#127 - Our Native Way of Being

In this introspective episode, Jackie invites listeners to explore a foundational question: What is your native way of being in the world? Rather than diving straight into behavior or belief, she challenges us to uncover our truest self—our Imago Dei—before the world told us who we should be.

She introduces the concept of a rule of life, not as a rigid list of dos and don’ts, but as a gentle structure or trellis that supports spiritual growth rooted in who we truly are. Drawing from ancient Christian practices, the Desert Mothers and Fathers, the Rule of St. Benedict, and modern voices like John Mark Comer and Parker Palmer, Jackie suggests that a life of flourishing begins with reclaiming our birthright self.

Jackie shares her own journey, reflecting that her native way of being is captured in the word WITH—a value that has shown up across her life in relationships, presence, and ministry. She encourages listeners to consider what has always been true about themselves, especially before the pressures of performance, ego, or cultural roles set in.

This episode blends spiritual reflection with practical tools, offering questions for personal discovery and inviting listeners to create a rule of life rooted in their truest identity, not their striving. It’s an empowering reminder that we aren’t here to manufacture a holy life but to live from the goodness already woven into us.

Links for the episode

John Mark Comer, https://www.practicingtheway.org/

Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak https://www.amazon.com/Let-Your-Life-Speak-Listening/dp/0787947350

Three Questions: 

Take a moment to think about who you were before the world told you who you should be. What do you think is your native way of being—who you’ve always been at your core?

If you were exactly the same person you were at age 7—but grown—what would still be true about you? What’s stayed unchanged about how you move through the world?

Take a breath and think of a moment when you felt most yourself. Not performing. Not proving. Just present. What did that version of you feel like?