Oprah’s Lifeclass

I Have BAITERs

by paula on April 29, 2013

inspiration quoteI have BAITERs.  I didn’t know they had a name until Dr. Phil told me.  I have known them, loved them, and encouraged them with my actions. I have supported them, ran to them in a moments notice and in retrospect, I may have even been one with my choice of words or in the midst of a storm.  I have and have had BAITERs in my life.  NOW…what am I supposed to do with this information?

Last night on Oprah’s Lifeclass, Dr. Phil sat down with Lifeclass students to start talking about life and the lessons he lays out in his new book, “Life Code”…In the hour, he opened the conversation to start talking about different toxic people that show up in our lives that may go unnoticed.  Giving them the acronym of “BAITER,” Dr. Phil spells it out clearly what these people are set out to do to your life…take it over.  A BAITER stands for the following kinds of people that show up in your life – Backstabbers, Abusers, Imposters, Takers, Exploiters, and those who are Reckless with your life and with theirs.

From the live taping of the show on Monday to the network airing on Sunday night, I’ve been walking around with all of this information and with questions - I have had BAITERs in my life.  Some are still lingering around. Am I something of a BAITER magnet?  And if I am, how do I stop the pull…and an even bigger question, can you love a BAITER without letting them wreak havoc on your life?

Throughout my life, friends, family and even a fiancée have shown up as regular people only to creep over and cross the BAITER line somewhere in the process.  And while they may have slipped into destructive behavior, here’s my role in all of this…I didn’t do anything about it…at first.  I allowed for people to use me, take advantage of me, and be reckless with my open heart, my generosity and my forgiveness.  The man I was going to marry once said to me, “Well, I know I can screw you over and win you back.  I’ll just keep trying really hard and sooner or later, I know you’ll take me back.”  Today that declaration would receive a raised eyebrow, a sarcastic “Reaaaaallllly?” and then me walking out the door.  Done.  Back then, when I was amidst my BAITER lessons, I think I laughed it off…but only on the outside.  Inside, I raised an eyebrow, thought “Reaaaallllly?” and my heart started walking out the door.

Once I stopped minimizing the actions and I started recognizing and trying to stop letting this behavior creep into my life, the consequence of learning the lessons became the closing off of my heart.  Protected…but tucked away in darkness…this is how I handled the BAITERs in my life.  That was until recently…when I realized that closing off my heart only takes away the sunlight that it needs in order to grow…and that I am strong enough to see bad behavior, realized I cannot change it, and turn the corner and keep on walking and moving forward in life.

So while Lifeclass and Dr. Phil give me more to think about and more labels to attach to my life experiences, this I know for sure…BAITERs will show up in your life.  Everything in life is drawn to the love and light that you put off into the world…just like the plant leans towards the window with a yearning for the sun to grow and be strong.  Love and light are natural magnets for everything.  But with your love and light, open your eyes and when you see a BAITER show up in your life, raise an eyebrow….and take your light and your life towards a different direction.  Really.

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Finally, Dr. Phil is Coming to Oprah’s Lifeclass Tonight!

by paula on April 22, 2013

Oprah's LifeclassTonight, Spring classes are back in session as Dr. Phil sits down with Oprah in Chicago for a filming of Oprah’s Lifeclass. Saying a little “thank you” prayer for the perfect timing of this event for us, Oprah and her OWN team are taping a two-hour session of Lifeclass at 7/6c tonight that will be live streamed around the world via Oprah.com and on Facebook.com/OWNTV. 

As Dr. Phil’s sits down for his first appearance on Oprah’s Lifeclass, we are sure to get some “tell us like it is” moments and some great life lessons to add to the notes that we’ve already taken on Lifeclass.  Like no other show on television, Oprah has opened up the stage to an interactive life course – master level for those searching to step up and into their best lives.

Join us and other Lifeclass alumni tonight as we virtually sit next to each other in class.  But if you can’t make it tonight, OWN will be airing the show in the network lineup in the near future.  Take in an extra deep breath and an extra dose of daily meditation because here comes Dr. Phil…and when he steps into class, who knows what might happen.

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A Year in Oprah’s Lifeclass

by paula on October 10, 2012

“Instead of looking for answers outside of ourselves,
the real work of your life is the continual work on yourself and self-discovery.”
– Oprah, From her 1st Lifeclass Webcast, October 10th, 2011

Last year on October 10th, 2011, Oprah sat down to her first Lifeclass. Settling in to the familiar surroundings of her Chicago Harpo Studios, Oprah shared the table with Eckhart Tolle as they talked and taught us about the ego.  Now, a year later I am reflecting back on this Lifeclass experience.  It has been nothing short of life changing…and I bring such tremendous gratitude for the journey.

In the early days of Lifeclass, for those first 25 classes, we were submerged into a 25 day, 2 hour intense program that focused on everything from ego to forgiveness to recognizing joy rising and everything in between.  These first five weeks that came to the world last Fall were intense and full of paradigm shifts on how to look at the world and how to move through your own life.  These beginning classes were raw, intimate and provided amazing tools on how to change anything in the way of living your best life.  Oprah and her Lifeclass team taught us to wake up, be aware and don’t get in your own way.  The early moments brought us an hour of teaching and an hour of live web courses…sitting with Oprah and her co-teachers…sharing the space and the moment.  There was something magical about knowing that they were live and that you could be part of the experience.  These classes did everything to break the mold of regular TV and bring something special to the world.

Over the past year, Oprah and her teachers have traveled the world, have grown their lessons from a small class to concert-sized settings and have opened their doors to the world to attend.  Through it all, big and small venues alike, they have offered something pretty rare… open discussion and insight into our core self….into the spirit of who we are and who we aspire to become.

