Oprah Lifeclass

Lessons on Being Present – The Inside Story

by paula on April 9, 2012

My trip to meet Oprah that happened just a week ago was almost the trip that wasn’t…because of an actual trip.  The weeks leading up to the New York City Lifeclass, I was almost already there.  Planning the visit when I wasn’t focused on something else and sometimes even when I was…wondering what it would be like…what would it mean to me…to my life.  So as I went through my daily routine in sunny Sarasota, my mind was in NYC…and during one of those New York state of mind moments is when my lesson came…and in a big way.

As I went through the daily motions and walked my two dogs one morning, I was counting the days…”Only seven more days until we leave for Lifeclass…I wonder what I will be doing next week at this time…I can’t believe I’m going to see it…to see Oprah!”  As my mind wrapped around the experience to come, the two dog leashes wrapped around my feet.  I remember as my body started to tilt forward and I stumbled a few steps saying, “No…No…No…” out loud.  Within moments, I wasn’t in New York City anymore.

First, my ankles went down. Then the knees hit. Then, I remember my chest cushioning the impact while my arms and hands tried to brace what was coming.  Then, in S-L-O-W motion, my head came forward while the last “Noooooooooooo” passed my lips.  I heard my head hit…like a thump.  The right side…the “emotional part” of the brain.  The sound was a cross between what you would hear if you dropped a basketball full of sand to the sidewalk.  No bounce…and not much air.

While the dogs stopped and I carefully stood up and found my way inside to the couch, my world was quickly jolted back from NYC and into the present.  Frozen peas for the swelling, a wet washcloth, some major BandAid and Neosporin control and some Extra-Strength Tylenol helped to ward off any trip to the emergency room.  Most bruises and scrapes could be hidden…but the lesson was super clear.

A lifeclass lesson that came seven days before the trip…an actual trip to remind me that it doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing…try to be in the moment…be present in your life…or you might get a reminder that could be just as simple as a hit on the head.

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Our OWN Bucket List of Dreams

by paula on December 20, 2011

It’s been almost a year now that OWN has been in our lives and we have been on this Daily OWN adventure.  So…with a tweet from Oprah and a follow from Sheri Salata and a trip to OYOU! from Gayle King and a mention in O Magazine, we thought that we should step it up and put our OWN Bucket list of dreams out into the world.  If you don’t dream it, it will never ever happen…and we are dreaming BIG!  Here are the top ten things on our OWN Bucket list…Santa, we sure hope you are listening!

  • Our  ”O” Dog-Day Afternoon – Spend the afternoon with Oprah’s dogs…because she says that the best times of her life have been with her dogs.  If Oprah’s available…maybe she could join the play date!  Maybe we could do it in Oprah’s Rose Garden by her favorite tree…on a great California afternoon!  Oh…the bucket list dream just keeps on growing!
  • Our BIG  ”O”  Magazine Dream – Have our journey and story featured in O Magazine.  Now THAT would grow our vision of getting the OWN lessons to people worldwide and inspiring the world!
  • Our LifeClass Dream – Go to a LifeClass Live session or two…or three…or four…or five…
  • Our Very Daily OWN Sponsor Dream – Get an advertiser or two and help make 2012 possible for the Daily OWN.
  • Our Favorite Things Dream – Bring back Oprah’s Favorite Things…bring it out of the pages of “O” and make it a show on OWN!  Give viewers a chance to win some of the items just like you do in the magazine!  OH…and since it’s on our OWN bucket list, we want to be “official testers” …to give “O” editors our take on all the items.  Just send them to our house…we’ll let you know what we think!  O…AND…for the “O” list winners, we can write our OWN views of each of the winning items!  O…what an O-Mazing bucket list item dream this would be!
  • Our OWN South Africa Dream – Fly with OWN (and Oprah and Gayle too!) to South Africa to work at her school, to teach a few classes, to reach out into the world… OWN needs to document it - our OWN South Africa Adventure!  What a great docu-series this would be with or without us…preferably with us. :-)
  • Our “You Did WHAT?” Dream -  Chips and dip and conversation with Sheri Salata and Oprah…
  • Our Harpo Studios Dream – Visit the Harpo studios…sit at Oprah’s old desk…steal Rosie’s candy…be on “Up and Down” with Caesar…go to a Rosie taping…oh…and RIDE Oprah’s secret elevator that goes down to the stage.  AND…if we are there during “mediation time,” we would do that too!  And since Rosie’s involved, we HAVE to bring mom…she would be thrilled!
  • Our OWN Twitter Dream -  To have @Oprah follow us on Twitter!  #DreamBig
  • Our Ultimate DREAM – Be viewer consultants for the OWN network.  Now THAT would be a dream come true job and the best job in the world!

