Good thread Life Is Too Short, I'm getting in late on this one as I've been pretty busy.
But I always remember when I used to attend meetings years ago the JW elders would say over the platform or in the publications, " don't worry about your current life, because this isn't the REAL life, the REAL life will come in the future in Paradise. Plan for THAT life. "
Comments like that always used to piss me off as well. I mean there IS NO such thing as a " paradise " anyway ! Now that I know that fact a person could very well waste their whole life waiting for a pipedream or illusion that never comes wasting their current energies, passions, or dreams by never using them in the here and now ! What a waste !
When I found out we were being lied to I promised myself I'd never waste another minute of my life on this planet ever again ! And you know what my friend- you should do the same. Not because I'm doing it - but because this life may in reality BE the only life we will ever have.
It reminds me of that scene in the movie " Back to the Future 3 " where the Doc gets off the train and Marty and his girlfriend show him a blank piece of paper where they were hoping the future was written for them. They tell the Doc, " Doc we were looking at this paper and it's blank, what does that mean ? " He said, " Of course it's blank ! It means your future hasn't been written yet ! Nobody's has ! So go and make your future a GOOD one ! "
As an ex-JW I'll never forget that scene from that movie- it helped empower me to see that as an EX-JW I DO have the ability or power or control now to make my life better than the miserable life I had as a mind controlled JW. And you have that power and control now also my friend. Make the best use of the years you have left on this planet to be happy and enjoy life ! And we and others are here as a support to you in your journey. Take care, Peace out, Mr. Flipper