"Looking myself in the eye that often, I was bound to either destroy or love myself. I came to love. And, through my own love, I, very gradually, uncovered my yearning and capacity to love others." ~ Nhien Vuong Dougherty
ABOUT ME ~ I spent the first 25 years of my life searching for the religion or philosophy that would perfectly encapsulate me. It would tell me not just who I am but, most importantly, WHY I exist. By the age of 20, I was exhausted and demoralized from the seeming futility of my quest. Between ages 20 and 30, I found myself sucked into an existential void – a vacuum of meaning.
In this void, which I felt not around but WITHIN me, I collapsed. I bottomed out. Started a 12-Step program. Found a god of my understanding. Found myself. My personality, at first, and, only later, my true nature. I took my own inventory. Oh crap. Hated myself for awhile. Shared my story with others in those 12-step rooms. Realized I wasn’t alone. Started to hear wisdom spoken by others. Started to hear my own. Started to forgive myself. Looked into a mirror one day. No, looked into it again and again and again, as instructed by my therapist, and told myself that I loved myself unconditionally. Looking myself in the eye that often, I was bound to either destroy or love myself. I came to love. And, through my own love, I, very gradually, uncovered my yearning and capacity to love others.
My spiritual community grew. From 12-step rooms to ACIM groups and eventually to Unity In Marin, in Novato, California. Became a volunteer Unity Prayer Chaplain. A Unity Teacher. Heard a calling to ministry. Heard it again. Heard it clearly. Started taking classes to become a Unity Minister. A Stanford Law School graduate with a comfy SF associate attorney position, on the partner track, I felt I had nothing to lose except what others wanted or wanted FOR me.
As I begin this website, I am doing so as a ministerial student at Unity Institute & Seminary. This site is a journal of my continued spiritual awakening. My intention is to share of my experiences in hopes that they may serve as a source of strength, inspiration, and hope for others.
- Nhien
In this void, which I felt not around but WITHIN me, I collapsed. I bottomed out. Started a 12-Step program. Found a god of my understanding. Found myself. My personality, at first, and, only later, my true nature. I took my own inventory. Oh crap. Hated myself for awhile. Shared my story with others in those 12-step rooms. Realized I wasn’t alone. Started to hear wisdom spoken by others. Started to hear my own. Started to forgive myself. Looked into a mirror one day. No, looked into it again and again and again, as instructed by my therapist, and told myself that I loved myself unconditionally. Looking myself in the eye that often, I was bound to either destroy or love myself. I came to love. And, through my own love, I, very gradually, uncovered my yearning and capacity to love others.
My spiritual community grew. From 12-step rooms to ACIM groups and eventually to Unity In Marin, in Novato, California. Became a volunteer Unity Prayer Chaplain. A Unity Teacher. Heard a calling to ministry. Heard it again. Heard it clearly. Started taking classes to become a Unity Minister. A Stanford Law School graduate with a comfy SF associate attorney position, on the partner track, I felt I had nothing to lose except what others wanted or wanted FOR me.
As I begin this website, I am doing so as a ministerial student at Unity Institute & Seminary. This site is a journal of my continued spiritual awakening. My intention is to share of my experiences in hopes that they may serve as a source of strength, inspiration, and hope for others.
- Nhien