Inspiration: Life Lessons With Oprah…
“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.” Oprah Winfrey
Inspiration: Life Lessons With Oprah… Do the one thing you think you cannot do…
A few months ago or so, I, like thousands of others, signed up for Oprah Winfrey’s Life Lessons classes and haven’t looked back. The dynamic, inspirational classes, aptly described as “all of Oprah‘s lessons, revelations and aha moments over the past 25 years broken down to help make your life better, happier, bigger, richer – more fulfilling,” are offered in three locations; on OWN TV (Oprah Winfrey Network) weeknights at 8/7c or 9/10e, on her Oprah.com website, on Fridays on realtime TV on Facebook, and on livestream on Facebook.
“Remember, there are no mistakes, only lessons. Love yourself, trust your choices, and everything is possible.” Cherie Carter-Scott
Inspiration: Life Lessons With Oprah… There are no mistakes, only lessons.
The livestream show is an all-new five-week series showcasing more discussion and insights from Oprah’s Lifeclass. The description for the show says “the series will also feature an online companion class for an even more enriching experience, and live webcasts with Oprah after the main show.” Since the show debuted on October 10th, Oprah has offered 10 Life Lessons classes. As I was catching up on some of the material today when I logged onto the website, I realized that the topics and follow up questions for each lesson were worth sharing as they would make excellent blog post material. I decided to do so here and share some of the brilliant topics and discussions going on with you.
“If you want to accomplish the goals of your life, you have to begin with the spirit.” Oprah Winfrey
Inspiration: Life Lessons With Oprah… Begin with the spirit.
Below, I have included a brief description of the ten (10) lessons we have enjoyed to date. Each lesson offers a question for further exploration on the subject discussed and, if nothing else, they are worth writing in a journal for private reflection. If you wish to register for the classes and engage in the process directly, you may do so on Oprah.com or on Oprah’s Facebook page. Show times for the TV show will be up to your local provider.
Lesson 1: The False Power of Ego
Oprah shares insights on one of her biggest regrets. “In a candid hour, Oprah reveals what she now thinks about one of her most talked-about moments. Plus, she offers advice for knowing when your ego is getting the best of you and ways to help set yourself straight.”
Read more: The False Power of Ego
Question: Where does your ego get in your way?
Lesson 2: Letting Go of Anger
Oprah discusses with best-selling author, Terry McMillan, about Terry’s visit to the Oprah show and her struggles with anger. “She also examines how anger can stand in the way of the life you were meant to live.”
Read more: Letting Go of Anger
Question: What’s holding you back right now?
Lesson 3: You Become What You Believe
This class is about the importance of having faith in ourselves. “She interviews former guests Jim Carrey, J.K. Rowling, Ralph Lauren and others about the nature of our beliefs and how they affect what we can achieve.”
Read more: You Become What You Believe
Question: How would you fill in these blanks? The one thing I wished I had become is ____. The one thing I will become is ____.
There have been 10 Lifeclass lessons so far and they are complimentary; you have access to them at no cost. The rest are below. Enjoy! 😉
“The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.” Oprah Winfrey
Inspiration: Life Lessons With Oprah… The thing you fear most has no power.
Lesson 4: The Truth Will Set You Free
Oprah looks at her 1997 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, and the hate mail she received. “She also discusses a bedrock belief: Anyone pretending to be something that they’re not will never become all that they were meant to be.”
Read more: The Truth Will Set You Free
Question: What secret are you sick of keeping? When are you going to free yourself by telling it?
Lesson 5: Joy Rising (The Car Giveaway)
This is show filled with joyful surprises. “Oprah reveals how she really felt, moment by moment, in what would become an episode of The Oprah Show that people couldn’t stop talking about. Plus, relive a few other all-time great moments of joy rising.”
Read more: Joy Rising (The Car Giveaway)
Question: What brings you joy? What steals your joy?
