Catherine dives into her "policing era" - a time when she believed she was right about everything and everyone else was wrong. From picketing to lecturing friends about their life choices, she shares how her strict Catholic upbringing led her to judge others' bedrooms, politics, and personal decisions. But this embarrassing chapter became her greatest teacher in humility. Through divorce, bankruptcy, loss, and the forgiveness of those she hurt, Catherine learned that life's hardest lessons are often our most transformative ones.

💬 What You'll Hear

The Policing Era Begins: Growing up in a strict Catholic household where church was never missed, even on vacation in the Wyoming wilderness

Charismatic Catholic College: Transferring to a more religious school hoping it would complete her, while secretly meeting a "spicy guy" on the baseball field

Justifying Everything: Using faith to justify living poor, submitting to her husband, homeschooling, and judging everyone else's choices

The Judgment List: Picketing, lecturing friends about premarital sex and cohabitation, and warning people they'd burn in hell

The Contrast: Being front and center with her kids (the beautiful part) while exhausting herself policing everyone else's lives

Humble 101: Life's classroom teaching humility through divorce, bankruptcy, loss, public shame, and parenting alone

The Power of Forgiveness: Every single person she policed - friends and family - still loves her and watched her evolve

Receiving Love: Learning that true love means being forgiven and getting a second chance, which healed her nervous system

Different Lessons Now: Moving from major life lessons to micro-focused heart work, like not caring what her kids do as a reflection of her

The A/B Student: Now handling life's tests (like a surprise $500 IRS bill) with calm instead of panic

✨ Takeaway
Your most embarrassing era might become your greatest teacher. When you think you're the judge of everyone else's choices, life will enroll you in Humble 101 until you learn the lesson. The people you hurt with your judgment can teach you what real love looks like through their forgiveness. Everyone is in the school of life, just in different classrooms with different teachers. The sooner you learn your lessons, the less they appear on the test. Humility is the most beautiful of the virtues.

⚖️ Disclaimer
These stories are mine — told through my eyes, my lens, and my lived experience. Each person moves through life in their own way. I own these stories, and I share them to inspire us all to live truthfully, freely, and as our most authentic selves.

🌿 Connect with Catherine
If this episode made you reflect on a time when you judged others or needed forgiveness yourself, share it with someone who showed you grace when you didn't deserve it.

Follow Catherine on Instagram to keep following the story.

Theme Song Written and Composed by Trevor Lynch and Michaela Dennis and recorded by Trevor Lynch in Chicago IL
Photo: Baumgardner Studio Yakima, WA
Production: Red Trux Productions Snohomish, WA