When I was in the prayer practitioner training at Agape back in the 90’s I had a realization that really changed how I lived every single day of my life.

Catch this: I realized that if I didn’t judge myself for my errors, but instead, could have loving compassion for myself, then there’d be more love expressed in the world BECAUSE I made an error – and that was good and beneficial for ALL beings!

Choosing to have compassion for myself, meant that I wasn’t judging myself. There’s no way to be in judgment of myself AND also hold myself in Love simultaneously. By choosing to stop judging myself, and instead to extend loving understanding to myself, I was learning how to live without taking offense and then no forgiveness was necessary.

This is Freedom – the result of spiritual practice.

And this was how I began to practice forgiveness AS non-judgment. When there’s no judgment, no forgiveness is necessary and life is MUCH easier. This way we can stay in our loving hearts and there’s no back tracking to clean up a mess. I really like that.

Plus, it’s much more peaceful. Easier on the nerves. More productive.

It was around this same time that people began to say things to me like “you’re so full of light.” I would look around to see who they were talking to, because I knew it couldn’t possibly be me.

Full of Light? Me? Nah.

I remember saying to my BFF, “can you believe people are saying I’m a real light in the world? That’s so crazy.”

And she said to me, “Yeah, Jennifer, you ARE a light in this world.”

Who? Me? What?

More and more people began to comment on how light-filled I was. I knew then as I know now, that it was because of this practice of non-judgment. It was because every day I had the opportunity to turn my seeming errors into successes.

And every day, more Love was being expressed in the world because I made the error.

For instance, let’s say I’m going somewhere and all of a sudden it starts to pour rain and I don’t have an umbrella and now I’m running into all kinds of issues and I’m going to be late and show up all soaking wet too. I didn’t check the weather, didn’t plan ahead and now I’m in the soup. I call this a “tactical error.”

When there’s a tactical error I say to myself, “well, here’s a good learning for me. I’m a life-long learner, so this is helpful to me. Next time, I’ll do know to do it differently and have a more desirable result. This is a good thing. I’ve learned something.”

No judgment.
No attack.
No complaint.
No problem – only learning, compassion and understanding.

I realize now that this was the beginning of my becoming a teacher. I was embodying my Higher Holy Spirit Self – the knower who knows – my inner teacher and guide.

I found that I was SO VERY grateful that I could choose to be loving with myself instead of tearing myself down. I began to look for more and more opportunities to be kind to myself and others.

This was a big change for me because I had been a dedicated grievance and grudge holder. I literally thought it was my moral responsibility to never forget the insults and injuries and to wear them in my energetic field like a warrior who has scars on their body and chinks in their armor.

I’d been living as a grudge holder for so long that I had completely lost track of how much energy it took.  Judging and complaining are a HUGE energy drain.  

What changed things for me was I began to realize that just as I had learned to not attack myself for my tactical errors, when others made errors such as being rude, unkind or thoughtless, I could go first with kindness and compassion and help them come back to their right mind by not judging them, and by not taking offense. I liked that so much more than tearing them down and attacking them.

In this practice with others, just as with myself, I learned that it’s so much easier and faster to heal when I take full responsibility for my choices and for everything around me. Then I can extend compassion to all and harvest the learning from everything.

What naturally began to occur is that the sense I’d had for so long of feeling like a fake began to disappear and then it went, never to return. WOW!

I’ve learned so much that has empowered me to share with others, to offer classes, workshops and retreats, to be a spiritual counselor to others and to write this daily inspiration.

I used to wonder how the heck would I be able to really follow my calling. It felt so completely daunting because I was caught up in the “how would it unfold in the world of form.” I didn’t think I had the resources.

I had a lot of debt. I wasn’t good at earning money. I was still self-medicating intensely.

And then my prayer that the way be shown to me was answered by my reading something Jesus said when he walked the earth. He said:

If I be lifted up, I draw all unto me.

Suddenly, I heard what he meant. I realized that this was the answer to my prayers!

Instead of focusing on how to make this ministry happen in the world, I turned my attention to the inner lifting up. I put my focus on taking out the trash in my belief system – that old B.S. – and practicing forgiveness and compassion, kindness and generosity, patience and Peace.

I began to feel the lifting up happening, the old patterns fell away, the way began to clear and all manner of wonderful opportunities started to come to me.

I began to see choices that I wasn’t available to before because I wasn’t a vibrational match. Instead of criticizing others, I began to extend my heart to them and offer them a blessing – and the whole universe began to do the same with me. it was a true turning and transformation.

I no longer felt like a fake anymore, because I wasn’t faking. I was being more loving and compassionate with each day – even when I fell down and forgot, I could pick myself up with Love and compassion and immediately be back on track.

I developed humility.
Humility is the key that opens the door to awakening.

Are you wishing to share your gifts and talents, but feel like you’ve been playing small?
Do you have self-doubt you’d like to transform so that you can share from Spirit and inspire others?  The programs we offer are designed to support you in doing just that.  You can book an Exploratory Call with one of the Quantum Counselors who can help you decide if one of our programs is right for you right now or in the future.

Power of Love In-Person Retreat Memorial Day Weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina!  Friday May 23 to Monday, May 26.

TODAY:  Sundays With Spirit – join me for inspiration and music today at 5pm eastern.  We’ll have a healing and be lifted and shifted together!

RETREAT! Let’s get away together and have some fun while we’re having a lift-off!  Power of Love In-Person Retreat Memorial Day Weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina! May 23 to May 26 – Come away with us! From the very first retreat I led back in 1998, people have been telling me that these retreats are life-changing, mind-expanding, heart opening – and OF COURSE THEY ARE! My intention is so strong that we have an amazing experience of transformation while also having fun, remembering to laugh and enjoying ourselves together. Let’s have a wonderful time together up in those glorious Blue Ridge Mountains, doing our spiritual work and playing, having fun, eating delicious food, getting spa treatments and relaxing in spiritual community together. Things are so intense right now – let’s get a way for along weekend and open ourselves to new insight and inspiration. We’ll anchor the Highest Vision for our life and let go of limiting habits and beliefs. The mountains alone are worth the trip! Let’s play!  Click here for more info!

LATEST ACIM PODCAST EPISODE: my topic is Finding the Highest Path of Happiness. Happiness often seems elusive. It feels like no matter how hard and long we study spiritual teachings there’s something preventing us from just being happy. And there is – we just can’t see it. In this week’s episode, I share fundamental truths that so many ACIM students completely miss, but it’s right there in the text, and it’s a beautiful invitation to a life that’s really enjoyable.