Lesson 6: Who You Were Meant to Be – Everybody Has a Calling
Each of us has a purpose or a calling on this earth. “In this class, she shares real-life stories of how she, Lady Gaga and others found their callings. As they show us, sometimes, your calling is right in your own neighborhood.”
Read more: Find Your Calling
Question: When you connect with the place of stillness at your core, what do you feel you’re meant to do with your life? What is it really that you’re supposed to be doing with your life?
“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” Oprah Winfrey
Inspiration: Life Lessons With Oprah… Find people who are going to lift you higher.
Lesson 7: Aging Beautifully
Some of Hollywood’s glamorous women reveal how they felt about being defined by beauty; from Cybill Shepherd, Jamie Lee Curtis to Ali MacGraw. “Find out what they learned, and how you can develop an inner self—which is key to aging beautifully.”
Read more: Aging Beautifully
Question: What’s the best thing and what’s the hardest thing about the age you are now?
Lesson 8: When You Know Better…
This class is about a great lesson in Oprah’s life, learned from Maya Angelou. “Relive some of Oprah’s most difficult moments, from confronting skinheads to acknowledging a major faux pas. Plus, find out how to respond when you do something you wish you hadn’t done.”
Read more: When You Know Better…
Question: What do you know better and are now doing better?
Lesson 9: You’re Responsible for Your Life
From childhood, Oprah knew she had a responsibility to make her life a success. “She and others show how they’ve taken control of their lives to force change—and how this principle can come into play in your life.”
Read more: You’re Responsible for Your Life
Question: Why are you waiting for someone else to create what you long for?
Lesson 10: Joy Rising (Flash Mob)
Every Friday, Oprah brings us a bit of joy. “And in her 25 years of doing The Oprah Winfrey Show, there’s never been a better example of joy rising than the Season 24 kickoff party, which featured one of the biggest flash mobs in history. Watch, and get happy.”
Read more: Joy Rising (Flash Mob)
Question: What’s the one thing you know for sure about joy?
All of these lessons offer something we can choose to write about or reflect on. The classes are complimentary; no cost involved. You just sign up and off you go. Enjoy! This post and others are featured on TeachStreet this week. TY! What about you? What are your thoughts? Are you registered for the life lessons classes? What do you think of the course questions? What lessons has your life taught you? If you could choose one thing to change, what would it be? Do share! Thank you. 😉
For More: Women’s Lives & Issues
Positive Motivation Tip: Life lessons are an accumulation of our experiences, actions, and mistakes. Honor yourself.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Oprah, The Couturiers, Saint Cecilia, Aspetti di vita, unknown woman worker via Wikipedia.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Trackbacks
- Taking It One Day at a Time « Trendymom8's Blog: Achieving It All…
- Inspiration: 24 Ways To Follow Our Joy… | Mirth and Motivation
- What I said “No!” to today | Toni Fresh
- Inspiration: Aging Beautifully… | Mirth and Motivation
- Inspiration: Aging Beautifully… | The Blog Farm - A Growing Blog Community
- Inspiration: Lessons We Wish We Had Learned Earlier… | Mirth and Motivation
I met Oprah twice. Once when she was a radio hostess in Baltimaore Maryland. That was before she became famous. I had had an article published in Mademoiselle that lead to me being invited to her show.
I was also a guest in the audience once she became famous. That was upon the release of my book, When Good Kids Do Bad Things. The book did not become a best seller.
I admire Oprah a great deal, but I worry about one of her saying, “If I made it anyone can?’ It seems to go along with her support of the book “The Secret” which I will confess, I have not read.
Wishing with all you heart, trying with all you body does not guarantee you will reach you goals. Certainly doing so helps and is part of the equation. But for confirmation of that reality, that not everyone who dreams big and works hard is going to achieve stardom, just watch the auditions for American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance or any of the similar shows. Luck is part of life.
When Oprah says anyone can do what she did, she is disowning both her incredible talents, the good luck of being born at the right time and choosing a career path that lead to what I am sure was unexpected fame and fortune.
