THIS HELPED ME. Your opions please

by xjwms 11 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  xjwms

  Friday February 18 I arrived in Orlando for a Tony Robbins Event: "UNLEASH THE POWER WITHIN"

  I went to cleanse the mind of anything unwanted, ... and to replace with strong, powerful, positive direction. By Sunday at 7PM. I felt better

  than I had in years. I was free. Today a few weeks later I feel as good as I ever have. And I want to SHARE something with all of you.

  After registration, in the welcome pack was a sheet of paper with a frame around the border. We were told to write down the "One Thing"

  that HAD to be out of your life. It had to the biggest thing that you wanted to rid yourself of. It had to be what you believe is holding you

  back from moving forward in every aspect of your life. Then in small groups they led us down to the parking lot. There was a fire.

  Huge logs burning at least 15 feet wide and 5 to 6 logs high ... full flame. The heat was unreal. We lined up in along the fire and

  one man, loud booming voice said we will have a change in our lives this weekend. And it begins with burning the first of many

  burdens that we will discover, we were to crumble the paper, approch the fire, through it in, and watch it burn. This is now the beginning

  of freedom. I wrote: ""The Watchtower Org and all of its teachings!"". Oh my God please free me of 50 years of Pain. And Hurt.

  I will never forget the burning paper in that fire, It so real to me now, today, as it was then.

  In the first few hours of this event we learned : Why humans do the things they do. And, The universal force is human need.

  There are six human needs -- fundamental drives within each one of us -- that compel us forward in a quest to experience a

  life of meaning. Now these are NEEDS, not wants or desires, just NEEDS.

  Certainty Everybody wants stability about their basic necessities, food, shelter, and other material resources. THIS IS THE PART--

  When people cannot control their physical circumstances they may seek certainty through a state of mind such as religious faith.

  Uncertainty People have a need to change their state, to exercise their body and emotions. We like Sports Games, -- Who

  is going to win. We like movies, can't leave now, how is it going to end.

  Significance Everybody needs to feel special and important in some way. Some have careers with titles DR. or RN. Some get

  angry, forcing others to do things out of anger. Some get depressed, so others will feel sorry for then And, as we all know

  some seek fancy names in the cong as elder or ms or pioneer etc.

  Connection Humans need to feel connected with someone or something, -- a person, an ideal, a value, a habit, or sense of identity.

  Growth Everything in the universe is either growing or dying --- there is no third alternative.

  Contribution Just as people cannot surivive without others contributing in some way to their welfare. Contributing to help others.

  No baby grew up on its own.

  This was only the beginning of four days, of solid steps to lasting change. We laughed, and cried, -- and by the peak of Sunday

  3800 people attending moaned in agony, and the intensity of raw feelings, as we saw how the future would be if we did not get rid

  of the pains of our past. Now as I look to the future I see some one different, someone who better, and getting better everyday.

  PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF SHARING THIS WITH ALL OF YOU, ... HELPS IN ANY WAY.
• 

  Honesty

  You cut the chains of opression and tyranny loose with that post.

  Welcome to the real world!!

  It gets better and better and better and better and better and better and better and......
• 

  wanderlustguy

  Absolutely it helps. Granted I'm not starting a fire behind my office to throw my vodoo dolls into, but the point is valid. One of the difficulties I'm finding is that we are fightning a battle against something most people can't even see or understand, so some of us think its just in our head and not a "real problem" at times. Doing what you guys did gave tangability to your problems, and while you all had different things written down, together you all threw your respective burdens ino the fire, none were more or less significant than the other, and you had credibility from all the other people doing what you did. The problems were'nt unreal or intangible anymore, you faced them in a very real and material way. You created your "vodoo doll" with your problem and then destryed it.

  I think it's a great idea.
• 

  Special K

  sounds like you had a very wonderful experience that will be life lasting for you.

  Very interesting, I have heard and done the writing and burning thing before but never in the context of such a huge Timber fire as this one. Very symbolic and cleansing.

  Maybe I'll pick up one of his books at the library and have a read.

  thanks for sharing your experience

  Special K
• 

  Goldminer

  Sounds like something I would have enjoyed.I've always wondered what makes other people tick.

  I have the programs The Psychology of Winning by Dennis Waitley and Lead The Field by Earl Nightingale and they've been a tremendous help to me in understanding people around me and in personal growth.

  I laughed when you said you you wrote down WTS on your paper to burn,that is exactly what I was thinking I would have wrote had I been there.I hope you really enjoyed your week-end and learned a lot from it.
• 

  cyber-sista

  thank you for sharing this--I think it is signifigant. It sounds as if it helped you to break through some of the road blocks set up by the WT and to now move ahead in a positive direction. I think the bonfire idea is good--a symbolic physical act to rid yourself of the bondage. Next time I have a barbeque I think I will burn up some of my words in the fire.

  cybs
• 

  candidlynuts

  many grieve the loss of their lives as jw's. even though they know the wtbs is wrong, the years of faith, the loss of friends etc is traumatic. many symbolicy throw away the damage done by burning or throwing away their publications , bookbags, neckties , etc. i've known people who have written letters to God and tore them up or burned them. that, along with what your group did, is a physical way of showing your determination to get better and move on and its great!

  i'm glad you are healing and if you get any more insights please do share them because your comments may help any one of us.
• 

  zen nudist

  I may get grief for this but what else is new....

  I disagree... from everything I have learned, the ONLY way to truly heal is to recognize that each of us are ONE with reality in total and that rejecting any part of our wholeness means a pain suppressed not eliminated or healed.... only when the perfection of reality is accepted and the ideal fantasies which make us reject reality are seen for what they are can we truly be healed.
• 

  cyber-sista

  Translation Zen?

  Are you saying that if we recognize our basic needs as human beings and then understand why we were involved in such a group as the WT Org that we can forgive ourselves for being Oh so human and then be able to move on with life. I do believe that many in the WT Org are there because they are seeking to have a need fulfilled that has not been previously fulfilled in their lives, much like kids from broken family lives who join gangs just so they can be a part of something or belong to something greater then themselves I see this in many people who join the WT Org and I feel sorry for them as they are broken and in need of a fix, but what the WT has offered them has many strings attached. I can say that this is the reason that I joined up with the WT Org in my adult life, because of not having certain needs met in my earlier life....But, I think it is differnet with those who have been raised in it, as the WT was not their choice and maybe not their need, but they were programmed in childhood to be needy of the WT. Later when it comes a time in their lives when they see the WT for what it really and they have to make the break it seems that closure of the WT life is something that helps many people to move ahead. True it is something that will always be a part of my experience in life, but I no longer want it to be in control of my actions and a negative influence on my life today.

  well that's my 2 cents,

  cybs
• 

  Whiskeyjack

  I always get a good laugh with Mr. Robbins. Any activity framework (which is all he provides IMHO) can be useful in managing our emtional contraints (I believe the Greeks were right and much of our personality is gentically passed on to us by our parents) that hijack our intellects ("I don't know why I keep doing this stuff" type of thing).

  I wouldn't forget my time in the org. but accept it and acknowledge its accumulated effect (I still snicker arrogantly when I meet other people calling themselves christian!) on my biases, thinking abilities and action abilities (Tony's specialty).

  It is part of your life experience and can be used in your personal development as you re-formulate you life-philosophy. You are the only one that can hold you back. Use Tony by all means, but slow, painful thinking is unavoidable in the long run. But it is worth it!

  W.