Remembering Perfection: Reconnecting to the Perfection of Your Soul

By Jessica McGregor Johnson and Beatrice Buchser

Remembering Perfection is written to inspire and support you to reconnect to the Perfection of your Soul and live from that space.  It is for that moment in life when we start asking the bigger spiritual questions of life: 'Who am I?' 'What is the purpose of my life?' 'Is this all there is?' This

• Language: English
• Publisher: Uniik Books
• Release date: Apr 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9780957388123

Jessica McGregor Johnson

Jessica lives in Southern Spain and works internationally as a guide, spiritual mentor and coach. She says; "I believe that we often create our life using someone else's ideas of what should make us happy without questioning whether it works for us. Then, often, at some point in life we start to ask the bigger questions; 'Who am I?' 'What is the purpose of my life?' 'Is this it?'. We've ticked all the boxes that should make us happy but something big is still missing." For her, she feels like this is thewakeup call and we can either ignore it - or start the journey back to wholeness as she did many years ago. She now gives personal exclusive support to help you reconnect to your heart and discover the missing pieces of your Soul and then create a new way of living - a living of your personal spirituality. She truly believes that we are all connected and that there is far more than meets the eye when it comes to who we are as energetic beings. Bringing that aspect to her work means that she addresses the deeper issues that some people hold and moves her clients towards a place of wholeness, which is where fulfilment lies. Through the work, her clients rediscover themselves and a whole new focus for living. By learning the ability to be a positive influence in their own lives, changing the way they communicate both with themselves and others, and following their heart they start to life to the full. Jessica offers her individual bespoke retreat - Remembering Perfection a Two Day Retreat both in person in Spain and virtually. It is also possible to experience this Conversation of Discovery as a six-month virtual programme in bi-weekly sessions. If you would be interested in exploring working with Jessica please do get in touch through her website: www.jessicamcgregorjohnson.com

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Reviews for the original Remembering Perfection

Wisely written - this book is a guide for anyone struggling with how to live from the heart in the midst of our fast-paced world. With clear ideas and examples, Jessica shows us a way of living spiritually every day. Marci Shimoff, NY Times bestselling author, Love for No Reason and Happy for No Reason.

If passion is being connected to your heart then this book helps you get there. Using her own experiences Jessica leads us to a place of living in grace and love. Janet Bray Attwood, Best Selling Author of The Passion Test, The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Life Purpose.

I love your book Remembering Perfection. I quoted from it in my own workshop last weekend!! It is one of the best books I’ve ever read on the subject of how to live not only your best life but always in grace. Debra Poneman - award-winning keynote speaker, popular Yes to Success seminar leader and best-selling author.

A handbook for wholeness, a spiritual How To guide for living in Grace. Jessica brings refreshing ease to re-connecting with our true nature. Each chapter gives simple tips for clearing away our illusions and confusion while deepening the awareness and appreciating of who we really are and how perfect that really is. Beautifully shared!

Deborah Battersby – world class personal development expert and Master Trainer for Anthony Robbins and founder of 7th Sense Coaching and Consultancy.

Amazon reviews

Nathalie Ann Colette Bakker – Understandably Spiritual

Finally a book about spirituality for those of us not too keen on God and the higher spirits. This book is full of humour, written in plain English and puts you to work on your own issues in life in a very practical way. Excellent reading material which leaves you positively and creatively thinking on reshaping your life into a tailor-made one to suit your wishes. It is realistic and the author skilfully reaches out to the normal folks of this world. The only downside is that you cannot focus on anything else whilst reading it!

K Hanbury – Inspirational Book

You will find this book really inspiring. Whether you have personal issues you are working through, or whether you are just reading it for general interest you will find opportunities to enhance your life. As each chapter approaches different aspects of life it will always be great as a reference to dip back into, and the tips at the end of each chapter give great ways to enable long term change. It triggers me to challenge my attitudes, behaviours and beliefs in a very positive and inspirational way and leaves me with a significant feel good factor each time I read more.

Mr ASB Hunter – No nonsense practical suggestions for the spiritual journey

An excellent book, clearly written, full of practical suggestions to help shed the baggage of life and move through the spiritual journey more focussed, with a superb range of maps (tools) for the route. I really appreciated the end of chapter summaries. So often I get to the end of a chapter and find I can’t fully recall the key points. Each chapter also carries at the end of it a specific guided meditation which you could easily record and use regularly. This is no dull piece of theory; it is obvious the author speaks from the heart and from much experience and inner contemplation; the anecdotes and cartoons add a great touch of humour. Not to be missed.