Today, Oprah’s Lifeclass turns one.  Full of gratitude, my sister and I are so very grateful that it was brought into this world…Lives have been changed. Lessons have been learned. Possibilities and dreams released into the Universe and realized. Thank you Oprah and the whole Lifeclass team, for seeing the vision and for changing the world, one class at a time.  Happy anniversary.

To celebrate the first anniversary, here is the first Lifeclass webcast.

Watch live streaming video from oprahslifeclass at livestream.com
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Advice from Oprah’s First Lifeclass – Sit. Feast on Your Life

by paula on October 9, 2012

At the end of Oprah’s very first Lifeclass, she ended the webcast with the following poem.  The words sing the vision of this amazing program on OWN…you matter.

Love After Love by Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was yourself.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

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Living in Gratitude Even for the Tough Lessons

by paula on October 5, 2012

Throughout the course of our OYOU inspired boot camp, I have tried to stay in the moment.  Instead of focusing on the details of the self-imposed list that I give to myself each week, I have focused on the theme.  What does this mean in my life? How do I make it part of who I am? What do I need to work through to bring me more of this?  Each colorful week bringing me lessons beyond measure that are sometimes too big to even wrap my arms around.  But there is one thing…the lessons that are coming with this experience are not at all what I expected.  We challenged the universe at the beginning of this process – we were going deeper and pushing ourselves more than we did last year.  The universe heard us and has responded in kind. The lessons are plentiful but don’t always come into our lives as pretty pillow covers or fashion accessories.  This week – our Oprah inspired week – is no different. This week I find myself asking “what would Oprah do?” and the answer sometimes surprises me…

A couple of days ago we started talking about Oprah’s Lifeclass in Houston. Now, growing up for awhile in Texas I knew that if Oprah was going to Houston, this ruled out the State Fair because that is always in Dallas and increased the possibility of something from a preacher because for those who don’t know this, church is REALLY BIG in Texas…but in all fairness, everything is REALLY BIG in Texas.  Supersized was invented in this state not at McDonalds.

With the discussion and the reveal of Oprah’s Lifeclass teacher’s came some unexpected reactions and lessons even before class has started.  The truth is that some people are hurt that Oprah is talking to people who are not open, loving and accepting of everyone for who they are and as Oprah, the teacher, has taught all of us to be.  Without even hearing the topics of the day, there are lessons already showing up and for each person, they speak very differently according to who you are and what your life has brought into it.

When I heard pastors were the teachers, I thought “Oh no.”  Not because I dislike churches. Actually, I had an amazing experience with sitting with God in a church one time…so, that’s not it.  My aversion comes from the feeling that comes up each time I “go there” with my emotions.  It comes from being a very young girl, sitting through Sunday school and through weekday bible classes for one summer alongside my molester and abuser as I heard that God was going to forgive him for all his sins if he just asked him to…and I kept wondering to my 7 year old self, how is this possible?  So, just like fresh baked bread makes me think of home, sometimes church makes me think of my 7 year old self.  But I am not a young girl…I am a grown woman who knows that spirituality and love cannot be contained in any building and is everywhere around you.  I don’t have to go to God’s house to find him…he lives at my house too.

With that lesson in mind, I heard the voices of hurt as they talked about Joel Osteen and Rick Warren and their beliefs about homosexuality.  All of the feelings that this brought to the surface of ugly words of condemnation came up for them like sound bites from thier lives. Sound bites of all of the hateful words of intolerance and bullying that have clearly left deep scars. Like opening up the wound again, I could feel the tears where I saw the anger.  Bringing grown people to their knees with the same 7 year-olds question at their lips – how is this possible?

Through the words and these last few days, this is the lesson that has come to me.  Be grateful for every single moment and lesson that is brought into your life because it is there to make you stronger and give you lessons that you may not even realize you need.  Everyone has their own journey. Everyone has pain that bubbles up to the top when they come across a situation that pushes buttons or opens wounds.  Everyone has to deal with them in their own way.  When you walk through the thickness and get to the other side, that’s when you realize that you are stronger for the experience and what makes you stronger makes you beautiful.

So…when I go to Oprah’s Lifeclass and take my virtual seat and listen in for the lessons or look for the friends in the audience who are having their once in a lifetime (or twice) chance to be in the same space as Oprah, I know this….we all have our own journeys to take…and we all should love and respect each other for whatever roads we choose and say to each other, “Safe travels to your heart on your own path.”

It’s with an open heart that I feel joy for some and pain for others…but I feel and this tells me that my heart is open to the energy of the world and whatever comes into it.  And I am grateful for that because it’s with an open heart that you can change the world and heal your wounds.  And finally, I hear Oprah’s voice and the answer to my own question from years ago… “how is this possible?”  With an open heart and with tremendous love…you can change the world.  Believing this makes anything possible.

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Oprah’s Lifeclass is Broadcasting Live from Houston this Friday!

For all those who don’t have access to OWN all over the world or who can’t get to Houston in time for the show, this is for YOU!  Oprah is going to be broadcasting LIVE from Houston this Friday.  New tapings for Oprah’s Lifeclass are being taped this Friday with Pastors Joel Osteen and Rick [...]

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Calling All Lifeclass Students in Houston!

Texas might have just gotten a little hotter!  Oprah is coming to town!  Oprah’s Lifeclass is taking the show on the road again and coming to Houston….the only place that I have ever seen cowhide line the walls of elevators (it’s true people!).    Oprah’s Lifeclass will be filming two shows from the Hobby Center for [...]

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Join Oprah’s Lifeclass LIVE Today!

Today, Oprah takes us back to Harpo Studios and into her virtual classroom.  Oprah’s Lifeclass will be taping two shows live today to bring to OWN later this Fall.  But, for the rest of the world if you have a little time and an internet connection, you can get to class!  Oprah’s virtual classroom is open worldwide to [...]

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