Sorry, I wanted to clarify one other thing. this really is a post spurred on by the idea of saying "no"
In my work with my old psychologist we worked a lot on my feelings of guilt and the idea of a "god complex" as he called it. He would try to show me that often my idea of being nice was really a result of my "god complex" and the idea that little old me would have any sort of effect whatsoever on situations outside of my control. For example, I once suffered unnecessarily over a dinner I arranged for some very good clients at one of my villas. We went to the restaurant I recommended and had arranged and the dinner was awful- incredibly slow service, tiny portions, bad food, etc. I felt such tremendous guilt and regret over this that I dedicated an entire hour of therapy to it. He explained I had a god-complex to feel somehow responsible for this. I was simply trying to explain that I felt bad that I had talked up the restaurant and then had them spend money there when it was anything but good. but he was on about this god-complex.
This situation with the Jehovah's Witnesses could fall into that category I suppose. I somehow feel that ME, me me me, could possibly do something to help these people when in reality it is not like I am chartering an airplane and flying them straight into the great big castle in the sky myself.
I am really trying to do sobriety differently this time, after my last relapse. I am willing to do anything and everything and I see now that I must do important work on myself. I want to be a better person, live an honest and honorfull life and I need to work out how to do that while still staying true to my nature. So, being nice, helpful, generous, empathetic (for those are the qualities I most cherish in myself) but not doing so in a dishonest way. For example here, being able to tell these people I do not want to join their religion and not accepting their visits or materials but do so in a way that feels nice, helpful, generous and empathetic.
Oi oi.