what if you found out that everything you hold near and dear to your heart has been a lie?

Sadly life is FULL of heartbreaking moments that Shatter our perception of "truth" and many other components of a happy, easy life. You have to realign reality, truth and what matters MOST often in life I've found.

I've found that the key is finding & forming your own foundational TRUTHS that you have come to recognize and understand. More often than not when we are faced with such shattering moments as you name here it is because we are basing our world or life view on OTHERS and not TRUTHS.

IMO

Believe it or not, I have just realised it. Not everything, but something quite big. So I am shattered but trying to build myself up. I just have to accept it, I can't do anything else. Just waiting till it all blows over.

It was a lie, but it doesn't change the fact that I was honest. However much, others have been laughing at me. It doesn't matter as my respect for them has gone. I only have myself left and I know that whatever I did, I did it because I was for real, because I was truly affected. It is a harsh lesson for me, not to be so emotionally involved. Even though I never do this anyway. But it happened can't turn back time, I have learnt a lot. Just need to be strong now and bear whatever happens with the circus people with patience.

I will forget about them, they were a lie but I am not and never will be.

I have been there, done that. It turns your whole world upside-down, especially when you were raised in a christian cult as I was.

My whole though process was distorted. I did not have a personal conscience- I just did as I was told. I never asked questions. I was never allowed to (Or I would have been kicked out of the congregation for non-believing.)

It has taken me since December to finally be at a place to where i can relax and move on.

If you are experiencing similar feelings then I feel for you. hang on! You will find your true self soon.

I've already been told that everything I hold near and dear to my heart is the truth.

That happened to me about 15 years ago with some dog people in another city. I did everything for this one lady - I put her on a pedestal, but when the time came for her to help me, all I got was "I was just feeling sorry for you. - everyone was". I was devastated, and it took me years to bounce back. But I did.

Like my marriage to my ex-husband, who cheated during the whole marriage?

You get over it and move on, think about the good times, take what you can from it--time heals all wounds. You become a better person from your trials

Do you mean like taking the red pill, or realizing that when I thought I was praying to God, I was really just talking to myself and hoping for an answer?

as my religious beliefs go. I would rather live a life believing in God and find out that there is none, than living a life not believing in God and find out there is one.

Been there, done that. I even have the discharge papers.

You've got to love those "what if" questions