This is our OWN bucket list of dreams…and we add to them all of the time.  The sky’s the limit when DREAMING!   Be inspired to start dreaming yourself and for your OWN life.  What’s on your OWN bucket list?  How big are you dreaming?  Reach high…because you deserve it!

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Oprah Lifeclass – Live Webcast Recording Links for All the Live Classes!

by paula on November 13, 2011

For those who missed some of Oprah’s Lifeclass Lessons, take a peak at my notes and find the lessons that you want to know more about.  Really…just try it.  For these last 5 weeks, I have been completely immersed and at times, overwhelmed by the messages.  Too much and too fast…I have been trying to soak it in.  Here is what I know has happened.  In 5 weeks, I have been moved. I have cried. I have laughed. I have felt joy for others…and in turn, felt joy in my own life.  I know I talk a little softer.  I think I’m walking a little taller.  And I know that the world is a better place…because I can feel it.  Give yourself a few minutes…take a listen and do some soaking for your OWN life.  I think you will be joyful that you did.

Oct 10: The False Power of Ego
Oct 11: Letting Go of Anger
Oct 12: You Become What You Believe
Oct 13: The Truth Will Set You Free
Oct 14: Week One in Review
Oct 21: Week Two in Review
Oct 28: Week Three in Review
Nov 4:  Week Four in Review
Nov 11:  Week Five in Reivew

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/oprahs-lifeclass.html#ixzz1csRpXvJ7

 

 

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Oprah’s Lifeclass Lesson 25 – Notes and Videos from You’ve Always Had the Power

by paula on November 13, 2011

You can become what you believe. Love yourself. Be inspired. See the magic. From all of the Oprah Lifeclasses this semester, it has been clear. YOU have more power than you can even imagine. YOU can move any mountain in your life. YOU can do anything…because you can…you just may not know it yet. With a little tear from all of this understanding and for the final class this session, here are my class notes and some videos from OWN. Believe in yourself…believe in your world…believe in your best life. Anything is possible. Here are my notes…
•Understand that there is a force guiding the universe. Tap into it to have that power. It is your responsibility to tap into that power and change the world…your world.
•You have to find the power yourself.
•Our magic ruby slippers are inside your OWN heart.
•From OWN: How to Fulfill Your Dream
If you don’t have a dream, start thinking about what the dream for your life is. Start believing that just having a dream begins the process of fulfilling it. You can do it if you’re willing to let every step you take move you in that direction. Remember, you deserve the best life has to offer.

•Case Study: Terarai Trent’s Dreams and how that can inspire you – If you desire your dreams, then they are achievable. Writing down her dreams and making them come true. Everyone, it’s time to write down your dreams – your REAL dreams – and believe that YOU have the power to make them happen.
“Only you have the power to make the changes you want in your life.”
•Your life is a relection of the way you think. What you believe is what you become and one person can make a difference…and that person is you.
•It’st never too late to become everything you dream.

•From OWN: Why Tererai Trent Embodies Oprah’s Lifeclass Lessons
In 2009, Oprah first met Tererai Trent, who she says is the essence of every lesson talked about on Oprah’s Lifeclass. Raised in a rural Zimbabwean village, Tererai grew up without much hope for the future. But she persevered and went on to obtain her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate. Tererai is the perfect example of why it’s never too late to become everything you dream.

•From OWN: Oprah Surprises Tererai Trent
In 2011, Oprah brought back her favorite guest of all time, Tererai Trent, to thank her for sharing her story and having an impact on so many viewers. Plus, Oprah donated $1.5 million to help Tererai build a school in her village to help others get an education

•Case Study: Never Stop Believing – From homeless to Harvard, Khadijah was on the street. Her mom, sister and herself were homeless in Los Angeles and would move from shelter to shelter. Spending most of her time at the public library, she changed her life. She empowered herself…and gave her a little piece of control of her life. Education was what she believed in…and it was hers.
•You are not defined by your circumstances.
•You have the power within to believe in yourself and achieve anything.
•You start exactly where you are…You don’t have to wait.
•It doesn’t just happen…it is a process. Take every step that is available to you…to move you in the right direction…
•There is a process to success. We must each figure out what that process is for our particular life.
•From OWN: Khadijah Williams’ Story
In 2009, Oprah spoke with Khadijah Williams, who is a prime example of someone who always believed in herself and had the power to change her life. You don’t have to wait to achieve your dream until you have more things, time or money. Start exactly where you are. For Khadijah, she started as a young homeless girl on the streets of Skid Row and ended up at Harvard University.