C James – Life Changing

I bought this bought after reading an article about career change written by Jessica. I also sought some life coaching from the author herself and have found this to be worth every penny.The book is extremely well written and gets you back in touch with what you are, who you are, where you are going and the simple things in life we take for granted.I was at a crossroads in my life, after having a baby and not looking forward to going back to work, in fact I was quite depressed. I started to read this book and it was like the cloud lifted and the sun shone. It made such sense to simply be grateful. Jessica enabled me to realise that those moments I have of being extremely impulsive are there for a reason, they are telling you to do something. I was always getting cross with myself for wasting time on silly ideas, when in fact they have turned into vital parts of my life and have started me on a completely new and exciting path and I feel passionate again.All I can say is read this book, I think it’s great...

Inspiring Book - Amazon Customer

Remembering Perfection is one of the best books on living life with a spiritual focus that I have ever read. It is easy to read and refreshingly humorous. Each chapter concentrates on an area of life helping you find your own personal path to truly and honestly being, starting from where it matters most to you. Remembering Perfection is full of the author’s personal experiences, simply and honestly shared in a way that resonates with your own and makes you feel that the principles illustrated are not just taught but have been lived and experienced first-hand. This book offered me ideas and tools for tuning in to my spiritual essence in a way that feels possible. What a relief! This is definitely a book I will be going back to again and again.

Coach Carly – A great introduction into Spirituality

This book was recommended to me by a friend as I wanted an introduction to Spirituality but nothing to woo woo! This is an easy read with Jessica sharing examples of what spirituality is to her and relating it to real life. It offers some simple exercises to help you reflect and reach your own conclusions.I enjoyed the book as it helped me reflect on some areas of my life that needed some attention. Well worth a read

Richard Alderson – Practical Wisdom

I can always tell how much a book has an impact on me by the degree to which I quote from it to my friends and the amount I write about it in my diary. I’ve been doing huge amounts of both since reading Remembering Perfection, so can honestly say that this has been one of the books that has moved me the most recently (and I read a LOT of books of spirituality!). There’s nothing earth-shatteringly new in the book but where Jessica excels is in making what can be abstract spiritual concepts very real and very practical, and while doing this, weaving in beautiful observations and stories on the themes she covers.

Vent du Sud – One for the Road

This is one of those books you will want to keep for the journey. It has some great insights into what makes us tick as humans, is illustrated with humorous cartoons, and plenty of practical ideas at the end of each chapter to get you started and then keep you going on the process of change. I would definitely recommend it.

J. Sylvia Gibson – Perfection Itself!

An excellent and insightful book written with a delightful sense of humour at our human condition. The illustrations are a real bonus too, they make me chuckle each time I look at them. Useful to refer to, or just to dip into.

M. Johnston – Spiritual Workout Book

An excellent working book for a person looking to deepen their spiritual reality. The format is very user-friendly, and the notes at the end of each chapter most useful. This book is a working tool, and one reading is not enough. Definitely a book to be used again and again, especially in a retreat situation.

C. J. Vaughan – Handy Affirmation

I find this book easy to read and full of useful anecdotes, it was both a very personal account of personal development and fulfilment and a useful handbook for others to follow. Humorous and insightful it gave me plenty to think about.

A. M. Espsater – Accessible Spirituality

I found Remembering Perfection an accessible read, surprisingly chatty in style, while still managing to deal with many complex ideas and issues in an engaging manner. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to either start or deepen their spiritual practices in everyday life.

Remembering Perfection

Reconnecting to the Perfection of Your Soul

Jessica McGregor Johnson

Illustrations by Beatrice Buchser

Remembering Perfection - Reconnecting to the Perfection of Your Soul

Published in 2021 by uniik books

1 The Orchard, Wye Lane,

Marlborough, Wilts SN8 1PJ

[e-mail]

www.uniik.com

Printed and Bound by; Lightning Source in the UK and USA

Printed on acid-free paper from managed forests. This book is printed on demand, so no copies will be remaindered or pulped.

ISBN 978-0-9573881-2-3

The right of Jessica McGregor Johnson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Applications for the Copyright holders written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publishers.

Copyright © 2021 Jessica McGregor Johnson

Disclaimer

Please note that the information in this book is to inspire you to make the changes you wish for in your life and come back towards wholeness. Any advice or suggestions given are not in any way intended to be authoritative and must be checked out with any relevant qualified professionals before action is taken. This particularly (but not exclusively) applies to any legal, financial or medical decisions you may make.

Remember Perfection – Reconnecting to the Perfection of your Soul was originally published under the title of Remembering Perfection – Everyday Inspiration for Living your Spirituality in 2008. This is a revised edition with substantial updated content.

