’s because they’ve moved away from the dense or heavy energies towards more free flowing and lofty vibrations.
So when this begins to happen it can certainly be alarming. We enjoy the benefits within ourselves but then we get around old friends and family and there’s a distance. This can be a major source of anxiety and apprehension about moving forward with things. Trading in personal connections for personal fulfillment can feel selfish at times. As time continues to pass and we stay strong being the person we want to be we become used to this gap and the contrast isn’t as bothersome, it’s a space we’re used to being in and we understand the cause. It’s not a result of those around us doing anything different, maybe when we stop eating meat friends are reluctant to have as at cookouts but overall they are still doing what they’ve been doing. In the beginning it can feel like we should give up and get back with our friends but if we keep our focus on our goal of being our truest self we know the right path. The social distances become quickly apparent but it’s the shift in vibration that dawns on us as we really begin to detoxify.
Social norms can be challenging to break especially if you’re doing it alone but I can promise you from first hand experience that it’s just a phase and once you break through you will feel like a snake that’s shed it’s skin. Your true light will be glowing stronger than ever. What’s especially intriguing is meeting new people once you’ve made substantial progress. They don’t know the old you and once you’ve made mental and spiritual progress you’ll begin to attract people operating on closer frequencies and those connections are profound because of the level you’re both cohabiting on. Sure, you were on a similar frequency as your friends and most people before but often times the common denominators that are shared aren’t true to you both as individuals. Think of how you’d like to spend time with someone of the opposite sex. You could easily go out for some drinks to a bar, with the tvs on while discussing the same mundane small talk about our lives and surroundings but that can be done with a wide range of people. With someone on a higher frequency the field may be narrower but once you do make a connection it’s easier to move right into conversation with emotional depth about everything from the state of the world as we see it, to our own spiritual insights. Those are the types of conversations that form the strongest connections. I’m certainly not saying all conversation needs to be heavy and intellectual but you’ll find when you’re with someone else on an elevated frequency is that even talks about music, food and daily life have greater joy because you’re speaking a more similar language.
In my experience and understanding of the cause of this gap I think that the distance from family is of bigger consequence than with friends. We can continually add new friends to our circle but our family is what it is. Food and drink often times have emotional connection for us as a result from our memories and heritage. In my family since I was about 18 years old alcohol has been a common denominator of holidays, vacations, etc so removing that can feel like cutting ties or actively trying to distance from them when it’s really the opposite. I stopped drinking alcohol for a myriad or reasons in February of 2016 and as a result, much like with other refinements, I am a happier, truer person for having done so. Being around my family while being closer to my genuine self feels like they’re getting to meet the new me, the real me. That’s not to say that the “old me” was bad, it’s just that with certain layers removed I now feel closer to them regardless if our habits, diets and world-views have gone in different directions. This is the same with friends but unlike family, some stay in your life and some fall away. I found that I needed to take more time to myself as I got my footing going forward on my new path. When I was experiencing benefits within myself as well as the environment impacts of certain changes I made, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. The thing about that in the early stages is that while we may have some large generalities seemingly figured out, at the same time we’re not perfect, haven’t always been making improved decisions and aren’t in a place to be doling out life lessons. Over time as we saturate ourselves with information, refine our own practices and learn more appropriate language for the ideas we want to convey we not only become a better source for this knowledge but the people we converse with understand we have become a trustworthy source. There are ideas, foods, and habits that I was quick to suggest to people because they seemed to help me but all of these, particularly in the beginning our transition are simply stepping stones. Later we find we move away from them and in turn by sharing or pushing them towards others may have inadvertently been nudging them in a wrong direction even though our intensions were pure.
These days I’m much more quiet about my beliefs when I’m around coworkers, strangers, or friends I’m not fully acclimated with because even if I think I have the answer it’s best that people come to it on their own. If people ask me questions or the conversation naturally flows towards food or health I’m confident in the well rounded views I’ve cultivated and am more than happy to share but I don’t try to wedge them into conversations where the don’t belong. After awhile your piers will know you’re on a different path, they may not know the specifics but in general they know if they are curious about something you’re a good resource. The trust is nurtured by being polite, thoughtful and knowledgable without being forceful. Often times people can be tentative to ask question, fearing they may look dumb. This begins when we’re in school, when if we raise our hand and ask a question all eyes are on us and that can be a lot of pressure. As an adult the pressure related to our self-esteem. If someone asks you a question wether it’s how to make veganize a recipe, what type of water you drink or anything of the sort, don’t take it as chance to lay down your beliefs of what’s right and what’s wrong. See them as someone who decided to come to you with vulnerable curiosity and genuine interest. They trust you won’t make them feel bad about their current lifestyle and hope you may be able to offer the sliver of guidance they’re asking for. We all learn from others and we’re all on different levels. You never know the power one conversation can have. The smallest acorns become mighty oak trees. Even though the final product is abundantly beautiful, starting small and growing at the appropriate pace is what completes the triumph.
This vibrational gap, the contrast, the distance, whatever you’d like to think of it as will widen as you move forward with detoxification but through that process you become stronger as a result can handle things with a sharper, clearer mind and with that I promise things will be alright. Move toward what feels true to you, not your appetites, but your genuine intuition and you’ll end up in the right place.