Just had a phone conversation with a good friend that went through the mormon decultification process around the same time I did 6 years ago. We talked about the happiness we've derived from trusting our own judgement, living authentically and throwing off the shackles of old responsibilities and the rigid mindset.


My life is anything but perfect, and I am married to a lifelong tbm, but all morning I've been basking in a sort of warm and contented feeling that feels an awful lot like genuine happiness. I believe it was somebody on this board that posted a quote about happiness being the result of living authentically.
I couldn't agree more.

Living authentically became my mantra a couple of years ago. I started going to counseling, and it became very obvious that the church and my path to authenticity were on a collision course. Something had to go; the church did. I couldn't stomach another mindless activity, another weepy testimony or another GA spouting something that felt wrong in my soul and gut. Thanks for the thread!

For too long I felt like I was living a double life. My real self around my non-member friends and a lie in front of my family and relatives.

So glad to rid myself of that facade.

May I suggest Brene Brown. She is a researcher and studies authentic living and vulnerability. Her blog is an excellent source of material.

http://www.ordinarycourage.com/

videos:
http://www.brenebrown.com/videos/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2013 06:12PM by upsidedown.

"happiness being the result of living authentically"

I don't think I have ever heard this before, but I like it. I had a very strange event happened last summer. I was sitting and pondering my life and everything in it and for the 1st time I think ever, I had this overwhelming sense of happiness. It feels trite writing this but it really felt different than it ever has before when I thought I was happy. This was much deeper. I'd like to think that this is a huge step in my recovery from Moism and that it does mean I am living more authentically.

Yes, I agree that living authentically from our own personal core brings us the most inner happiness and peace. It's so much more valuable when we do it ourselves.

In my case, it's been an evolutionary process stepping out of the teachings/doctrines/rituals/controls of religion and giving myself permission to build my own World View. And, allowing it to change as I gain more insight, information, understanding and enlightenment.