I love her, I do not love that particular message and at the same time do not want people to give up reaching for their star.
By the way I was on a number of talk shows. The one I think did the absolute best job helping children and parents turned out to be Geraldo. I was afraid to go on his show, but the producers assured me, he cared deeply about children and when children were on the show, he did all he could to keep them safe and make the show useful for them. That was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Oprah gets eight out of ten strars on that account. Geralido got ten.
Hi Katherine,
There is nothing wrong with encouraging people to go for their dreams; to reach for the stars. Some do and many don’t; regardless of what anyone says. Oprah has never promised or guaranteed anyone’s success. She inspires and motivates people and then it is up to us to go after/ achieve our dreams or not. I’m confident that most people, especially those who are reflective and observant, know this.
No one can hand you success on a platter and working hard might not produce it either… Life and experience teaches people(all of us) this. So, we just can’t blame Oprah if our dreams don’t materialize. It is simply not her doing… Oprah encourages and motivates people to, at least, make the effort.
Saying “anyone can do what I do” is a fairly common figure of speech in the motivational world and it is said as a form of encouragement not as a way to diminish the speaker’s talents or effort.
Keep in mind that saying “If I made it, anyone can” has a second part to it… “anyone can make more of their lives and go after their dreams.” Making it means different things to different people and I doubt that when people hear that statement they imagine themselves as Oprah. I appreciate the fact that you admitted that you hadn’t read “The Secret.” Perhaps you should as it might shed some light on the subject.
Thank you for your feedback… I appreciate it. 🙂
I liked the journal questions in each of the lessons….thanks!
Yes me too! The questions are excellent and open to everyone. They have given me much food for thought. Thank you for stopping by. TY! 🙂
the translation is quite complex. Using the translator, unfortunately I do not know the English language. A real shame!!
So it would be too complicated to answer questions.
but I repeat that a very interesting article, by thinking about it.
.. and then I did not know Oprah!
Thank you so much!
wind
I’m sorry to hear that… What are you trying to translate? The follow up questions or the lessons? have you tried Google translate? It is quite helpful and might give you some help… TY for your feedback. 🙂
Well, My sister is a Producer now and she worked for Oprah in Chicago IL for five years..long ago now…I love O! She is such a wonderful testimony of how to turn life around,.I love those lessons…was it a free thing? Just wondering. I have bookmarked this for later. I believe in the “truth will set you free” statement! Honesty is always the best policy. Thanks for sharing this info as it is helpful to me. ♥ Blessings Eliz
Yes, the lessons are free. All you need to do is follow the links and sign up or check out the lessons. Oprah is a testament to how one can change their life… It is up to us, as she can encourage us to change, but we have to want to change. TY! 🙂
In far away Germany at least “The Car Giveaway” reached public interest.
My wish would not be a car – but to have some global readers of my writings… 🙂
I will survive using trains and trams …
Your wish is my command… I wish! 😆 You do have a global audience already … You are on your way to your dreams then. TY! 🙂
Eliz–now you have me intrigued. I must take these classes and share this information with friends. Thanks for getting this information out there.
They are inspirational and she brings in lots of teachers and experts to help with each lesson. I know it’s highly inspirational if we come to it with an open mind and without prejudice. TY! 🙂
These lessons are important.
When we know WHO we are . . . we know HOW to live.
Thanks for sharing, E!
Exactly! We must know ourselves well and be reflective in order to truly appreciate doing the inner work that the lessons require… If not, then we are just going through the motions. TY! 🙂
While Oprah has her admirers and haters, the fact remains that she has helped many and continues to do so with this show.
It is humanly impossible to satistfy everyone when you are a success at that level or magnitude.
The real answer comes from the fact that she continues to offe people inspiration.
We get from life what we put in it and we are responsible for that. We can’t hold Oprah for that.
I love the free life lessons and have used it for my journaling. As for the first commenter, there is nothing wrong with encouraging people to be their best. It is a statement of encouragement not a promise. Oprah never said I guarantee your success! We follow our path and the rest plays itself out.
