Are You Comfortable With Who You Now Are? (page 2)

Hortensia

Quite comfortable with myself. And with all of you!

FirstLastName

The elders sure made me feel as if I was a misfit when I was in. When I got out I discovered that I was completely normal. Its normal to question, research and doubt, just not for a JW.

I am so more happier and genuine now that I am out. I was trying to to hard to be someone I was not as a JW.

There are things I would like to improve. I was born with an antiWitness temperament. Sometimes I remark at how closed my options were with the Witnesses. I felt suffocated. My mom had to train me not to reveal myself with the Witnesses. I feel that I was born at an exceptional time in history. The Beatles and Dylan were very important to me. The Society and I would collide.

Of course, I am in my early 60s now. I certainly had adolescent angst. There was no one to encourage me. I had moxie. It went someplace. My father died and I stopped going to KH at the same time. Law school helped me. So many times I've taken time out during an event to appreciate my freedom. I believe I was always free in my mind. It was nice when my body could join my mind.

I encourage young people today to take a risk and pursue their dreams.

joyfulfader

I am a thousand times happier now, more than 2 years out, than I ever was in...though I still experience stress, I still like me and the self loathing and constant self deprication is virtually gone (hormones sometimes bring it to the surface but that is rare). I am comfortable with me and I like it :)

PelicanBeach

Yes, I am comfortable with who I am now.

I see/understand things today that I did not see or understand in my youth and I feel at peace. I am at peace.

Pelican

minimus

I like who I am too

will-be-apostate

I wish reincarnation was true and could start all over again. Cliche? Maybe. Comfortable? Not at all. However I know it could be worse.

committeechairman

No.

Julia Orwell

I'm a bit afraid of my authentic self. It's slowly reemerging and it's not all good. I'm happier that I can express myself and do things I like, but it has been difficult to renegotiate my opinions about things I only had the wt opinion on, such as gay marriage, politics and that. My authentic personality is very blunt and quite overbearing at times, something tempered by my years as a jw. Also I learned to deal with my anger management issues as a jw, and even now I have to consciously keep it in check.

Overall though I am happier because I am me and don't have to feel bad about decisions that work for me, rather than the cookie cutter wt prescribed decisions.I can now openly admit what I kept secret during my jw years, that I was damn proud of my brother and what he achieved in the military. Holding my own opinions definitely puts me in a better space, but I am worried about the negative aspects of my authentic self emerging.

Are You Comfortable With Who You Now Are?