•Case Study: It’s never too late to have a wake up call. Grow to who you were meant to be. You have the power. Jeff Henderson, Executive Chef at Café Bellagio who turned his life around after being in prison for 9 years for selling drugs. “I started to realize I was smart…I started to believe in myself,” he tells Oprah.
•Everybody has their own time.
•We are all evolving toward our own moment of transformation.
•What is the dream for your life? Think about it. Start dreaming. Start believing that having a dream will move you to the fulfillment of that dream if you are willing to let every step you take move you in that direction.
•Start believing that just having a dream begins the process of fulfilling that dream.
•You deserve the best that life has to offer you…the best version of yourself…becuase you are here…because you were born.

•Case Study: Somebody else believing in you can be enough. Arenl Pineda’s Journey to Journey. Don’t Stop Believing…Arnel Pineda. Growing up poor in the Philippines. His mother died when he was 13 and had a tough life…a street kid…and would sing to really survive. He credits his mother for always encouraging him…and it was a member of Journey who found a video of him on YouTube and found their new lead singer.
•Feel for what your soul believes. If you believe it, you can achieve it. Anything is possible.

•You are more than what you can see. You being here matters.
•Everything that is happening in our lives and that is all around us is here to show us what is possible.
•From OWN: The Real Reason Behind Oprah’s Lifeclass
Oprah explains the real reason why she wanted to have this show and do Oprah’s Lifeclass: so you will start to understand that there is a greater power guiding the universe. And once you tap into that, you then have that power.

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Oprah’s Lifeclass Lesson 24 – Notes from The Energy you Generate Creates Your Life

by paula on November 13, 2011

In Lesson 24 of Oprah Lifeclass, we are learning about energy…and what that means in the world.  Taking us on a quick (and first!) field trip to Chicago’s Museum of Space and Industry, Oprah works to not just tell us, but also show us exactly how Newton’s Third Law of Motion relates to everything in our lives…and everything that we do.  Back when Oprah had Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor on TOWS talking about energy…and how it changed the whole world, I started paying just a little more attention to my own.  But ever since this Lifeclass (it’s been a couple of days since I’ve been sitting on these notes), it’s really sinking in  For every action, there is a reaction. For everything that you put out into the world, there is a life echo that is coming back into your life.  What does your echo sound like?  Does it sound like the you that you want to be?  Take a peak at my notes…they are brought to you with good energy attached.

 

