I wanted to post this as we have so many new ones on the board here - I thought they might benefit from some uplifting words from Steve Hassan's book " Releasing the Bonds " . Many newly exiting the JW 's feel lost , like they don't know what to do , or where to turn, what causes that ? Notice these quotes from Steve Hassan .
On pg. 326 under " Nurture the Authentic self " it states, " Part of restoring the authentic identity involves dealing with feeling the loss of believing you are part of an elite group. Ex-members often miss the " high " associated with cult beliefs that they were saving the world , creating the Kingdom of Heaven on earth , or achieving enlightenment. However, there are healthy substitutes for the emotional rush experienced by some cult members. "
Hassan continues : " For instance , maybe the person will find a benevolent, humanitarian organization which actually accomplishes some of the goals that motivated the person to join a cult in the first place. When discussing such possibilities, be sure to emphasize integrity, honesty, spirituality, and human service. "
He continues : " Ex-members need to know there is nothing " defective " about them. They often must be reminded that they are intelligent, and that there are millions of others who have gone through similar experiences. They should understand that when they joined the group , they made what they believed was the best choice at the time. NOW they know more : they understand mind control. " It continues by saying , " Encourage the ex-member to understand that new resources, information, and perspectives can help him change and grow. "
So I want to encourage any new posters here to think about this. Open your minds up to new resources and information. It will assist you to find out about yourself and what you are looking to pursue AFTER exiting the witnesses. You all are intelligent, open minded in your thinking as you have seen fallacies in the Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs- or you wouldn't have been seeking info on the boards here. Every person exiting a mind control cult is special and has a chance to help themselves pursue freedom of mind and help others in the process. I wish you all well on your journey in life and may we all assist each other in our travels to freedom. Peace out to all, Mr. Flipper