Five years ago, I never imagined I’d be here, talking about eating plants and saving the planet. I built my diet around meat—every meal, every day. It felt normal, necessary, unchangeable. But what if our “normal” is hurting our health, our planet, and billions of animals? What if we have the power to change it?Our food system is draining the planet’s resources. It’s heating the Earth, wiping out forests, and polluting water at an alarming rate. It takes 8,000 liters of water to make just one kilogram of beef. Meanwhile, our health suffers—processed meat increases the risk of disease, and antibiotic overuse in farming threatens our future. Billions of animals live in suffering, treated in ways that would be illegal if they were pets.The good news? We don’t have to do things this way.Like many, I believed myths—"I need meat to be strong," "One person can’t make a difference." But then I watched The Game Changers. I saw top athletes thriving on a plant-based diet. I realized I had been choosing convenience over truth. The next day, I stopped eating meat.Was it easy? No. The hardest part wasn’t the food—it was the social pressure, the questions, the jokes. But over time, those same people started asking for advice. Some even made changes themselves. That’s the power of standing by your choices.Change doesn’t have to be extreme. If one person eats plant-based just once a week, they save 170,000 liters of water, 300 kg of CO2, and 100 animals every year. If a city did it? A country? The impact multiplies.Most people wait for governments to act. But real change starts with us—one meal, one choice at a time. Small steps inspire bigger ones. So, what will your first step be? John Antonios is a leadership assessor, speaker, and holistic performance coach who helps individuals and organizations unlock their potential across business, emotional, and physical domains. With expertise in leadership development, behavioral assessment, and personal branding, he empowers professionals to enhance decision-making, influence, and impact.Passionate about human potential, John integrates strategic performance, emotional intelligence, and physical resilience into his coaching. As a fitness enthusiast and advocate for plant-based living, he explores veganism's role in addressing climate change, public health, and sustainable food systems. He also examines how AI and adaptability shape the future of work and leadership.John believes the next era of human potential will be defined by integrating performance, emotional intelligence, well-being, and technology—creating a future where people and the planet thrive. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx