by patricia on March 23, 2012
Each Friday, we are taking a look back over the week and bringing you the “Top 5 Moments” of OWN programming each week. There were plenty of moments to pick from….so much good stuff and we did our best!
- “Oprah’s Next Chapter” with Lady Gaga – This week’s Next Chapter reached new levels as Oprah went inside the very private life of Lady Gaga. Little reveals during the 2 hour exclusive interview…Gaga doesn’t own a home, her parents have had the same phone number and address for decades, she’s private but genuinely honest and finally, and she’s just like each one of us…trying to be her authentic self each and every day. It’s hard to pin-point just one thing to highlight but something that Oprah and Cynthia Germanotta, Lady Gaga’s mother, pointed out during the interview has stuck with me all week. “Her vulnerability makes everyone feel connected…and stronger.” Just think about how much we could learn from each other if we opened ourselves up and let ourselves be vulnerable…and knew that what we shared would be received without judgment and through loving eyes. Love the thought…loved getting to know Lady Gaga!
- Super Soul Sunday’s film “Wake Up”– Wake Up takes OWN viewers along a man’s journey to make sense of the unimaginable. Realizing that consciousness is not confined to the skull, we all begin to see that maybe there is more to our thoughts and what is truly going on around us. Riveting and wonderful!
- “The Rosie Show” 50th Birthday & Wrap Party– Despite the news of the show being cancelled, a celebration of life was in full force for the Ro Team. The birthday video from Broadway was awesome…especially Joel Grey and the kids! They are so right….Rosie is Broadway’s gal! Ro also did a great job addressing the cancellation this week. No blame, just business. It just wasn’t the right time. We all love Rosie and her team and hope that they all land softly!
- TGOF – My sister and I have been talking about a show just like this! We are so happy to see that OWN is pulling in some original OWN viewers like Patrick and Jeffery to host an online show. They have been vlogging from the start and LOVE the energy they bring. Our only grief…is that it is virtually impossible to find them on Oprah.com. Don’t worry. We’ll point you in the right direction each Friday!
- The OLC Wave – Although “Oprah’s Lifeclass” hasn’t officially started, many OWN viewers have been creating their own waves of excitement..especially with the new promos! Here at TDO we started an OLC Boot Camp that seemed to invite a “living the lesson” lifestyle for us both. Over the past four weeks of the boot camp, we found ourselves submerged in our own personal life lessons reflecting back each day on our class notes. This has saved us…seriously! The classes are truly life changing. As the last week of OLC Boot Camp is all about preparing for next season of “Oprah’s Lifeclass”, we breathe a little easier with our life notes in hand and a fresh new journal.
Don’t see your favorite moment here? Well…leave a comment and share it with other us and the rest of the OWN family.
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by patricia on March 12, 2012
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
I am not quite sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way my days got shorter. As a child I would skip out of the house and return at sundown with scrapes, sweat and a huge smile. Life was good and the days were long. But now there are days when I look up and swear someone has changed the clock. Although I always accomplish the big items of the day, I rarely seem to make it to my wish list. You know the list…“I wish I had time for that” list. Simply transferring the dreams with high hopes to the next day’s list, I’m fully aware I may have better luck with a lottery ticket. Still I remain optimistic because I know my time is coming. Thanks to our OLC boot camp….I think that time is NOW!
This week’s OLC boot camp was all about putting yourself first, reprioritizing and finding balance. All of those things can be difficult at times. However this week I am going to try to be purposeful about the choices I make in order to bring a little more balance into my life. Here is my plan and hopefully you will join in.
- Putting yourself first – Like most women, I don’t ask for help, but I do realize that not all tasks have to be completed by me. In truth, I never like to ask anything of someone that I can do for myself. Yet in my professional life I had no problem supervising close to 100 people. It is SO crazy. My family life is totally different. However that changes this week. I am going to ask for help on at least one task a day…because my time is important too.
