Brain food from Oprah

Happy Cinco de Mayo, guys!  How are you celebrating?  Yesterday’s lunch is as festive as it gets around here: Scrambled Egg Burrito.  I say burrito, but I really mean a homemade corn tortilla topped with fajita-style veggies, scrambled eggs, salsa & avocado.  This meal is definitely going to be repeated ASAP!

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Amidst all the guac & margaritas, I wanted to share some inedible food i.e. Brain Food. Have you ever read or watched something that you felt directly spoke to you and came to you at the exact right time?  While watching a completely unrelated clip on YouTube, a thumbnail for The Oprah Winfrey Show finale in 2011 popped up on my sidebar.

Whoever said watching TV is a waste of time was clearly wrong.  This single episode left me feeling so elevated, inspired and uplifted.  Oprah describes her finale as a love letter to her audience & God.  It’s filled with so much gratitude and lessons on how we can grow as individuals. Like every other episode, the finale’s ultimate message is that we all have the power to change our own lives. I know we are all busy and 45 minutes seems like a huge chunk of time, but I promise it’ll be the most enriching 45 minutes you spend.
http://vimeo.com/27317783

Until you do get a chance to watch it, I want to share 2 of my favorite takeaways.  Just to clarify these are all Oprah’s words, not mine….I’m not this eloquent ;).

1) You Are Responsible For the Energy You Bring

Nobody but you is responsible for your life.  It doesn’t matter what your momma did, it doesn’t matter what your daddy didn’t do.  You are responsible for your life.  And what is your life?  What is all life- every flower, every rock, every tree, every human being?  Energy.  And you are responsible for the energy that you create for yourself & you are responsible for the energy you bring to others.  One of the best examples I this was Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor who was a 37-year-old Harvard-educated brain scientist who suffered a massive stroke in the lft part of her brain.  She couldn’t speak or remember her own mother but when doctors & nurses walked in the room, she knew from her right brain who was on her side.  She could feel their energy. 

All life is energy & we are transmitting it at every moment.  We are all beaming with signals like radio frequencies and the world is responding in kind.  Let me tell you, Newton’s Third Law is real.  It says: “For every action, there is an equal & opposite reaction”.  That is the abiding law that I live by.  What I know is that the energy I put out every day, with the best of intentions that it would reach you where you really live in the heart of yourself, has come back to me from all of you in full force.  

2) The Power Lies in Us:

Wherever you are in life, that is your own platform with your own reach, no matter how big or how small.  That is your circle of influence & that is where your power lies.  Every day & in every way, you are showing people who you are & letting your life speak for you and when you do, you will receive in direct proportion to what you give.  This is where our power lies.  Of course everyone’s circumstance is different but the power is still the same.  You can help somebody, you can listen, you can forgive, you can heal, you have the power to change someone’s life.  Look around and you will see.  You may not have to look any further than your own family or even your own self.  The power is still the same.

And there I was thinking I couldn’t love Oprah any more than I already did.  Have a great Monday!

How are you celebrating Cinco De Mayo?  

What’s the best words of advice you’ve come across lately?

13 thoughts on “Brain food from Oprah”

  1. I came across this little nugget by Floyd Little awhile back – I love it – and share it whenever I can:
    “…. I want to encourage you, every student, every athlete, every person who will hear my voice, don’t listen to the naysayer. I had plenty of those. Don’t listen to those that will judge you for your rough edges. Don’t focus on your weakness so you won’t become a victim. Find the goodness in you that says, Yes, I can be a good student. Yes, I can be a good son and daughter. Yes, I can be a positive role model. Yes, I can, because the good in you is better than the worst in most. The choice is yours. Be the best that you can be. I truly believe that none of us is anything until the least of us is something. The great writer James Baldwin said, Naked I came into this world and naked I shall leave. We are bound to leave everything we accomplished in this lifetime behind, passing it on. So leave a legacy that you and your family can be proud.”
    We are having a little Cinco de mayo pot luck luncheon at work – other than that, my plans are to watch this clip of yours this evening. Thanks for sharing these two uplifting sentiments from the show ~ hope your weekend was wonderful!

  2. Wow, I honestly never knew Oprah to be so inspiring….I just thought of her as the human real life version of Santa Clause!

    Best words of advice I’ve come across lately- Eff it. Literally. Why dwell on things we can’t change or sulk in what we can’t have- appreciate what we have and move on.

    1. “Human real life version of Santa Clause”–> hahah I can see what you mean! And those 2 words are extremely powerful- if you can’t change a situation, learn from it and move the eff on!

  3. Apparently, it’s a bad thing that I’ve never watched a single episode of Oprah – she’s a smart lady!
    No Cinco de Mayo around here…although now I think I’ll have to eat some guacamole at some point today.

  4. I miss Oprah! I remember always looking forward to watching her show with my mom after work or school. Gah! And side note… I’m currently sitting in Bux, which Oprah has infiltrated with her chai drink and positivity. The quote on my cup sleeve: “Be more splendid. Be more extraordinary. Use every moment to fill yourself up.” 🙂

    1. Ohh I did hear about Oprah’s recent tie-up with Starbucks..it’s 2 of my favorites coming into one!!

  5. I love this and agree whole heartedly. You can’t control most things in life, but the one thing you can control is yourself. Your reaction to things and the energy you bring. It’s also important to realize while someone can make you a victim, only you can choose to accept that and let it overwhelm you or shed it and move on.

    1. Yes I couldn’t agree more- more than the actual situation, our reactions make all the difference! Easier said than done but it’s definitely something we need to keep reminding ourselves :)!

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