Living through many people’s greatest fear has given me a strength beyond measure.
I was introduced to a real estate opportunity by a family member. It turned out to be a scam, and I didn’t know anything about it. My family and I lost a significant amount of money and I was upset and bewildered. I reported it to the authorities and informed those I had referred to this investment.
Well, the attorney my family and I hired to defend me when I somehow got accused of being part of the fraud mishandled my case. I was told to plead guilty to something I didn’t do and thereafter was compelled to serve 4 months in one of the most dangerous jails in the United States – Rikers Island in New York City.
I found myself in a situation which was bizarre beyond belief. I turned to my strong faith that this like everything else happened for a reason and that there was some good that I could contribute there. And I did.
The day before I was sent to Rikers Island, I donated my hair to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program to support other women who were suffering from hair loss due to breast and ovarian cancer treatments.
I told my mother to promise me that we would make this the most positive experience ever. She agreed and we did.
While I was there, I inspired others, both officers and inmates, by just being myself. I assisted an inmate with transforming her low self-esteem into a great respect and love for herself. I taught others yoga, how to read, the benefits of meditation, and anything else they asked me to assist them with. I even suggested to the Deputy Warden that an Officer Appreciation Box be introduced into the facility to recognize those officers who really did assist and support the inmates of Rikers Island. I personally wrote 6 of these appreciation letters to the warden myself while incarcerated.
I never forgot who I was. I continued to write, dream and love my wonderful boyfriend, family and friends. They all reminded me who I was for them and how inspired they felt by what I wrote while I was there. They marveled at the way I chose to handle this surprising situation and how I turned a devastating experience into a positive contribution to other’s lives.
To read more about what happened next after Jennifer survived this devastating experience, Click Here.
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"Jennifer Wilkov has been one of my solid supports in publishing my book Shift: Change Your Words, Change Your World.
