Posts by joelbear

16

Negativity is poo poo

by joelbear in

jw
friends

i used to think negativity was necessary in order to get a balanced view of a subject that i was analyzing.

part of a critical thought process.

i have decided that this is incorrect.

right now in the transitional stage from obsessive negativity to balanced positivity i need chemical help, but i hope that once i am able to rewire i may be able to handle my anxiety naturally. i'm not in a rush though. i am just enjoying this high. 15 days without a panic attack or depressive spiral and counting. yahooooooo!!!!!

29

Are you living your life fully knowing that you will one day die?

by JH in

jw
friends

as jw's it was out of the question to die.

the end was too close for that to happen, unless you had a bad accident or sickness.

most of us believed that we wouldn't die, and on top of that we were about to become young again.. since we will all die, do you make it a priority in your life right now to live it fully, and to love fully the ones you care for because every day you skip, its lost and won't come back..

joelbear

knowing that true worship doesn’t mean you sacrifice everything now because someone says you have to in order to gain everlasting life.

um errr, isn't that the Watchtower Society of Jehovah's Witnesses that says that. I remember talks at Bethel where we were questioned as to whether we were being wholesouled in Jehovah's service.

what about people who don't take blood transfusions.

what about people who pioneer their entire lives and live in a tiny trailer.

what about people who do a thousand different things that alter their life because the society said to do it.

This attitude is basically why I left the witnesses. the society says specifically to sacrifice, which I was willing to do in many ways, then I found out about all the non-sacrificers that were in line for the same reward as me. It just didn't jive man. and it still don't.

There is no unified idea of what a "balanced" life is or how much "sacrifice" is required. in the publications it is always "are you giving every single bit of your life that you can" to the preaching work. is that balance.

sheesh. utter goofiness.

21

Rising gas prices, field service, meetings

by Jourles in

jw
friends

i recalled the other day how several years ago my wife tacked on over 60k miles in about a year and a half on one of our cars while pioneering.

it still makes me ill thinking about it.

then i began to wonder how the recent gas price surge is affecting normal field service activities and meeting attendance.

joelbear

i heard the society would be sending money to each congregation for them to give out to the poor for gas money for service and meetings.

32

Are you a Generalist or a Specialist

by joelbear in

jw
friends

i am definitely a generalist, i have a bit of interest in 1000 things.

this is one of the reasons i have always been so unhappy, because i have attempted to force myself to be a specialist.

it just doesn't work.

joelbear

I am definitely a generalist, I have a bit of interest in 1000 things. This is one of the reasons I have always been so unhappy, because I have attempted to force myself to be a specialist. It just doesn't work. Specialists do great, they make lots of money and become famous for being the best at what they do. Wow, congratulations to them for their dedication, but for me it would be pure hell.

i like smorgasbords

i like variety tv

i like diversity

16

Negativity is poo poo

by joelbear in

jw
friends

i used to think negativity was necessary in order to get a balanced view of a subject that i was analyzing.

part of a critical thought process.

i have decided that this is incorrect.

joelbear

being forced to smile is not positive. i'm not talking about being a pollyanna and ignoring problems

i am talking about always attempting the change the perspective in your mind to seek a solution and

always keep thought flowing positively.

kinda like the little engine that could.

14

Would You Go To New Orleans' Mardi Gras This Year If You Could?

by minimus in

jw
friends

the french quarter's supposed to be open.

joelbear

its gonna be nutso crowded. lots of people love New Orleans. I will go sometime next year and I plan to spend a lot of money.

31

Do the Witnesses Still Go Door to Door?

by tfsm in

i have lived at my current address for approximately five years and i have not had any visits from the witnesses.

i don't really want any but here's the deal: i left "the truth" about fifteen years ago.

i wasn't disfellowshipped or anything and (since i moved to another state) it was a relatively clean break.

joelbear

there has always been a lack of enthusiasm except for the bizarrely devoted, they make up a smaller and smaller percentage of those that call themselves witnesses.

8

Self Pity and other worthless emotions.

by Big Dog in

i never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.

a small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.

d.h. lawrence.

joelbear

i agree, i almost totally destroyed myself with self pity and paranoia.

the good news is, that when you drop these practices, things start to improve around you almost immediately, friends, fun, experiences, opportunities. its incredible.

i'm so happy

yay

won't you be happy too, pretty please.

39