The Positive Things l Learned Being A JW

messenger

OK, perhaps you may think I have lost it, but I got to thinking of how everyone seems to dwell on the negative aspect of being a JW. How about a positive approach? While I never plan to ever be a JW again I can recall some positives that happened along the way, here are a few that come to mind:

1. Learned to be a speaker.
2. Learned to think on my feet.(door to door)
3. Had some nice group camping trips.
4. Enjoyed working at conventions, comradre.
5. Enjoyed the feeling at the end of a Quick/Build.
6. Got a kick out if my children's first presentation.
7. Learned about how politics work. (helped on the job)
8. Praise as an example.
9. Administration work, big goof off during convention.
10. Bethel, learned there were one hundred ways to do things and you do it the company way. (good lesson in life)

Please don't get me wrong, I am not becoming nostalgic for WT, but along the way you can't suppress it all as being wicked and bad. As with any religion you maybe associated with, if there were not any positives no one would ever go to church. WT demanded a high price for any positives it offered far to much for what it was worth, yet since you paid so much for this stuff you might as well think about some of the good you got. If I listed the negatives the list would be far longer and of much greater cost. It seems a good part of the forum devotes it time and energy to the "bad" list. I understand many need to get it out of their head and on paper to understand it. They should not be condemned in any way for doing so, But in some ways you might look at it as a bad marriage, no matter how bad it was there was some good. If a person continues to focus only on how rotten things were, soon it affects them for the worse, if they eventually do not let it go, accept what happened and move on in their relationships.

By perhaps trying to see some of the positives it helps me to see as with anything in life, you had a learning experience and hopefully it made you a better person in the end.

So I ask you, What are the positive things you learned about being a JW?

Maxee

I learnt to be a good salesperson i apreciate the org for that .
My experience also left me with the belief on how powerful the mind is.

Last but not least it did give me an interest in all things spiritual
and the importance of research when making a decision on something .

somebody

<------ Still trying to think of at least one positive thing I learned from being a JW. I can't say that there was anything positive at all about it.

Mommie Dark

I learned how to smile no matter how desperate I feel inside. I learned how to say, 'I'm fabulous, thanks for asking' no matter how crappy I feel. I learned how to smack a little kid around and make him scared of the future.

And I'm positive it isn't worth being a JW to obtain these skills!

"One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name."
Thomas Mordaunt

Prisca

Excellent idea, messenger! As you said, there had to be some positives in being a JW, or else we wouldn't have remained one for more than a minute!

1. Learnt more about the Bible than I think I normally would have.
2. Learnt to speak to strangers easily (overcame my shyness).
3. Became more aware of world events (especially those that could lead to Armageddon!!!).
4. Sense of unity with people, despite them being complete strangers.
5. Travelled the world and saw places I mightn't have had the inspiration to see (on International Convention tours)