Practical Wisdom: Living 5D in a 3D World
Integrating higher consciousness into everyday life—one miracle at a time
Beloved Friend,
For years, I thought I was awake simply because I was “spiritual.” I was teaching workshops, quoting Jesus, and talking about love and light at Unity North. But there’s a difference between talking the talk and walking the walk—and I learned that the hard way, as most lessons are learned in the 3D world.
In 2011, as my marriage to Ken began to strain, I felt Jesus guiding me to A Course in Miracles. I had already been teaching The Power of Awareness (a workshop Jesus gave me about noticing the two voices in our head—love or fear, God or ego). Ken had been my eager student, soaking up every word, volunteering at my workshops, and even memorizing the material.
But something subtle and dangerous crept in—spiritual righteousness.
Ken began “preaching” my workshop back to me and my son, Spencer, and I noticed my own ego doing the same thing to him. We were quoting truth, but we weren’t living it. My ego had simply put on a spiritual costume.
That’s when ACIM entered my life. I devoured the entire book in two weeks. It was like water to a soul dying of thirst. What stunned me most was how directly it addressed the undoing of the ego—especially the spiritualized ego. It was as if Jesus was saying:
“Laina, you can’t hide behind your workshops, your words, or your ‘teacher’ identity. You must face your judgments, your defensiveness, and your need to be right.”
I wanted a holy relationship with Ken. I wanted Love to guide us, not our spiritual egos. But while The Power of Awareness gave me tools to see projections, ACIM gave me the map to undo them. It showed me that if I was still defensive, still pointing out others’ faults, still needing to win an argument—I was not awake, no matter how spiritual I looked on the outside.
The Manual for Teachers stopped me in my tracks:
“God’s teachers do not judge. To judge is to be dishonest, for to judge is to assume a position you do not have.” — A Course in Miracles, M-4.II.2
That pierced me. I realized that every time I judged Ken—or anyone—I was always coming from ego. Judgment meant I was assuming I knew better, that I was right, and that I was entitled to sit on God’s throne. The truth was humbling: every judgment was a defense of my false self.
And so began a deeper level of purification. Through countless painful opportunities in that relationship, I learned the value of humility. It hurt my ego to stay silent instead of defending my righteousness. It hurt to surrender the need to be right. But that pain was the undoing of ego, the stripping away of what kept me from peace.
Over the next few years, I dedicated myself to embodying the Ten Characteristics of God’s Teachers in the ACIM Manual for Teachers. I learned that trust, honesty, tolerance, gentleness, defenselessness, and joy weren’t concepts—they had to become my way of being. Though my marriage did not survive, what did was something infinitely greater: the undoing of my spiritual righteousness and the discovery of true humility.
This is why I emphasize to my students the embodiment of the ten characteristics detailed in the Manual for Teachers of ACIM. Too many of us—especially in New Age circles—can “know” all the language of spirituality while still being asleep to our own ego. The Manual offers a way out. Not a way to look spiritual, but a way to be free.
In time, I discovered that freedom doesn’t come from being right. It comes from letting go of needing to be right. One who is truly awake is gentle and peaceful. Certain and trusting. Generous and honest. No longer striving to appear spiritual, but simply living in alignment with Love.
The gift I received from my marriage was immeasurable: the recognition of how insidious spiritual ego can be—and the joy of choosing peace instead.
Practice for the Week
When you catch yourself judging, pause. Remember: judgment is always ego claiming it knows better while strengthening separation. Ask Spirit to purify your perception. Then step back into gentleness, defenselessness, trust, and peace.
Would you like to walk this path together?
Inside The Awareness Academy, I teach how to apply ACIM to real-world events, release the ego's tyranny, and embody God’s Love in action.
This Week in the Academy:
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🌱 Live ACIM Basic Class for all members in the Curiosity Stage (open to all members): Mondays @ 3:00 EST
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❤️ Live Healing through Current Events for the Mastery Stage: Mondays @ 7:30 EST
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🌀 Live ACIM Advanced Class for the Foundation Stage: Tuesdays @ 7 PM EST
- 🌟 Ten Characteristics of a Teacher of God 12 Week Series started on August 28th at 6 PM EST - Please join the Awareness Academy to participate in this FREE workshop series and watch the recordings of any class you miss.
Guest Teacher of the Month
- To discover the healing power of sound, join us on September 25th for a journey with the Sonic Yogi, my friend and musician Jon Adams.
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Lainaisms of the Week
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The ego loves to look spiritual. Spirit needs no costume.
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Every judgment is a defense of the false self.
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Humility is the soul’s purification; righteousness is the ego’s addiction.
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Awakening begins the moment we stop needing to be right.
Closing Transmission
Beloved One, the path of awakening is not about how spiritual we appear but how willing we are to surrender judgment. Every time you choose humility over righteousness, you loosen the ego’s grip and allow Love to shine through. Remember: gentleness, peace, and trust are the signs of one who is truly awake. May this week be a holy invitation to walk in quiet certainty, letting Spirit guide your steps.
Because being spiritual is not the same as being awake, awakening means surrendering judgment—again and again—until only Love remains.
With infinite love,
Founder, The Awareness Academy
“Let me not be afraid of truth today.” —ACIM Lesson 282
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