- Reprioritizing – Each Tuesday I make a life’s tip list for TheDailyOWN and this week’s list will include 10 simple ways to reprioritize your life. My goal is to find great ways to utilize and even steal a little time back from my to-do list and incorporate them into my own life. We all deserve a little peace and balance in life. Be sure to check it back tomorrow for some great tips!
- Finding Balance – I read an article on Oprah Magazine one time that taught me a mediation I never put into practice. This week I am going to do it! Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, taught us a simple telephone meditation to help us find a little peace and balance. Here is how it works. This week when the phone rings, wait to pick it up. Breathe in and out slowly, then walk to the phone calmly and answer the phone at ease. The person on the other end will actually feel your peace. I am going to try it when the phone rings, when the doorbell rings, when someone asks something of me and even when I approach someone else. This week I will make a concentrated effort to be responsible for ALL of the energy I bring into my space.
Mini-boot camp challenge: Although many of us spend our days taking care of others, try to give yourself a cut-off time each night. Do your best to respect the time because you get far more accomplished once you have gotten a good night’s sleep. Good luck!
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by patricia on March 7, 2012
This week OLC Boot Camp is focusing on getting in touch with your spiritual side. The hope is that by the end of the week we will find ourselves more connected with our true self. For some, it is easier than others, but it is equally important for all.
Often people are so inundated by their daily routines that their spiritual side is only called upon when they fall into crisis. Suddenly they are on their knees or praying a mile a minute hoping to stay above water. But the reality is that there is no need to panic if you are truly in tune with your spirituality. Your spirituality is SO much more than just your God.
Although not all of us have the same spiritual beliefs, most of us can agree there is something bigger than all of us. Spirituality is your soul’s personal journey of truth…the energy that moves you through your existence. Living spiritually is a choice and a connection that you make each and every day.
The stronger you are spiritually, the more you can handle in life. It is that simple. I don’t believe you need to be methodical about it, at least I’m not. But I do talk with my God each day….in fact, throughout my day. That is where I find my strength. However, everyone needs to find their own way. Not every journey is the same. Here are few soul stretches for you in your search to reconnect with your spiritual side:
- Surround yourself with visual reminders like a print out of your favorite saying or prayer, photos that evoke a feeling of inner peace, and things that remind you of who you wish to be.
- Read. There are a lot of books out there on finding your spiritual self or becoming more in-tune with your spirituality.
- Get involved and spend time with people who share similar spiritual paths. You will find that the conversations you share will be the most inspiring.
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by patricia on March 2, 2012
Reflecting back, each Oprah’s Lifeclass had one thing in common for me….huge “AHA” moments (or “O moments” as I like to call them) but none more than the lesson during the class with the moment from Toni Morrison. For years, I worked in non-profit with children and rarely greeted a child without a smile and a pause of acknowledgment or as Oprah’s Lifeclass taught us, without lighting up each day to greet them. It was important to me that they knew I was present and there for them. Although it wasn’t in the job description, I knew that this single act was the most important part of my day. For the impact you have with just showing up with a smile can change the life of a a child forever.
While I was great at this in my work like, I had a Lifeclass aha moment when I realized I hadn’t always done that for my own family. Somewhere along the way, I missed that piece. As life got crazier, I found myself floating from task to task and only stopping for designated family time. Now don’t get me wrong….we spend a lot of time together, but the in-between time seemed to be set to a stopwatch. When we spoke, I wasn’t always present and I regret missing those moments. However, “when you know better, you do better” Oprah always taught us. But first you have to see the missing pieces.
Ever since this Lifeclass lesson , I make a point of setting down the mail, turning the volume down on the television, getting off the phone, ignoring text messages and turning away from technology because in truth there really is nothing more important than showing up and lighting up for the people who are the most important in your life. I am extra careful when the only child – now teenager – of the family enters the room. Now, my eyes sincerely light up each time….even if he is working his way into trouble because I am grateful for each and every moment that I have with him and for what that one act can do for him in his lifetime. I recognize that each time I light up, he lights up. Each time I take that moment, I am leaving an imprint on his life…his self-esteem…his soul. BUT what I learned from this lesson is that EVERYONE in your family deserves to see your eyes light up for them. They are all important and should feel it. What a gift to give those you love. What a gift this lesson has been in my life.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all acknowledged each other with light in our eyes? How different would our world be if we simply worked at treating one another as if we all matter and are significant? I am certain the world would be a better place. The world would itself light up. So the next time someone you love walks into the room, take the opportunity, light up and ignore the phone….even if Oprah is calling! She will understand.
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by patricia on March 1, 2012
As I look back at past episodes of “Oprah’s Lifeclass”, I am reminded that some of the lessons Oprah shared…we have known all along. For instance, many of us know that feeling of sinking in deep in preparation for “the moment”. Our whole life has been filled with this very reminder. Whether playing basketball or volleyball…lifting children to the sky…studying for a final exam in college…jumping for a tree limb…pulling off a presentation, everyone knows that the deeper you dig the greater the lift. Those moments where you reach way down into your soul to find that special power to literally take the shot.
At times it may feel like life is knocking you down, but in truth it is in those moments of rebounding that you have the greatest chance to RISE. Life is full of opportunities to dig deep, but so few of us recall that we have trained for these moments our whole life. Just remember when you are trying to rebound in life…you have to want it; you have to remain focused; and most importantly you have to dig deep and take the shot!
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by paula on February 27, 2012
With the excitement of Oprah’s Lifeclass coming to OWN for a second season, it makes perfect sense and almost seemed to be in harmony with our lives that we would move ourselves through a four week Oprah Lifeclass Boot Camp challenge before the new classes started. Looking to remind ourselves of the amazing lessons and inspiration from the first season of shows, we are hoping that this soul stretching and searching will get us back into shape for what’s to come with Oprah’s second semester of classes. With Oprah taking the Lifeclass series on the road and adding new teachers to the stage, the new lessons are sure to be powerful and we want to make sure that we are not just ready to hear them, but that we are prepared for what they might bring into our lives. Like any marathon, the training is part of the journey. This OLC Boot Camp is our training ground for the run to come and as always, we welcome anyone who wants to take the journey with us.
For the next four weeks, we will be putting ourselves through a “mind, body and soul stretching” challenge and telling you all about it here at The Daily OWN. We will be taking all of the lessons from season one of Oprah’s Lifeclass as well as looking into the future at what lessons might lie ahead in this next season, and share our soul stretches with you. So, each Monday morning, we will remind you and ourselves of our focus for the week. During the week, we will take you on our journey as we commit time to revisiting our classroom notes and looking at this OLC journey in our lives. Here is our boot camp schedule:
OLC Boot Camp Weeks
- Week 1 (Feb 27th): Soul Stretches – Looking back at season one of OLC and what was learned. How has Oprah’s Lifeclass changed your life?
- Week 2 (Mar 5th): Getting in Touch with Your Spiritual Side –How do you reconnect with your true self? Finding your spiritual center and connecting with your spiritual self.
- Week 3 (Mar 12th): Refocus and Finding Balance – Putting yourself first. Re-prioritizing life. How do you find your balance?
- Week 4 (Mar 19th): Welcoming Change – How excited are you about OLC? What are you hoping to get out of this next season? What are your thoughts on Oprah’s new Lifeclass teachers? Do you already have stories to share? Are you ready for what is to come?
Check back on our progress…we’ll be posting daily for this OLC Boot Camp and hope that some of our other OWN Ambassadors will join and share in this journey. Whether you want to JOIN IN and go through your OWN Oprah Lifeclass Boot Camp challenge or simply come back for the lessons and tips, we would love the company! Get ready…it’s time to get ready for class!
Be Inspired! Share this with the world!
