25 Years

I had the honor & pleasure of attending the final taping of the Oprah Show yesterday that aired this morning.  I’ve seen some comments that people thought it was her preaching & that they were disappointed with the finale.  I have some things to say about that…

Firstly, when people found out I was going, the first thing most of them said was, “What do you think she’ll give you?”  I really & truly didn’t think she’d give anything away.  That would have distracted from it being her last show & all people would have talked about is what she gave away rather then it being the finale.  Second, that’s not what Oprah’s show is really all about.  Sure–she gave away cars, trips & had her Favorite Things shows, but at the heart of the show is & always has been about seeing things in a new light, learning about people & thusly, about yourself.  To say that Oprah is just about grandiose, extravagant gifts, you haven’t really been watching or paying attention.

Listen–I know that some of you will roll your eyes at this but I’ll say it anyways.  I grew up in a family that didn’t necessarily encourage introspection.  No one was particularly religious or spiritual or looked for a deeper meaning to life.  I would say that my grandmother definitely encouraged me to look at the motivations of other people when they said or did terrible things in order to gain a deeper understanding of not just the why but why I shouldn’t be immediately reactive or let it negatively affect me.  I became an observant little girl who saw things many others didn’t.  I learned a lot about people & why people are who they are.  When my grandmother passed away in 1995, I was left without a role model or confidant in my life.  I would definitely say that Oprah was a great influence on me particularly after this point.  I remember relating to her story as she had parents that didn’t necessarily support her or outwardly encourage her but she found the courage & strength to create her own life.

I was invited to attend the final Oprah show because I wrote a letter about how Oprah has inspired me.  I can think of so many examples of this but the one that specifically stands out to me is a story Oprah has told several times about her trying to get a role in the movie “The Color Purple”.  This was back when Oprah’s show was still AM Chicago & she talks about how she wanted to be in this movie more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.  After not hearing any response for some time, she called the casting director to see if any decision was made.  He told her, “There are real actresses auditioning for this role.  What makes you think you will get it?”  Obviously she was very discouraged about this.  She goes to a “fat camp” & was running around the track praying to god saying, “God–I’ve never wanted anything more in my life but if this is not in the cards for me, show me what you’d have me do next.”  She starts singing “I surrender all” & the minute–the minute she lets it go, someone comes down to the track & tells her Steven Spielberg is on the phone.  Oprah runs to the phone & Steven says to her, “If you lose one pound, you could lose this role.”  I love this story because I am a particularly anxious person & when I want something it will consume my thoughts.  Whenever I do this, it tends to not work out in my favor or end up being what I think it will be.  I had to learn that sometimes what we want in this moment is not necessarily ultimately for the best & that while it’s important to take the steps needed to achieve our goals, sometimes you just have to align yourself with the energy of the universe & let it show you where you are best needed.

I’m not trying to say that Oprah is god or perfect.  She’s not even my number one role model (but definitely top five).  But there is true value in what she has done & accomplished & I think something that is needed in the world.  I aspire to be more like her in that I hope to always be learning from the world & eventually use that knowledge to teach others.  Martin Luther King, Jr put it best when he said “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”

I truly feel that Oprah’s Finale show was fitting.  She summed up the main lessons she had during her 25 years:  That you are in charge of your own life.  That you are worthy.  You effect the lives of others every single day regardless of the size of your audience. To find your passion & inspire others. That service is more important then fame.  That the guiding force of the world is the energy you put into it.

I am by no means a religious person & would consider myself to be agnostic.  There are few things in this world that I am sure of.  But–as Oprah would say, the one thing I know for sure is that the energy you give to the world is exactly what you get back.  I have spent most of my 20’s reading, researching & searching for answers about life & this is the only constant that I have found.  Once you not only learn this, but know it & use it in your own life is when you can find true contentedness & happiness.