How has you life changed since leaving the Witnesses?

cantleave

Other than not wasting hours at meetings, assemblies and doing pointless activity.

For me the biggest difference has been my choice of employment, I could have never undertaken the job I do now when I was dub.

Laika

Well, before I left the JWs I moved country, but probably wouldn't have done that if I'd not been struggling with doubts and wanted to escape family pressures.

I got promoted a few months ago and would have had to turn that down as a JW, too much overtime. I could have been used at an assembly!

Much more diverse social group.

KateWild

I only left recently, so the changes so far are the fact that I am isolated in my community and struggling to get my old job back as a chemical analyst.

Our family had a nice Xmas, and I got nice gifts from my kids. We are looking forward to celebrating my daughters 21st soon.

Kate xx

Rather than waste money on Kingdumb interests, I now "waste" money on things like Christmas. I also "waste" money getting ready for hyperinflation (which is mathematically certain, because debt based currency always hyperinflates) and the coming energy crisis (this Ukraine thing could spark it, or the "climate change" groups could create a fake energy crisis). Funny thing, I spend less on Christmas now than I would have wasted on a$$emblies, donations, suit dry cleanings, and so on. And, I will be able to survive a blackout without much more than nuisance--if I am in the middle of a store and the lights go out, my flashlight comes right out. Try that with donations.

And, instead of living in dread of Christmas music (especially the music, since it is almost impossible to avoid and it persists after the holidays are gone), I play it. Without joke-hova and its witlesses, I find many of the Christmas songs I used to dread are fun to listen to. And no, I don't get those huge electricity bills.

Phizzy

Birthdays and Christmas are new fun things to do for us. Donating Blood is a new thing for me since I left, I started to do that straight away, to make up for lost time !

We are cultivating new friends, some of whom we knew, but had done the "arms-length" JW thing, and some are new friends, all are great people.

We too are free to take whatever employment we want, Mrs Phizzy was thinking of doing a "Temping" job at the weekends for a short while as the pay is good, she would never have considered it before.

I have voted in nearly all the Elections since leaving too, it feels good to have a part in the (very flawed I know) process.

Life is so much better because we exercise our own conscience and judgement over what we do or don't do, and we do not have to give a thought to what JDubs might think.

The only time I think about them is if I imagine I were seen voting or donating, I would love for them to try to DF me for either, what a story for the Media !

Vidiot

cantleave - " How has you life changed since leaving the Witnesses?"

I now have the freedom to come to a conclusion - any conclusion - based on logic and reason, without feeling hamstrung by ideology.

That probably ain't much to some people, but it's kind of a big deal for me.

punkofnice

I no longer have a false hope. I see the reality of life and it sucks. Wish I did have false hope....at least I could die in hope rather than be consigned to oblivion like a piece of rubbish. Life has become harsh and I have become jaded.

nancy drew

I feel like I've been let out of a mental prison and now I can think and speak freely and openly about whatever ideas I want to consider.

Still Totally ADD

It's been years now that I don't have to worry about going out in field service on Sat. morning or to any meetings during the week or studying the Wt. or some book that repeats over and over again the big A is just around the corner. Still Totally ADD

LisaRose

I am much happier.