Take a Moment and Think About How Awesome You Are

by Simon 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  Still Totally ADD

  Simon thank you for such encouragement. My wife and I were lucky, we left at the same time. At first our children shunned us but as we all know our youngest son and his family have left the cult. Being a born-in it was hardest on me but with time I quit beating myself up for taking so long to wake-up. My wife was great in helping me through this. Our life is so much better, we have made new friends, I was able to take classes to become a master gardener, my wife wrote a small book on useful weeds that grow in your yard, we are active in our local farmers market and finally we in our mid 60's have started a herbal tea business.

  I agree with you that everyone who have left a cult are not only survivors but are courageous in leaving a destructive cult and deserve a pat on their back. Congratulations to all of us. Thank you for this site Simon it has been a anchor to all of us. As a misquote from the wt. Cult "Stand tall be courageous be happy you have escape a destructive cult." Take care. Still Totally ADD
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  Vidiot

  Simon, are you...

  ...feeling OK?

  
  
• 

  Simon

  Our life is so much better, we have made new friends, I was able to take classes to become a master gardener, my wife wrote a small book on useful weeds that grow in your yard, we are active in our local farmers market and finally we in our mid 60's have started a herbal tea business.

  Good for you! It's never too late to start your life over. I think many people are too focused on the "sunk cost" of the time they spent in the WTS, like keeping hold of a bad investment instead of cutting their losses.
  

  Simon, are you ... feeling OK?

  Yeah, I'm going to go and have a lie down, that post really took it out of me. Did the room always spin like this?
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  Vidiot

  Okay...

  ...who are you, and what have you done with our beloved grumpy old webmaster???

  
  
• 

  Finkelstein

  I think anyone who leaves the lies, ignorance and corruption of the JWS cult is awesome
  

  ...............humanity doesn't need this , we need each other in a acceptance and compliance of intellectual honesty and knowledge ...... that is the "Truth"
  
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  RayoFlight2014

  Simon, this was such a beautiful topic and your words are healing for many who are in need of support.

  I don't like to see long-term members on this site seemingly continue to wallow in the negative impacts of their having been JW's.

  I hope they feel supported and proud of their personal achievement because this is what a recovery forum should be able to convey; a sense of self worth.

  To any who are struggling to move on: keep coming back here, but also seek professional psychological help. If you still find yourself continuing on in a depressed or negative state of mind search out a second or third professional therapist until you find one who actually does work for your unique individual circumstance.....and makes you feel and know you're awsome, again.

  Personally, I am very proud of my young 20 year-old self for making a very difficult decision that the 48 year old me is now reaping the benefits of, even though there were some devastating consequences and very hard times to deal with, I have made the best of a bad situation and turned it around through sheer determination, hard work and love.

  I hope you all can take heart at my example; even the least intelligent and financially impeded one among you was able to make positive change to his life and now thrives.

  The positives have far outweighed the negative impacts and consequences.

  I refuse to dwell too long on what I cannot change, but instead try to have courage to change the things I can, and, in the word of Sinead O'Connor, the wisdom to know the difference.

  https://youtu.be/0LoZqvMryMs

  Warm Regards to all,

  RayoFlight2014.
• 

  snare&racket

  With so much loss and cost to leaving the WT society, it is difficult ro remain positive at times.

  The decades of constant guilt is a potent emotional bedrock, rooted deep in the psyche, difficult to deconstruct and remove. I notice myself and others naturally shift the reason for guilt rather than battle it, because it is so immensely ingrained.

  The guilt, sadness and fears are not healthy. We lost so much time to an empty and selfish endeavor that serves good to nobody. It is vital to gain control of our life back as time is our most precious possession, With that time our purpose becomes evident, to be happy, fulfilled and willing to share that happiness with others. To have a family and instill the value or being a good human, seeking and sharing happiness when we can.

  Simon, you are so right....... to have even reached this forum is an act of stunning bravery and makes evident a hunger for truth, not comforting lies promising the world 'one day' in exchange for your life now. It is such a successful con, millions, billions fall for it. Few that were raised or coerced into such beliefs escape......

  I feel so proud to get to share this forum with such incredible and brave human beings. We all have our differences on politics, faith, grammar (lol), but nobody else on planet earth can understand what we have been through....... I have immense respect for you all.

  No matter how much we left behind, we all know we have done the right and moral thing DESPITE the institutional organised loss. The loss was out of our hands. Our loved ones and friends have made the choice to shun, we simply chose the truth.

  For every day of survival post your JW exit, a huge well done and deserved celebration.

  Once again, thank you Simon for the forum.

  Snare
• 

  Diogenesister

  Xanthippe Well said Simon! My husband and I volunteered for a charity called INFORM based at the London School of Economics for a while after we left the JWs. It helped people learn about religious cults of all kinds.

  Does it still exist Xanthippe? I studied for a bit at LSE. It was at that period my eyes were opened (Further education really is an enemy of cults) Boy just finding your way around that campus was hard enough, let alone the work! They also had a Confucius centre there, which always interested me.

  Thank you Simon. You yourself have contributed greatly to helping people break the shackles and become masters of their own destiny. At any time during human civilisation that is not something many have had the luxury of doing.
  
  
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  Diogenesister

  RayofLight2014 It’s interesting Sinead begins her song with the quote famously used by that offshoot of a religious cult - Alcoholics Anonymous. I’m 50\50 with how much good versus how much damage that pseudo religion does.🤔
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  RayoFlight2014

  Diogenesister,

  Thanks for that tidbit, I was unaware of the connection. 👍

  One would hope that a support group along with professional therapy could be of benefit, only the individual who is affected by such affliction could say if it provides a positive outcome.

  My thoughts had been more along the line of self introspection and positive change where one can make changes.😁

  Regards,

  RayoFlight2014.