  • Newton’s Third Law of Motion – For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
  • Energy is a part of everything we do in life – physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually.
  • The energy that you are putting out is coming back to you all the time whether you recognize it or not. If you can become conscious of that it will change the way you operate through life.
  • Case Study: Tom Shadyac – “I Am” documentary.  After a bike accident, Tom gave up his lavish life and moved into a mobile home.  The stuff doesn’t make you happy…it’s just stuff.   Tom calls energy in the world ”Cause and Effect.”  A lesson comes with energy.  September 22nd story.  His bike accident.  The date that came to him in Evan Almighty for the floods.  The date that the Producers called him to be on Oprah’s show. Life is that in sync.  (WOW)
  • How does cause and effect play in your everyday life – your relationships?  your happiness? your goals?
  • Every action we take creates a reaction in the world.  The sum of all those reactions is what we call our life.  The energy you generate creates your life. Your life is reflecting back to you exactly who you are all of the time.
  • Control:  What we can control is our reaction.  Re-act to send out a different energy and it will change the energy that comes back to you.
  • Intention is everything.  Intention is what is behind every action.
  • Case Study:  Caregivers – If you have defined yourself as a caregiver and you are feeling burdened, it may be time to take a step back and take care of yourself…to change your perspective.  Messaging – The message you are sending – Here I am. Use me. You become resentful because of it.  You don’t have to do it. What if you just said no?  Make the choice to do it and do it with love OR don’t do it at all.  Just stop. Change your world. Change the definition of yourself.  Love is about truth.  If your truth is that I feel taken advantage of…seek the truth. It’s still love…but be truthful with yourself.  Remind yourself – You don’t have to do it.  But I’m going to do it.  Why do I do it?  I am the saviour….I’m the caregiver…I’m the….This is what I am getting out of it.
  • Before you take any action, stop to clarify your intentions. Make sure your intentions are good and good will be returned to you.
  • Case Study: Gary Zukov – If you have loving people in your life, then you have loving in your life. If you have selfish people or angry people in your life, then look at yourself and you will see that you have anger in your life and self-concern.
  • Case Study: Chastity – Shared that she dated married me and during that time in her life, bad things were happening in her financial world, her job, etc…  She received a call from the wife of the man she was having an affair with.  While it could have gone very differently, it was a positive call and it changed her life.  It could have been a bad call or bad experience, but the wife told her she deserved more.
  • Live your life with good intentions. Live your life in a positive way, with positive energy.
  • If there are a lot negative people in your life, don’t look at them.  Look at the energy you are creating to attract them.  Don’t look at them.  Look at yourself and what are you doing to draw people.
  • Negative People:  If you are surrounded by negative people there is a part of you that is willing to tolerate that.
  • Who do you want to BE in the world? When they are reading your eulogy, what do you want people to say?  What is the kind of person that you have been in the world? Do you know the answer to that question?  What words will be said about you at your eulogy?  How your love effected the people in your life? How does your love effect the world?  How can I serve and be the most loving and gracious and giving person?  Live from this space. Become that force.
  • Be the kind of person in the world that makes others want to be a better human being.
  • Sometimes you have to divorce your friends and your family members.  “I will not allow you to treat me this way.”  When they come to their senses, then they can come back into your life.
  • What’s the difference between an intention and a wish or a dream? – Intention comes from a soulful place. The wish comes from something that isn’t working in your life.  Intention is a soul goal, not a head goal.  It’s not just about me, it’s about the greater world.  It’s not the results I’m after here…I’m here for the greater service.
  • The disease to please – There is a difference between wanting to do something and doing something and not wanting to.  Say no…and then, when you say yes, it will feel so much more fulfilling.
  • Being assertive is not negative energy.  There is a difference between being assertive and being negative.  When I’m assertive, I get what I’m standing up for.  If you do it with love and truth then this is good intention.
  • Notice in your life:  Power of positivity. Power of possibility.
  • Why does it take so long to get this lesson?  Spirituality – opening yourself up so that you begin to see.  Look up and open yourself up. Be conscious as you walk through life.
  • Everything is a lesson. Every opportunity is a lesson.
  • When you pray for courage, you get the opportunity to be courageous.  When you pray for love, you get the opposite in your life to bring you more of love – because it is easy to love the lovable…
  • Everything you do, including your mistakes, will show you how to change your energy to create a better life that’s true to your essential self.
  • “I Am” the documentary – coming to OWN next year!   (YEAH!)
  • Everything that we think and everything that we say… that same energy is what is coming back to you in your life.
  • Everyone’s life has a flow.  Go with the flow of your life.  It’s all about energy.
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Oprah’s Lifeclass Lifeclass 24 – Videos from The Energy You Generate Creates Your Life

by paula on November 12, 2011

Oprah’s Lifeclass takes on Newton’s Third Law of Motion tonight and once again, gives us food for the soul as we consider how everything that we do is creating a reaction in the world and is exactly what your life is bringing back to you. While it’s not so hard to understand on the scientific side, when you begin to bring it into your life and your energy, the scope of consideration widens and with that, your world just might open up too. Thanks OWN for sharing these great case studies and pieces of the lessons. Personally, my favorite is the assertive one…because it just is. Thanks Oprah and OWN. You’ve started a ripple…and we are continuting it on…Notes for this Lifeclass are posted too…Enjoy.

From OWN: What Is Newton’s Third Law of Motion? - Some people call it karma; others call it the Golden Rule. Oprah calls it her favorite law of physics and of life. Watch as Oprah and some Oprah’s Lifeclass viewers take a field trip to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry for an in-depth lesson on Newton’s third law of motion.

From OWN: How Newton’s Third Law Applies to Emotion - In 1998, spiritual teacher Gary Zukav was the first <em>Oprah Show</em> guest to  explain how Newton’s third law of motion applies to our lives and emotions.  Relive the moment that opened Oprah’s eyes to the power of this law.

From OWN: How to Give and Receive Positive Karma - How do you stay on a path of positive karma? Watch as Oprah and director Tom Shadyac help an Oprah’s Lifeclass viewer learn how to manage the negative people in her life and figure out who she wants to be in the world.

From OWN: The Difference Between an Intention and a Dream - An intention and a dream are two vastly different things. Watch as Cheryl  Richardson explains the difference between a “soul goal” and a “head goal.”  Plus, find out what lesson Oprah learned about intention.

