Lessons from Oprah's Life You Want Weekend

September 08, 2014

Today, I am focused on my intentions. Friday, during The Life Your Want Weekend opening, Oprah said, "you co-create your life with the energy of your intention." I had never heard this but it was powerful and I was immediately contemplative. I began think back to decisions I'd recently made and actions I was considering. Quoting "Seat of the Soul," she continued: "You co-create your life with the intention you bring to every situation. Every action, thought and feeling is automated by an intention, and that intention is a cause that exists as one with an effect. And if you participate in the cause, it is not possible for us not to participate in the effect."

What could I say to that, but yes? It was mind shifting. A bit of context (I've written about this here before) ... I made a concerted effort to stop being a people-pleaser after launching out into the life I wanted in 2006. When I left Ohio, I left that behavior ... that mindset there. And many fell by the wayside when I committed to doing what and being who I wanted. I digress.

So, this — being mindful of the intentions I bring to situations — is next level. (In my considering, while Oprah talked, I noted I am still a bit of a people-pleaser and I thought, 'I'm here for this.') Ask yourself how often you do things so people won't be angry with you or so they'll like you. Lacking intention or underestimating the power of our intention can cause us to stray without meaning or direction. Had this been the only revelation I came away with this past weekend, it would have been enough. Thankfully, it wasn't. The cooperative of speakers who joined Oprah — Rob Bell, Elizabeth Gilbert, Deepak Chopra and Iyanla Vanzant — filled us to capacity with insight and tools to go forward; much of it directing us to the work of getting to our bottom lines. I'm familiar. The thread, as Oprah called it, is information ... the acceptance that what has happened to us, has happened for us. It was a bootcamp of the mind.

For nearly two hours Oprah, stood center stage — providing an introduction to what would follow in the multilevel approach to helping us strategize not just next but forever. The central theme — how to handle what happens, using it to propel us. First off, an alternative outlook on failure. Failure, she said, is life at it's most poignant pushing us in a new direction. "God uses what is in your life, at any particular time, to help you see differently from failure to rejection." Perspective. Oprah was transparent, sharing her desperation for the role of Sofia in "The Color Purple," a vulnerability she'll not yield to again. Her competition for the role was veteran actress Alfre Woodard. And because it was just the beginning of her rise she measured herself against the stature of Woodard and resolved that the odds were not in her favor. Oprah, in that moment, began learning the "principle of surrender." She gave it to God. It didn't happen immediately, it was a process of letting it go. In the end the lesson was pivotal — "we must surrender it to the power that is greater than we know." If it is for you, it cannot pass you by.

Yes.

Saturday, in his presentation "Everything is Spiritual," Pastor Rob Bell suggested we consider the present moment. "We have today," he said. And those three words have been looping in my mind along with Iyanla Vanzant's mandate that we be present with ourselves. Life requires it, she concluded.

It was a sort of revival.

In the midst of me excitedly chattering with someone Friday evening about my experience, they said the price of the ticket was too much. I didn't respond, though in the back of my mind, I thought the top tier admission was steep. I woke up the next morning thinking about it and pondered it all the way to the conference. And as I sat through the program Saturday, I concluded — the price was not too much. We spend excessive amounts of money on whatever it is that we deem worthy of investment. I don't have a problem with it. Friday and Saturday, I saw men and women recording, taking notes, dancing, laughing, crying, hugging strangers ... I saw people trying to regain their footing ... hoping to be encouraged and lifted up. I heard people say they came because they were at the end of the rope. I witnessed people literally soaking up the inspiration they needed to go after the life they want. And that, for them, was worth the price.

(Dinner with Toyota and then a selfie. Of course, I wore my Oprah Wasn't Built in a Day tee.)

Thank you so much to Oprah's The Life You Want sponsor Toyota for being such a gracious host throughout the weekend. I could not have imagined a more robust experience.

For more video snippets of the weekend, visit the My Vicarious Life fan page on Facebook.

4 comments

UnknownSeptember 8, 2014 at 5:05 PM
I remember when you mentioned about the person stating the price was too high. My immediate thought was these individuals could charges millions for the words they share. You went in with a mindset of I am going to get a word. So, your soul was impacted by each one of those speakers. The other persons went with a negative mindset. walked away with nothing. Its all about perspective and being open.

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AdrianneOctober 1, 2014 at 2:29 PM
Thank you for sharing!
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