Are you listening to the whispers

by Sharon O | May 31, 2011 | Uncategorized

Continuing on the last Oprah show and it’s contents.
“People often ask me, What is the secret of success of the show? How have we lasted 25 years? I non jokingly say,
“My team and Jesus.’ Because nothing but the hand of God has made this possible for me… I know I’ve never been alone,
and you haven’t either. And I know that presence, that flow ~ some people call it grace ~ is working in my life at every single turn. And yours too, if you let it in. It’s closer than your breath, and it is yours for the asking.”

“I have felt the presence of God my whole life. Even when I didn’t have a name for it. I could feel the voice bigger than myself speaking to me, and all of us have that same voice.
Be still and know it. You can acknowledge it or not. You can worship it or not. You can praise it, you can ignore it or you can know it. Know it.
It’s always there speaking to you and waiting for you to hear it in every move, in every decision.
I wait and I listen. I’m sill ~ I wait and listen
for the guidance that’s greater than my meager mind.”

“The only time I’ve ever made mistakes is when I didn’t listen.
So what I know is, God is love and God is life, and your life is always speaking to you.
First in whispers…it’s subtle, those whispers. And if you don’t pay attention to the whispers, it gets louder and louder. It is like getting thumped upside the head, like my grandmother used to do… you don’t pay attention to that, it’s like getting a brick upside your head. You don’t pay attention to that, the whole brick wall falls down. That’s the pattern I’ve seen in my life, and it’s played out over and over and over again on this show.”
“What I’ve gleaned from this show:
Whispers are always messages, and if you don’t hear the message, the message turns into a problem. And if you don’t handle the problem, the problem turns into a crisis. And if you don’t handle the crisis, disaster.
Your life is speaking to you. What is it saying?”
My question for us today is this:
What are those whispers that you have been hearing?
Is God calling you for a bigger purpose?
Is He challenging you for something different?
Is it something you really need to stop and listen to and take heed?
Just a bit more to think about as we soon do closure to the last Oprah show.

Validate someone today

by Sharon O | May 30, 2011 | Uncategorized

Returning to the last Oprah Winfrey show again I was listening to her words and remembering the years I have watched her show every afternoon. Remembering how she progressed from a ‘talk show’ to a motivational…
 “you can do better in your life” show.
And it was good.
On  her last show she was reflecting on her thoughts and feelings and she said, “The show has taught me there is a common thread that runs though all of our pain and all of our suffering, and that is unworthiness. Not feeling worthy enough to own the life you were created for. Even people who believe they deserve to be happy and have nice things often don’t feel worthy once they have them. There is a difference, you know, between thinking you deserve to be happy and knowing you are worthy of happiness.” 
Then she told the story of a lady she knew and had worked with for many years who couldn’t grasp her worth no matter how often she was told by others how special she was.
“What I got was we often block our own blessings because we don’t feel inherently good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or worthy enough.” 
“The show has taught me you’re worthy because  you are born and because you are here. Your being here, your being alive makes worthiness your birthright. You alone are enough.”
“I’ve talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common. They all wanted validation. If I could reach through this television and sit on your sofa or sit on a stool in your kitchen right now. I would tell you that every person you ever meet shares that common desire. They want to know:
Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you?”
“Understanding that one principle, that everybody wants to be heard, has allowed me to hold the microphone for you all these years with the least amount of judgement. Now I can’t say I wasn’t judging some days. Some days, I had to judge just a little bit. But it’s helped me to stand and try to do that with an open mind and to do it with an open heart. It has worked for this platform, and I guarantee you it will work for yours. Try it with your children, your husband, your wife, your boss, your friends. Validate them. ‘I see you. I hear you. And what you say matters to me.” 
I think this is something good for us to think about…
Who do you need to validate today?
Is it your children or your family?
Maybe perhaps even yourself?
I found it refreshing that in the midst of her wealth and fame and affluent lifestyle. She found a place within her heart and soul to reflect back and say to herself and to others.
“You matter in this world, don’t you ever forget that.”

Your energy shared

by Sharon O | May 29, 2011 | Uncategorized

Pressing into more of the last episode of the Oprah show.

She shared some really significant thoughts that will push me into thinking deeper and more passionate about what I want my life to represent.
She said, “You are responsible for the energy that you create for yourself, and you are responsible for the energy that you bring to others.” 
When I think of these words I move back into the days working at a pharmacy and the variety of people I met.
Some were my favorites. They would come in with a bounce in their step and a smile on their face and they were full of hope and life and you loved sharing with them even if it was just for a few minutes.
They were contagious in their zest for life.
Then there were the others who would come in like it was doomsday and their job was to rob joy from anyone near them.
They each brought energy.
One kind was compassionate and hopeful, the other was defeated and dreary before they even started.
Remember Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh?
No matter what kind of day it was for him, he was just ‘Ho Hum’ looking for something different.
Oprah said, “In my makeup room I have a sign and it says, ‘Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.”  
“It is a simple but powerful lesson. All life is energy and we are transmitting it at every moment. We are all little beaming signals like radio frequencies, and the world is responding in kind.” 

I think for today my question would be…
What kind of energy do we want to give to others along our path?
We have each seen both kinds.
Which is more helpful and welcoming?
Which one brings life and which one brings death?
Just a little something for us to think about.

Our platforms

by Sharon O | May 28, 2011 | Uncategorized

The other day as I was watching the last episode of the Oprah show.
I was impressed with her confidence and her complete control of her new destiny.
She appeared to be someone who knows herself well and is not afraid to let others see it.

I was captivated by her words.
The affirmations for women and the message she passed on to each and every one listening.
“No matter who you are… your message matters. Each one of you has your own platform. Do not let the trappings here fool you. Mine is a stage in a studio, yours is wherever you are with your own reach, however small or however large that reach is.” She continues, “Wherever you are, that is your platform, your stage, your circle of influence. That is your talk show, and that is where your power lies. In every way, in every day, you are showing people exactly who you are. You are letting your life speak for you. And when you do that, you will receive in direct proportion to how you give in whatever platform you have.”

As I listened to her I reflected on the questions:
What kind of platform do I want this blog to represent?
What values to I want it to show as others read the words written?
What is the message I want to deliver within every writing?
For today, this is something I am thinking about.
More will come as I process her last ‘goodbye’ speech.