True Identity
One Woman’s Journey to Joy
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Love is what we are designed for. Love is what we are called to give. Love is what we are to receive. Love just is. That isn’t an earth shattering message but it is life changing when we realize and truly understand the simple truth. Love just is. That simple truth hit me during meditation while Eric, a man that I have been learning how to love, is away. During this time, I started asking God, the universe, and my true self about this concept of love. As I did, I began to feel this radiating love I have for Eric and in that instance, I realized this type of love isn’t special because it’s not just something for Eric and I. It is something for everyone. Love just is. The other thing that began to unpack for me is in order to see that truth about love we have to remove the many of layers of unforgiveness. We all have areas of forgiveness to address, whether it’s of others, or ourselves. Many times, because of our attachments to those feelings, of lack and judgment, we forget that forgiveness can create blinders to how we are experiencing each other, and reacting to something within ourselves. I have always been fascinated with the idea of forgiveness and our resistance to it. I gravitated to truths shared by Patanjali, Mark Twain, Dr. Ken Wapnick and even Helen Shucman, the author of A Course in Miracles or ACIM and The Holy Bible. Forgiveness offers us the opportunity to transform and find the love that is accessible for all of us. This is not something that is accessible for just me but for the collective me’s of the world. My hope is through the retelling of my story with Eric it will help unfold this truth. So this is a story of us… not only Eric and I, but all of us, through my eyes of how I began the practice of forgiveness in order to see love. Hopefully it will lead us to realize the truth that “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.”
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About the Book
My memoir is a story of redemption, freedom from fears, my ego, and one of love and forgiveness. It is more than a story of falling in love with my now husband, although that was the classroom. But it is a story of questioning how we all can experience and know joy, without any particular thing going on, but rather finding it within.
About the Author
Rev. Imani Olear was ordained August 20, 2005 and is currently called to serve as the Senior Pastor of Reformation Lutheran Church, located in the downtown region of Rochester. Through the proclamation of the Gospel, public speaking, training and yoga, Rev. Olear works towards helping others heal from shame, forgiveness, reclaim the great commission and renewal & reconciliation both as a church and individually. “As a woman of color, that comes from brokenness, experienced hardship and struggle, abuse and self degradation I understand the need for peace in ones life. The book, “Living Buddha, Living Christ” by Thich Nhat Hanh has been an inspiration for creating a balance in my practice on the mat and off the mat, and equally importantly in the pulpit and outside of it. I strongly believe we all need to carve out time for stillness, as well as, look at sacred texts and our relationship to them. When we do, I have found that it can address issues around our feelings of brokenness and shame. Only when we begin to do that will we all find peace within instead of always seeking something outside of ourselves.” Through preaching, speaking and yoga the hope of Imani Olear is: Peace of mind for all; Peace of heart for all; Peace of community. And in turn, we all can say with confidence - Blessed are the peace- makers and be called children of God.