I am sure there are plenty of threads on this already, but I wasn't having much luck with the search feature. I am trying to get some ideas for books that will help motivate me/help me feel more comfortable with coming out. I would prefer something I can get in audio book format. I have an 11 hour drive coming up in the next week and I am hoping to come out to a friend a few days after that. Want to do what I can to nix the anxiety that has stopped me from coming out to them previously. Thanks! Feel free to link to any existing threads on this topic that I managed to miss.
Sorry I can't be of any help to you but I will be watching for responses. Just wanted to wish you all the best in taking your first step out of the closet. Good luck
I don't really know any books for this purpose. But I just wanted to offer my support to you. I'm in a similar situation - been trying to motivate myself to come out to a friend for the past week or so. I've sort of wussed out every time thus far, haha. So I think I can relate to how you feel. Best wishes for your success with this! Just keep trying! I'll be doing the same. :icon_wink
Well you're a guy, but one book that I absolutely loved was "Same sex in the city" because even though it's directed to lesbians it was just so direct and inspiring, and it helped me to get comfortable in my own skin. I would wake up one morning with this feeling of guilt and hate and disgust and I would just read one page and I would feel absolutely renewed. Every step I took towards my new life was because of it. Good luck on your search to coming out.
I wonder if you'd like Dan Savage's podcast. It's free on iTunes, and there are years of back issues to listen to. I have a lot of problems with Dan Savage, but nobody will motivate you to come out like he will.
I wouldn't be listening anything to heavy if I was driving for 11 hours, although here are some non LGBT recommendations. Eat, Pray, Love This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. Why, because a lot of us have to go through change in our lives to make things better, maybe for a change of scenery or a change in relationship. I would watch a Youtube trailer, that way when driving you can visualize the characters in the book. or this one. Sadly I just checked, not available in audio edition. :icon_sad: so read it when you get back available on kindle edition. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: After too many years of unfulfilling work, Bronnie Ware began searching for a job with heart. Despite having no formal qualifications or experience, she found herself working in palliative care. Over the years she spent tending to the needs of those who were dying, Bronnie's life was transformed. Later, she wrote an Internet blog about the most common regrets expressed to her by the people she had cared for. The article, also called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, gained so much momentum that it was read by more than three million people around the globe in its first year. At the requests of many, Bronnie now shares her own personal story. Bronnie has had a colourful and diverse past, but by applying the lessons of those nearing their death to her own life, she developed an understanding that it is possible for people, if they make the right choices, to die with peace of mind. In this book, she expresses in a heartfelt retelling how significant these regrets are and how we can positively address these issues while we still have the time. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying gives hope for a better world. It is a story told through sharing her inspiring and honest journey, which will leave you feeling kinder towards yourself and others, and more determined to live the life you are truly here to live. This delightful memoir is a courageous, life-changing book. Why, because at the end of your life do you want to lead the life you think you and others think, as in society/family expectations have think you should lead or the one you want to lead to be a happier healthier person overall.
One book that helped me, though it's not so much motivation to come out as it is insight into how family members deal with your coming out, is Love, Ellen by Betty Degeneres.
Thanks everyone. Sounds like there is no silver bullet to help me get motivated, but I am definitely going to look into all the books listed above. Peace!
Hadn't heard of Same Sex and the City but just quickly checked out a review and it seems like exactly the type of thing I want to read right now. Can't see it available as an ebook in the UK but will have another look later. Thanks for the recommendation Not a film, but one thing that really makes me feel motivated is a scene in "Milk" - the biographical film about Harvey Milk. There's a bit before an important vote, I think on whether or not the state should ban gay teachers, where he speaks to the gathered group on how people coming out influences the view of the people who know them. Also seen a few surveys lately saying the same; how people are far more likely to support same-sex rights if they know that a friend / relative is gay. That scene always makes me feel motivated but then it unfortunately tends to wear off a bit when I try to tell someone in reality.
