Oprah-isms

I have never been a great Oprah fan. I wasn't a daily viewer. I didn't have her on my bucket list. I can best be described as a passerby fan. If I had a chance to catch her show, I would watch it, sometimes.  I knew her final show would be pop culture history so like millions of others, I watched. I had the TV on in the background as I packed up our bedroom. I expected an hour full of extravagant gifts for audience members or a parade of famous people, instead she gave a speech.  I was surprised and a little disappointed as she began, but as I listened I became more and more interested. Many of her words inspired me. They had a connection with my own beliefs and goals. After the show I was trying to remember the parts I found meaningful but couldn't quite recall them. So, I went to Oprah.com where I found the entire speech. Yay! Here are the parts I wanted to keep:

"nothing but the hand of God has made this possible for me. ... I know I've never been alone, and you haven't either. And I know that that presence, that flow—some people call it grace—is working in my life at every single turn. And yours too, if you let it in. It's closer than your breath, and it is yours for the asking. I have felt the presence of God my whole life. Even when I didn't have a name for it, I could feel the voice bigger than myself speaking to me, and all of us have that same voice. Be still and know it. You can acknowledge it or not. You can worship it or not. You can praise it, you can ignore it or you can know it. Know it. It's always there speaking to you and waiting for you to hear it in every move, in every decision. I wait and I listen. I'm still—I wait and listen for the guidance that's greater than my meager mind." 
I loved this part of her speech, because it is so close to my own beliefs. I may not have millions like Oprah, but My life, my blessings..they are uniquely mine and only God has made this possible for me. During times with so much uncertainty I know that God is working in my life. All I need to do is be still and listen for His guidance.


This part of her speech is something I would love to keep in mind during the times in my life when insecurities keep me from enjoying my life to its full potential. It is a frame of mind I would also love to instill in my children. 
"we often block our own blessings because we don't feel inherently good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or worthy enough... you're worthy because you are born and because you are here. Your being here, your being alive makes worthiness your birthright. You alone are enough."


I would love to put this up on my boys' bedroom wall:
"you have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world" 
I might change "know" to "find" though, since they are just beginning their journey in this world. 


"God is love and God is life, and your life is always speaking to you. First in whispers... Whispers are always messages, and if you don't hear the message, the message turns into a problem. And if you don't handle the problem, the problem turns into a crisis. And if you don't handle the crisis, disaster. Your life is speaking to you. What is it saying?"
This one just made me wonder...What is my life saying?? Am I listening to the whispers or just hoping they go away? I know I have to take charge, I have to listen, I have to live the life that God wants me to have.