For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Graduation Cards and Oprah

In this season of endings and new beginnings,  many of us are stocking up on cards for our family members and friends who are graduating from high school or college.  I usually am attracted to the cards that attempt to give the graduate a message to inspire them to do great things.










This year, as I was in the card aisle at Whole Foods,
it dawned on me that these cards were inspiring
for me personally.

Why should we give them only to graduates? 

Everyone can use a little pep talk.

No matter what age we are, we are all still "becoming" something new.

I think all graduates this year should watch
the final show of Oprah.

I think EVERYONE should watch the final show of Oprah.

Oprah Winfrey celebrated her last show after 25 years.  In that time she didn’t miss a single day’s work, an achievement even the most diligent of workers amongst us may find challenging to claim.

For me the thing that is most apparent about Oprah is that she lives her passion and purpose everyday through her work.  This, undeniably, is the primary reason why she has found the strength and motivation to get up day after day, go into work and shine her light.  Her work is her passion and when we feel passionate about something it doesn’t feel like work at all.  In fact, Oprah’s number one parting message to her audience was the absolute importance of discovering our purpose and following it.  This, she believes, is fundamental to “living your best life”.

For Oprah her purpose and her job are one and the same, however she emphasized that it doesn’t have to be that way.  She advised that it’s the job of each and every one of us to uncover our purpose and follow it.  For some our true purpose may be a part-time pursuit.  For others it may be full time.  For some it may be income-generating.  For others it may not be.  For some it may be to be the best mother we can be.  For others it may be through the paid work we do; through charity work; through scientific discoveries; through entrepreneurial pursuits; through creating works of art; through providing beauty or inspiration….  We are the only person in the world who truly knows our purpose.  No one else can tell us what it is.

So watch Oprah if you have a chance...

and take some time today and ponder what YOUR purpose is.












1 comment:

  1. I love cards, I save all of the inspiring ones to read later. I have to watch Oprah's final show, it sounds good!

    ReplyDelete