Just Can’t Keep it to Myself! (Pt. 2)

As promised in Just Can’t Keep it to Myself! (Pt.1), today’s post  captures the additional lessons and insight I gleaned from the second episode of Oprah Presents Master Class series, featuring the great master herself. Again, I came away with some remarkable lessons, many of which we know on some level, but rarely receive in one sitting, or heard with such honest delivery. The weaving of the lessons, interspersed with the chronology of events – her prior career as a news anchor, her time on “People are Talking”, getting and commanding the role of Sophia in The Color Purple, and ultimately owning and hosting the most successful and influential talk show ever, and now OWN – was well worth the listen. Oprah’s words (more or less) appear in italics below. All synopses and spin are composed and penned by yours truly! Enjoy! 🙂

• “Set the Intention.” When Oprah’s talk show first came on the scene, Oprah had already set the intention that the show would be about people having the power to change their own lives. As such, it would be used as a vehicle for making a difference…about the “interconnected(ness) in the human experience.” To be most effective, she realized that you had to “step up your game”, and “…run that race as hard as you can”.  Articulate your intentions and stay the course! Don’t chisel away at your core, trying to beat someone else at their game. Stay focused on bringing those intentions to life.
• “All of life is about growing into your own personal best, to your own greatness.” All of your experiences create the stage and provide the training ground for your best experiences yet. Their sum uniquely prepares you for your own defining moment, that space which I call “greater”. Rather than viewing the not-so-pleasant moments as inconvenient or unfortunate, ask yourself what the experience is trying to teach you, and aim to come away from it more enriched and empowered, so that you are better equipped for that moment.
• “Life is about growth and change. When you’re no longer growing or changing, that is your ‘whisper'”. Yesterday, I commented via Facebook that, “If where you stand can no longer contain your gifts, hold your beauty, or sustain you, uproot! Get out of that lil’ bitty pot! You were designed to bloom, beautify, grow! Get to new ground – that fertile place where you can re-plant and reposition if necessary – that place that can sustain your need for growth, for transformation. Think. Grow. Evolve. Yes!” The knowledge that it’s time to move on may not be heard as a thunderous roar, but as a gentler inner-voice. So, get into a place that will help you to grow into your own greatness!
• “Anybody pretending to be anything other than what they truly are will never, ever reach their personal potential.”  Be yourself! You were uniquely made to walk in, and give off your own light. Strut in it! Give it…of your own self! Those who need to be blessed by what can only be delivered by, and through you, will most certainly be blessed.
• “There is no doubt that when the energy…is correct…in sync with what is to come your way…there is a space that you create that allows that to happen.” I’m not big on metaphysics, but I get it. Create the spaces that will allow your greatness to explode! Surround yourself with good, like-minded synergistic energy. Eliminate bearers of toxic energy, put-downs, or ambivalence. They have no place in your space.
• “You have to take responsibility for the space you hold here, and understand that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction (3rd law of motion)…everything that I put out will come back.” Act responsibly. Your life is not an accident, and neither are your actions. As such, your actions are purposeful and deliberate, like the brush strokes of an artist. Choose the right colors, technique, canvas, or temperament, and something beautiful will undoubtedly result!
• “How far (away) you are from the center (of)…your divine connection, is how out of sync you are with your life.”  I believe that this alignment is the only one that truly matters, as it allows you to do everything else. Get grounded. Engage in those regular practices that keep you in the flow.

Get in the flow and stay in the flow!

If you still want more, tune in for both episodes, which air in their entirety on Friday, April 8 at 9/8 C on OWN.

Some musical inspiration for your mind and body:
“Nobody Can Be You”,  by Steve Arrington

Related Articles

• Just Can’t Keep it to Myself! (Pt. 1) (somerempress.wordpress.com)