What Do You Value in your Life Now that you Exited the Witnesses ? (page 2)

MidwichCuckoo

I can be 'true to myself'. I don't have to consider what JWs think of me anymore (I was judged unfairly enough when I was one, falsely accused of wrongdoing). I don't have to think twice about something - stopping to consider if something is 'approved by the 'Society'. I AM true to myself. I'm not a hypocrite and have no fear of what a mindless cult can threaten me with.

MMXIV

I value time. I can wake up at a weekend and do what I want and when I want without having to worry about making excuses or being seen. It's great not having a meeting hanging over me during the week too.

I can base my desicions on logic, common sense and experience rather than someone's interpretation of the WTS literature and don't feel like I need to justify myself.

MMXIV

rocketman

For me it's time as well. I feel like I can live one day at a time now; when I was a jw, it all seemed to blend together in a constant flurry of meetings, field service, etc. Even Bible reading is much more enjoyable now - I can take my time and read it instead of rushing just to get through the "assigned" reading.

snowbird

I value my health, exploring things for myself, the time to research my ancestry and upbringing - incidentally, I'm finding some surprising and sometimes unsavory stuff.

LOL.

I'm also thinking about seeing a psychiatrist to find out why I abhor intimacy.

Asperger's Syndrome comes to mind, but I would like to be sure.

Great topic, Flipper.

Sylvia

anewme

I value my freedom....freedom to spend my time and life the way I want to. Whether it is with family and friends or out of doors with nature, I decide.

I love the new house I bought. Having my own house was always important to me, but my former JW husband wanted only to rent. We gulped down all the mind control about not having kids and keeping free of a mortgage because any day the Great Trib might begin and we wanted to stay free to flee to the mountains. OMG! Now I look back at the fantasy we lived and just shake my head at how naive and stupid I was.

I always just wanted my own home and happy family life. It is what I have now. It is not interfered with by some outside body of elders and weekly mind control meetings.

I also got a job where I am the boss now.

I now value being the one in control.

LongHairGal

Flipper,

I most value my freedom and it was NEVER my intention to join a dictator-like ever-morphing monster of a religion. I was only interested in end-time prophecy when I joined the JW religion, totally ignorant of its past. I never accepted anybody's divine claims and nobody there ever got any special respect from me. (If I was ever nice to an elderly 'anointed' person, it was respect for their age and nothing else. ) I also re-discovered and cherish my self-esteem. I came from a troubled home and tried to build my self-esteem in the difficult post-adolescent years. I now have peace of mind and the freedom of not concerning myself what these people think. The only people's opinions I care about are my family and few friends and my employer, because he is paying me.

I had a lot of hard knocks in the world and made sure I realized my potential and worth. It was a painful learning process. Then, I joined the JW religion which tried to erode my self-esteem because they have serious issues about women. I always got the sense some people there were jealous and wanted to abase me. I know it sounds sick but I think my instincts were right on target. I had no intention of allowing these or any other morons to strip me of a natural human right.

No more religion for me.

serenitynow!

Being able to just see the good in people, not seeing everyone as gross sinners who need a bible study.

Going to the store and not have to make sure that the dress is long enough that I can wear it on the stage- or just wear to the KH period, or buy comfy, modest shoes for FS.

Sleeping in on the weekends like a normal person.

Being able to have my own thoughts and opinions w/out being made to feel guilty.

Meeting Junkie No More

EVERYTHING! One thing I have found that has greatly changed for me is that I now plan more; before there never seemed to be any point in making long-term plans because everything was sinking out of sight any day now. It is so good not living under that 'time left is reduced' mentality; heck, I may be here another 50 years if I look after myself properly so I can dream about a ton of things yet untried, unexplored, undone. Wish I could write more, but difficult to do so while at work...

Magwitch

Too many things to mention...However a big one to me is being able to buy dresses that do not come down to the middle of my calves.

Diamonds

Thanks for this topic - it's very positive as it makes us reflect on all the good things we have in our life.

I value knowing that I am a free thinking person who can make my own decisions in every aspect of my life, i value learning how to be less judgemental and more accepting of all people, i value being able to do my volunteer work with children and young people which is something i never would have been able to do as a witness, i value the opportunity to get back onto the original career path i had planned before i was dissuaded to by a pioneer when i was a teenager. As I woman I particularly value not being classed as a subordinate to men (i.e. like a second class citizen). I greatly value having met my lovely husband.

What Do You Value in your Life Now that you Exited the Witnesses ?

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