Acknowledgements

Firstly a deep gratitude to all my teachers who I am fortunate to have with me on this journey. You are the light along the path and without your wisdom, teachings, love and example this book would never have been written, let alone conceived.

To Beatrice, thank you for the wonderful illustrations and for being an integral part of my journey, a great supporter and for all your continued encouragement along the way. Without you this life would not be half as fun!

To all the wonderful people whose lives I have been privileged to come into contact with, either through family, friendship or through my work. You gave me such rich experiences, grist for the mill and thus the content to pass on what I have learnt along the way.

And, thanks to you for buying, reading and using this book, that’s definitely worth acknowledging.

For Beatrice

Preface

My Story – how I got to where I am…

Before I stumbled across the idea of living consciously, being aware of my choices and what made me who I was, I never really looked at life. I hadn’t contemplated who I was, what life was for, what was going on or how I could influence my experience of it. Life just happened, storms came along and I weathered them as best I could. I would bemoan my fate to whomever would listen and blamed whomever I could. The idea of taking responsibility for my life never occurred to me. My version of feeling alive was jumping off a hill with a hang-glider strapped to my back and in some ways that was my antidote to the world. I lived life on the surface, not even knowing that there was another level.

In my early thirties things started to change. My marriage had ended and I was in counselling, trying to figure out what direction to go in and how to get ‘back on track’. My counsellor recommended a personal development course, maybe it will help you get in touch with your anger, she said. On the first night I freaked out. I was being asked to let go of the control with which I had governed my life. To drop the barriers, allow others in. I realised I would have to let people see me for the first time, warts and all. I saw that I was being challenged to drop the mask I had worn so tightly; the one that I thought made me socially acceptable. I was out the door. However, they persuaded me to stay, something inside of me so longed for the freedom they were offering and it was the best thing I could have done. I called my counsellor on the Monday – my opening words were, On Friday night I hated you – by Sunday I loved you!

For many reasons, this course was a starting point for me. During the weekend I can remember sitting there and feeling excited at what I was hearing. At one point the facilitator was speaking about belief systems. As he said the words ‘you are God’ in the middle of a sentence, he was looking directly at me. I can’t remember exactly what he was talking about or what he meant, but at that moment our eyes linked. He then carried on with his talk but I heard not a word. Those three words had gone straight into me; they hit somewhere very deep and resonated as truth. Up until that moment I hadn’t thought about God since the days of chapel at school but as I sat in this seminar I knew without a doubt – of course I am! I didn’t have the faintest idea what this meant but I knew one thing for sure – I just knew that this life as I lived it couldn’t be all there was, there had to be something more. I didn’t know it at the time but my spiritual search had began.

Now I want to say here that for me spirituality has nothing to do with religion or the traditional idea of God as the man with the white beard looking down on us and either loving us or judging us. Spirituality for me is a reconnection back to my spirit, my true heart. It is peeling back the layers of conditioning that make me react in certain ways and giving me back choice in my world. It is taking responsibility for what I both create and put out in the world. It is a journey back to the heart of me and it has been what has filled that empty feeling inside – the feeling that there must be more to life than this.

And it is quite a journey. I can see that I have veered off the normal society/cultural path. I have chosen to live my life differently with a focus not always understood by others. On the whole, our culture calls for us to succeed materially, and all else comes second. I now believe that material success is not the be-all and end-all and, equally important, is the awareness with which we live our lives. This belief has been maturing over the past thirty odd years and the living of it is still a work in process, and always will be, because we are never ‘done’.

My journey started normally enough, a career in sales that matured to management, recruitment and training. I was married, and by my late twenties had attained most of the material things that I believed would make me happy. I even had the thatched cottage with the roses over the door that went with the multiple income, multiple holidays, multiple everything. However underneath all the surface success I was miserable. One day I drove my new car up the hill overlooking the cottage and realised that it was all empty and meaningless. At that moment I was both devastated and angry. I felt like I had been sold a pup, all that work achieving all that success and it still didn’t make me happy. I knew that I couldn’t carry on like this and so packed two suitcases and left.

I knew there was something missing and after my marriage ended I started to search for that elusive ‘something’. My search took me to many different places. On leaving the corporate world I went to run a retreat centre in Dorset. It was my first foray into the alternative healing world and I saw how people arrived looking grey and worn out and left with a sparkle in their eyes and a renewed zest for life. Many synchronistic events later found me in an ashram in India in February 1994. I had finally found that ‘something’, an ancient teaching that ran true deep within me.