Also women need to find it in their heart to honor other women and stop the hypercritcal stuff.
I concur… I couldn’t have said this better. The lessons are universal and they help with journaling too. We are still masters of our universe and Oprah is one of our guides. TY! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this Elizabeth! I did watch a little before commenting on the life lesson of acknowledging responsibility for your own life. The couple of clips I saw made me think. Oprah has a fount of knowledge from 25 years of interviewing amazing, incredible and powerful people all over the world. No one has those experiences but Oprah. For her to share that information in the form of “lessons” to make us think about ways to improve our own understanding of what we are seeking in our lives is a pretty generous thing. And along with you, I’m grateful for that! I look forward to watching more time permitting and hopefully incorporating some of these lessons in my own mind. This is a very useful post! 🙂
I am grateful for the gift… There aren’t too many people with her experience who share their gifts at that level… I don’t need anyone to convince me otherwise. I know what I’ve seen for all these years. She is consistent, focused and passionate about helping people. TY! 🙂
Thanks for sharing……
Thank you for stopping by to add your voice. TY! 🙂
Great lessons! I’m not a big fan of Oprah, but I do like these lessons.
TY for liking the lessons and that is what she’d like us to do… to focus on how the lessons can benefit us… 🙂
Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration to each of us, she is a wonderful caring woman and proof we can be what we want to be, if we put in the effort. ! Great post !
Amen to that… it is still up to us to pursue our dreams and accomplish our goals; big and small. TY! 🙂
The Oprah show literally changed my life. I’m a huge fan. I did sign up for the classes and have not had time to actually do them yet. I’m going to have some alone time this week and will get to them then.
Great idea to share them here Elizabeth! Thanks.
b
TY Barb! I’m happy to share the information and remind people that they signed up for the lessons… I am daily impressed and inspired by them. TY! 🙂
Great list for soul searching and potential blogging topics. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly… and that is why I shared them too. 🙂
Everything Oprah touches turns to gold. She is inspiration at its best. I was not familiar with these classes but will look into them later. Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks for your comment. I think you’d like the lessons as they are pretty typical of what we have all experienced over our lifetime. TY! 🙂
I love these Life Classes! And I loved the series she had with Eckhart Tolle a few years ago too. Although I do live in Sweden so I can’t see all the episodes of Life Class. I have seen the webcasts, a few of them. And they are great! My favourite guest is Iyanla and her “Scoop!”. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this here Eliz and I hope you have a wonderful week too!
Ty for stopping in and I hope you continue to enjoy the lessons. 🙂
I’ve watched one of the life class live thingees online and thought it was fantastic. Thanks for putting this out there for folks who might not have known about it. Oprah is one amazing human being.
TY for your comment. I’m glad you appreciate the lessons. Oprah is amazing and I am enjoying what she has to share. TY! 🙂
This is definitely an inspiring post! =) I would love to be part of a flash mob! Seriously!!
And I love the quote you shared at the beginning of the post. =) What an encouragement!
Right? That last flash mob was simply amazing! I’d love to be part of one too. TY! 🙂
Very true words Elizabeth. Strangely, in my new job, I’ve actually “become what I believe”. It is over the last couple of years that I’ve recognised within myself that I am good at what I do and while I used to downplay my professional skills, I’ve finally reached the point in my life where I embrace them and am able to say, “I’m good at what I do”.
Hurray! Honestly, most women find it hard to call themselves experts at what they do. It’s a real shame because men are quite quick to point out how wonderful and skilled they are… Good for you! TY! 🙂
Thanks for this, Elizabeth. I, too, signed up but didn’t think about the issues I’d have connecting. Will have to catch up later.
I hope you’ve resolved the issues? It is a wonderful course filled with wisdom and grace… Update me on your adjustments back home! TY! 🙂
Thanks for this great post. I have been enjoying Oprah’s Life Class and this is a great summary of it’s resources.