From OWN: Why Being Assertive Is Positive – Oprah’s Lifeclass viewer Kathleen has a question inspired by her wireless  provider: Why does she only get results when she’s persistent with customer  service? Find out why Oprah and director Tom Shadyac say being assertive isn’t a  negative way to live.

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Oprah’s Lifeclass Lesson 23 – Videos from Slow Down, Live More Consciously

by paula on November 10, 2011

Often I wonder why everyone is in such a hurry. Not that I haven’t been part of this madness at times, driven by the clock on the wall and the hurried pace of the day. How many things have I missed over the years? In today’s Lifeclass, Oprah is reminding us why it’s so important to SLOW DOWN and be more aware of what you are doing…Be present. Stop running through life. One of my favorite quotes from our OYou Bootcamp was your life is not a race to the finish line. Stop. Take your time. Here are some videos from the Lifeclass, courtesy of OWN. Thanks OWN for sharing these lessons. They are bound to change someones life. Let it be yours. Class notes will follow shortly!

From OWN: One Man’s Tragic Mistake Teaches Oprah to Stay Present Over the years, The Oprah Show featured many guests who had recently lost loved ones, including Pete Koutrakos, a man whose wife and pets died from carbon monoxide poisoning after he accidentally left a car running in the garage. Oprah says Pete’s tragic story and raw display of emotion taught her an important lesson about staying conscious in the present moment.

From OWN: Brenda Slaby’s Story: A Wake-Up Call to Consciousness Brenda Slaby says she was once an assistant principal and mother of two who tried her best to be “Supermom.” Then, on a hot August afternoon in 2007, Brenda made a tragic mistake when she forgot to drop off her 2-year-old daughter, Cecilia, at the babysitter and left her in a sweltering car for nearly eight hours while she was at work. Oprah says this mother’s story reminds us all to slow down and become more conscious.

From OWN: What Oprah Learned from Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture In October 2007, professor Randy Pausch, a devoted husband and father who was fighting pancreatic cancer, shared his famous last lecture on The Oprah Show. Look back at his inspiring talk and find out what Randy taught Oprah about facing mortality and living every moment like it’s your last.


From OWN: How One Mother Slowed Down and Restored Her Spirit
After her father died, her children graduated from college and her husband took a new job out of state, Joan Anderson says she decided to take a break from her family and make time for herself. She packed up and moved into a cottage by the sea for one year. Oprah looks back at Joan’s story and shares why you should find time to sit quietly by yourself and restore the source of your vitality.

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Oprah’s Lifeclass Lesson 22 – Videos from Plague of America, Living a Financial Lie

by paula on November 9, 2011

Tonight’s Lifeclass hits close to home to many who are struggling to keep up with finances but are not totally being honest…with themselves or with the world. Take a look at some of the case studies and lessons in the video clips from this class…and see if you can learn a little something about how you are living your OWN financial life. At OYou, Suze Orman talked about “living below your means, but within your needs.” I think that this lesson could save a lot of us…today and in the future. Thanks again to OWN for sharing these video clips and for bringing this financial enlightenment to the world. Kudos for helping us all look to live a better life!

From OWN: The Mom Who Shopped Her Family Broke In 2007, Oprah met Felice, a young mother from California who spent hundreds of dollars every month on Starbucks and manicures but didn’t have health insurance for her six children. Viewers across the nation were fired up about her reckless spending, but Oprah says Felice was actually a great teacher. Watch Felice’s story and find out why pretending to be anything other than who you really are will never allow you to reach your full potential.

From OWN: Suze Orman’s Advice for the Mom Who Shopped Her Family Broke In 2007, California mother of six Felice came to The Oprah Winfrey Show looking for help after shopping her family broke. Oprah knew the only person to help her come to terms with the reality of how she lived was financial expert Suze Orman. Watch as Suze confronts Felice and her husband, and find out why spending money you don’t have is a sign that you’re trying to fill a void in your life.

From OWN:An Oprah Show Lesson in Money and Marriage Lying to your partner or spouse about finances is a recipe for disaster. Watch as Oprah looks back at a time when a former staff member made an unusual request. Then, see what happened when a man found out his finacée’s real financial situation just hours before an Oprah Show appearance.

From OWN: A 20-Something’s Financial Wake-Up Call When Oprah Show viewers first met Hannah, she was a recent college grad on the brink of financial self-destruction. Look back at Suze Orman’s tough love for Hannah and find out why you should help your children live an authentic financial life from an early age.

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