I adore Oprah Winfrey. Meeting her is the only thing on my bucket list. I don’t know why I have a strong desire to meet her, but when I do, maybe I’ll figure it out then.
I had some time to spare the other day, and I decided to watch a few videos Oprah had with, or in reference to, other inspirational leaders. Oprah captivates me because she has a natural ease, intelligence, and spirited grace about her. She talks about what matters. More importantly, she lives a value-driven life. Oprah is principled, open-minded, and kindhearted. She has been open about her struggles along the way, as she did not have an easy road. Oprah continues to use her personal experience to learn, grow, and inspire others. I talk as if I’ve met her, which I haven’t, but certainly I’ve observed.
One of the videos I watched was entitled, The Powerful Lesson Maya Angelou Taught Oprah. The simple yet profound statement of “when you know better, you do better” resonated with me.
Your life, should you choose to be conscious about it, is your greatest teacher. It is also an attentive audience. Your outer world is a mirror of what’s going on in your inner world. We find ourselves in repeating patterns because there is something we’re not learning.
Someone close to me once said, “Fear is just an idea.” In the same vein, all thoughts and feelings are just ideas. Our human mind constantly seeks to label: interpreting, stereotyping, generalizing, analyzing, etc. A wonderful experience happens in the now, when we are present and attentive; not when we are thinking and interpreting.
Part of the human experience entails an action-reaction syndrome: for every action, there is a reaction. Thinking, feeling, judging, criticizing, and not paying attention to the choices you make and the company you keep, also have consequences.
When you are attuned to the beauty and peace of the present moment, there is no room for mind games. You don’t engage in the action-reaction syndrome because you are being. You are not doing, thinking, feeling nor interpreting. You just are. And when you are, your higher self, the one that is already complete, joyous, creative, and fulfilled, shines through.
Start observing your life’s circumstances. Are you interacting with yourself the way you want to? Is kindness part of your natural response to others? Is there anything you’re hiding that’s blocking you from being the real you?
I encourage you to make a regular practice of being conscious while you are doing, observing while you think, and just be.
My wish for you is that you allow your higher self to sit upon the throne of your heart as you observe, learn, and simply be. By being so, you can become an inspiration to yourself and others.
Thank you, Oprah.