In 1997, after three years meeting and working with a wide variety of people at an environmental agency in London, I decided it was time to move on and I made plans to go and live in Ireland, a place close to my heart. However, destiny had different ideas and I joined the voluntary staff of the global headquarters of the same Indian ashram, this time in the USA. Not only was this the headquarters but it was also a retreat site and I had a unique experience of living and working in an ashram. A 24-hour, 365-day-a-year immersion in a spiritual school where I began the process of reconnecting to my heart and learning to live authentically. After three and a half years of imbibing the discipline of spiritual life I knew it was time to leave and take all my learning back out into the world.

In June 2001, my new partner and I moved to Southern Spain. It was there I completed my training to become a life coach later evolving my practise to where it is today, offering life guidance for those who want to find their inner answers. Many of the stories and experiences in this book are informed not only from my own life journey but also others I have worked with.

We each have an individual journey, often being led to places we could not have imagined. I am sure that your journey has its own unique twists and turns. Life can be sometimes a bit like a hurricane. We can be whirled around on the outer edges feeling that nothing is in our control or we can be in the calm centre, the eye of the storm. What is great is that once you reconnect to your spirit, to your true heart, you can consciously bring yourself to that calm centre.

Nowadays, through what I’ve learnt in the past thirty years, I know that I can reach that calm centre consciously. If I can keep myself in that centre then whatever is happening on the outside, a peace and contentment permeates my life. Now, don’t go thinking that I live there always – I wish! There are occasionally times when I whirl around in the outer edge of the hurricane, totally at its mercy and without any thought that this is an illusion at all. It feels real, scary, and at times, life-threatening. And then, just when I am totally caught up in the drama, something will get through to me and I will start the journey back to the centre.

That awareness is now available to me because of the commitment to live with awareness, to be connected to my own spirit, my Soul. It helps me at times of challenge; I have a far steadier mental and emotional state due to my focus. By changing my emphasis to being ‘a spiritual being having a human experience’ rather than ‘a human being having a spiritual experience’ it enables me to live ‘centred’. And you can too.

It takes self-effort to be this spiritual being, but on those days, I’m definitely Remembering Perfection.

Introduction

It’s not where you are going but rather how you get there.

Remembering Perfection is the journey

Even after all this time there are still days when I am seriously pissed off with God. Life can be challenging, not going how I want it to, and I feel like even with all my effort I am still not feeling happy or fulfilled. I sometimes feel frustrated or thwarted by life. Admittedly, those days are much less than in the past but every now and again they happen. And I know I should know better, and some part of me does, but sometimes I want to join the majority of the world and blame someone. So, why not blame God? Lots of people do and it has to be someone’s fault – I simply couldn’t be in this mess on my own. Now this may resonate with you but you also might be like many people I speak with that you have not even thought about blaming God, you’re just pissed off, you feel frustrated with life – it isn’t how you want it to be and you feel there must be something more than this.

Whatever your situation I need to tell you that it is not God’s fault. Why not?

Because there is no God outside of us to blame.

Just let that one sink in for a moment.

Before we continue though I do want to touch on this word God. It is a word loaded with different meanings for many people. Some are comfortable with it and others not. Some have a negative reaction to the word and it can be very emotive. Others are at ease and have their own individual take on the word. For me God is synonymous with many other names; Source, Universe, Divine, Love, Higher Self and I shall interchange them throughout the text of the book so we do not get hung up on what is actually just three letters.

On the days when I feel pissed off and blaming someone – God, whoever, I know that really it is not anyone’s fault. Especially the God ‘out there’ who I’m blaming in the moment, as I said there is no God ‘out there’. The problem is that I don’t always remember it. I know this life is not as it seems on the outside. We are not separate from each other. At a deeper level we are all connected. Even science, through the understanding of quantum physics, has now proved this energetic connection. We are all one energy. We all come from the same Source. At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what you call the energy that is us. Most of us are only aware of the very limited part of us that is here in this time space reality but that isn’t the half of it.

We are always constantly connected to Source – consciousness.

We just are not aware of it very often.

Good news is that we can gradually become aware of it and that changes our perception of life totally. The God I am talking about in this book is not about the stereotypical image of God, it is about our deepest level of connection, the ‘who’ in ‘who am I?’ Our Soul. I believe we are all a spark of divinity, just as much as a drop of rain is part of the ocean. Therefore there is not a God separate from us with whom we can be annoyed. If I feel annoyed with God then I am actually annoyed with myself.

But that doesn’t solve the living of it, does it? All the so-called negative emotions we feel are part of the living of it – part of living life spiritually. Applying all that I know in my life. Knowing it is one thing, experiencing it is another. I’ve read the books, agreed with the theory, listened to