OprahIt’s been exactly one week since I attended the Oprah Life You Want Tour with a fellow Social Worker Therapist and friend of mine. Several months ago I heard about a tour that would feature some spiritual folks; however I thought this may just be too expensive and brushed it off. The day before the tour, I was suddenly inclined to attend, which I now know it was that “whisper” that Oprah talked about during the event and we will get to that later in this blog. So I went online and surprisingly I saw that there were 2 tickets left at $99.00 and I decided that it was a sign that I needed to be there. I called and purchased my ticket and was told that there is ONE left, so I hurriedly called my friend and she was on board to purchase the last ticket. What we didn’t realize at the time that we were surely in for a treat and the 99.00 we paid to sit in the nose bleed section was worth every penny. The event enlightened me with new information, confirmed what I already knew and allowed me to leave the event uplifted and spiritually renewed.

 The first night of the tour was dedicated to Oprah who spoke her story, offering wisdom and her vision in a way that I never experienced before. She was witty, charming, down to earth and authentic. The second day offered us the opportunity to hear from Rob Bell, who is an author and Pastor; Elizabeth Gilbert who is known for her bestseller, Eat Pray Love which was turned into a movie starring Julia Roberts; Deepak Chopra, MD is a world-renowned pioneer in mind-body medicine and personal transformation and has authored numerous books; Mark Nepo who is a poet, teacher and storytelling and is best known for his book The Book of Awakening.  Lastly, the show ended with Iyanla Vanz.ant who is a spiritual life coach, author, minister among other things and is known for her show, Iyanla: Fix My Life.

I am always of the belief that we should be learning and teaching. It is our duty to share new knowledge so I thought that it would be fitting that I share some of the wisdom shared during the event. The following are bullet points that stuck of for me.

1. Until you take the last breath you are still on the climb. There is no life without a spiritual life. We are not human beings having a spiritual experience we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

2. Purpose doesn’t have to be a big thing. Purpose is your thread. It’s the defining thread that connects the job of your life.

3. Life is trying to speak to you if things are wrong. The universe is trying to push you in another direction. Don’t be hard headed.

4. We are all co-creators of our lives.

5. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The energy that you put out is coming back to you. You co-create your life with the intension you bring to every situation.

6. Don’t do anything without the intension to do so (Disease to please). You are responsible for your intensions.

7. You become what you believe not what you wish for.

8. You have no power in someone else’s energy field. MIND YOUR OWN. You only have power for you.

9. You are either walking in fear or in love.

10. As long as you are breathing you get a second chance. Failure is life at its own poignant pulling you to the right direction.

11. After you do all you can do, you surrender. Surrender what is out of your control.

12. Life keeps speaking to us. It often comes to us in a whisper, however when we don’t listen, it becomes louder and louder.

13. There is no life without a spiritual life—connecting to the source which is energy.

14. When you say the word no and a person always says yes, that person is always trying to control you.

15. We are more present to what we are doing than what we’re producing.

16. When you don’t have an inner life, everything else will fill us up.

17. If you are somewhere that you don’t want to be, that is information for you and fuel to get where you want to go.

18. Transformation is never easy. We are deeply uncomfortable with uncertainly. We stay on paths that aren’t serving us. Staying where you are ends up being scarier than changing.

19. Being a parent is when your heart leaves the outside of you.

20. Despair is the conviction that tomorrow will be exactly like today.

21. The life you want begins with embracing the life you and the life you have is miraculous.

22. Every moment matters.

23. Suffering raises questions, but so do things like blessings, grace and generosity.

24. Great mysteries are to be entered. We often rush through the difficult events and struggle when they are supposed to transform us.

25. Life is a woman because she is always talking to us.

26. Life is your friend.

27. Life gives birth to so many mysteries.

28. The life you want is on the other side of the labor pains it takes to birth it. You can’t be afraid to go through the labor pain.

29. Life is on your side.

30. If you made it through the past, you pass. Stop striving for perfection. You don’t always have to get an A.

31. Every choice you make has a consequence. Your blessings and lessons have a consequence.

32. Life will teach you who you are through relationships.

33. Stop being loyal to dysfunction. We become loyal to family patterns that are familiar.

34. You can’t just take stuff because it looks good.

35. Good friends tell you want you do what to hear.

36. Your eyes will adjust to the level of deficiency present.

37. Sit in silence so that life can speak to you.

38. Life doesn’t play tricks on you, your mind does.

39. You are already preapproved. Stop trying to get everyone else’s approval.

40. Courage is doing what you need to do before you are forced to do it. Don’t get mad if you are forced to do it. It’s the universe working it out for you.

41. You have to cry with an agenda.

42. Don’t aim for perfection, aim for authentic.

43. If you have feet, don’t complain that you have corns. If you have had a battery operated boyfriend, don’t complain about being by yourself.

44. Your story is just as important as anyone else’s. You matter.

45. You must take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else.

These are some of the points that stood out for me but I think I was reminded by Oprah’s story of what she refers to as whispers. She shared that life doesn’t always bring us messages directly. The messages usually come in a whisper first, and then it becomes a “pebble”, then a “brick” and then total crisis. We have to have time for ourselves where we spend time meditating and “listening”. She suggests having a sacred space that is just for us. It can be nature, a room, a closet, under a tree where we just connect to the source and our energy field.

I feel grateful that I listened to the whisper and allowed myself to attend these wonderful days of spiritual uplifting. Being a helper, we often forget to nurture our own energy source and I was reminded of my own spirituality and for that I thankful.

Be Blessed!