A 12-Step program for any Recovering Scientologist
Offered in compassion and understanding for all that every Scientologist has been through:
0. Realize that Scientology is only workable in that tight, little belief-system. It isn't all that workable outside in the real world. What you find workable depends on much larger and more powerful truths that have been around a much longer time - before this planet's written history, actually. What you personally find workable in Scientology is true for you - and resonates with you based on these larger truths which operate this universe we live in.
1. Get over any hostility or upset you feel toward Scientology or any Scientologist. You can control your attitudes - this was known by William James and even Aristotle, but is older that the Greeks. Hatred only burns you out inside. Learn to smile and change how you feel about things. Learn how to relax when stress hits your lines.
2. Clean up your room, your car, your home, your immediate living spaces. Get rid of anything that reminds you of Scientology. Throw it away or sell it. Replace it with something positive and aesthetic.
3. Where you can, disconnect or limit your contact with any active Scientologists for at least one month (or more if necessary). This will allow your new personal surroundings to help you cool off and re-center on more positive attitudes. To those you still have to deal with on a regular basis, be charitable and upbeat with them. (Smile and nod if you can't think of anything polite to say...)
4. Develop an open-minded attitude toward anything related to Scientology. Try to look at everything from as many possible viewpoints as possible. Seek the truth - which is something personal to you. Work to question and understand all your beliefs so you know why you believe that way and how it actually works for you, personally.
5. Surround yourself with inspirational and supportive material from many diverse authors. Listen to recordings during your commute and when you can during the day. Turn off the TV and any source which upsets you. Seek to live a peaceful life, in harmony with your surroundings. Learn from many sages and distill their wisdom into your own.
6. Write up your own experiences in a journal, a diary, or online. This is how you can learn from your decisions and actions. This allows you to get closure from any mistakes or lapses in judgment you may have experienced. Be charitable with yourself and seek to discover your own personal truths.
7. Discover your own purpose for your life. Find out what things make you happy and work to get these happening more often in your life. Let your purpose discover you - and act on what you find to get on-purpose in your life.
8. Stay positive. Those negatives of Scientology and life in general don't have to affect you unless you want to let them. Again, you can control your own attitude. Work to help others control theirs.
9. Realize that people are basically good and are trying to help themselves and everyone around them to improve their survival. As you work with people to acknowledge and strengthen that basic goodness, you'll find more of this showing up in your and their lives.
10. Invest some of your time, if you can, in working for an actual charity or good-works organization in your city or neighborhood. Give of yourself freely, without expectation of reward or repayment.
11. Help others recover from their time in and around Scientology. Don't force the issue, let them originate. Meanwhile, be cheerful and supportive of the good that they are and do.
12. Get on with your life. Find a project that fits your purpose and devote yourself to it. Start living for yourself and those around you with a zest.
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There are two principle points to these steps:
First, you are always going to get back what you give. If you are critical, antagonistic toward anything or anyone - you will get back that amount or more criticism or antagonism. By being charitable and understanding, supportive, you then get more understanding and help coming back to you. The more you help others, the more you receive help. Never expect the help to come back from where you invested it - that's not necessarily the way this universe operates. But acknowledge help when it arrives and know that there's more there - if you continue to give completely openhanded help freely around you.
Second, only compassion and understanding will allow those people in Scientology to discover the wide, wonderful world their cult has separated them from. Allow them to transition gradually. Help them as you can to live peaceful, tolerant lives - in harmony with everyone around them, not separate.
As you treat all your experiences in Scientology as learning ones, you can get the lessons and move on. Life has many, many lessons to be learned. Often, you are reminded about various situations you've encountered several times - because there are many different lessons to be learned from a single experience.
This world is not a perfect place, but perhaps we can make it more livable and joyous if we seek to live in peace with everyone - and help them to live peacefully as best we can. When you see someone trying to be different, separate from those around them, realize that this doesn't make you or them wrong. They have a difference of opinion about how to live life. But you can know in your heart that what you put out into this universe is what you are going to get back.
So, be at peace, live at peace - and help others toward this goal. And then - if we get the bulk of this planet working toward that aim - we can make real progress toward a permanent peace on earth.
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