No drugs, no meditation…really?
Yes, really. Not only did my shift in consciousness occur without any outside influences, but it happened despite my disbelief in God and my lack of awareness of spirituality.
Full disclosure: I did have an early grounding in the Anglican faith.
Throughout my childhood, my mom took my siblings and me to church, where I felt particularly drawn to the parables - stories of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Hearing ancient tales like the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Lost Sheep filled me with a warmth and light I didn’t understand. I never spoke of it, but I carried it in my heart like a kind of inner sunshine.
By the time I reached my teenage years, however, those magical moments of resonance were buried under the pressure to conform. Raised to “behave properly” in order to be loved, I lost my Self in pursuit of perfection, slipping into patterns of invisibility and people-pleasing.
Believing that God also operated from a place of judgement and retribution, I drifted away from my inner child and lost faith in any higher power. Sunday church services seemed less of an uplifting experience and more of an excuse for the congregation to mill about afterwards, drinking coffee and gossiping about their neighbours. Disenchantment with religion aligned naturally with my mom’s return to work, so regular church services became a thing of the past.
Decades later, despite my departure from religion, the light remained. Even in the face of loss, betrayal, loneliness, darkness, and despair, a small corner of my heart held onto those wonder-filled moments. It was this tiny part of me that ultimately saved my life - allowing me to reconnect not only with myself and my soul, but with the Source of Divine Love.
My mom wanted to call my sudden personal transformation a miracle - an idea that I immediately rejected.
Miracles are often seen as rare, reserved for the spiritually deserving few. But, in my heart, I know the opposite to be true. Transformation -shifts in consciousness, enlightenment, individuation - is available to everyone.
Once you experience such a shift, you are forever changed: profoundly grateful, and aware of your reason for being.
The clarity of my true purpose was instantaneous and undeniable. I was meant to pave a path for others to follow. I was meant to share my experience in such a way that would be easily understood - without the need for religion, spiritual expertise, plant medicine, hypnosis, drugs, meditation, yoga retreats, or gurus.
Not that I dismiss any of these paths - everyone’s journey is different. But what filled me with such excitement was the simplicity of my experience. Difficult, yes - but simple.
Instead of believing a lifetime of negative conditioning, I changed my mind. I fought my inner critic with everything I had, knowing with absolute certainty that I was fighting for my life. The moment I chose to defy my ego and defend my inner child was the moment I opened my heart and rekindled the small flame of love that had been there all along.
Do I believe in God now? If God is Love, then the answer is a resounding, “Yes!”
Change your mind - change your life. It’s really that simple.
D 🩵
