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by Elizabeth Kay
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posted Oct 26 2011 4:11PM
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I'm lucky enough to be on Oprah's email list and about once a month she's sends out a new message (and yes, they are actually written by Oprah herself).
Here's her latest email:
Dear Friends of Fall,
On my way back from Africa, where I've spent the past week teaching my soon to be graduating 12th graders, everything I wish someone had told me before I graduated. I bow to teachers everywhere who care about their students, prepare the curriculum and do their own homework to make sure they are prepared. It's a lot of work.
I received this email from one of my students today which makes it all worth it:
Mom Oprah I would like to thank you so much for the wonderful, exciting and mind blowing workshop on life and it's ways. I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come to South Africa, far away from your home. I have learned so many life lessons that I surely will be taking along with me through the many years to come. The one lesson that I definitely learned was that "It is okay to make mistakes". The reason it struck me so much is because I have had a shadow belief where I believed and told myself that I need to satisfy others and show them that I am good. What I did not realise along the way, is that I then stepped away from certain opportunities because I was too scared to take risks and to make mistakes and disappoint others. But after Life 101 I now know that IT IS OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES. Another lesson that I learned is that other people will have their opinions about me and I will need to learn to give meaning to it or not.
Thanks M.
Wow, that warmed my heart.
That one email made the whole exhausting week to the bottom of Africa so worth the trip and rewarding. I'm not a good sleeper under normal circumstances. So my body does not adjust to time change well. So it's been a sleepless week. I had meeting after meeting...then taught class in the late afternoon, so girls wouldn't miss their regular classes.
Mistakes mean move in another direction. And other peopleâs opinions don't define you. Finding the courage to create the life you say you believe in, building from strength to strength, not giving away your power, especially not doing stupid things in the name of pleasing other people. That was my focus for 12 graders.
I'm returning to U.S. excited to be starting Lifeclass 8/7 central this week on OWN. Followed LIVE on the Web. I hope to see you on Facebook, Oprah.com...and if you have it the iPad app.
For Lifeclass we're moving on to even bigger lessons that speak to the power of the heart.
How not to be controlled by your ego. Letting Go of the past. Allowing the Truth of your life to set you free. Using your strength as a weapon against defeat. And Joy Rising moments that will remind you to feel and create your own.
All things I've learned and continue to grow and expand my understanding of how life works.
I want your world to open up, and you be enhanced, and stimulated by new ways of thinking about yourself.
Doing this on TV and the Web is a bold move. I know it. But what would life be without taking a risk!
See you Monday nite
Oprah 
Photo credit VTK Productions via Flickr |
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by Elizabeth Kay
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posted Oct 26 2011 4:11PM
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Do you have times when you feel like you can't control your emotions? I"m a woman; therefore, the obvious answer for me is YES!
Here's a great quiz from Oprah.com that might help you gauge how in touch with your emotions you actually are.
Click here to take the quiz. |
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by Elizabeth Kay
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posted Oct 26 2011 4:11PM
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I've been lucky enough to be on Oprah's email list (yes she sends it out to thousands of people, BUT it REALLY is an email directly from her - which is cool).
Here it is:
Subject: The Next Right Decision...
Friends of Summer,
Can you believe it's August already? "Hot August nights with the leaves hanging down and the grass on the ground smelling so sweet"...thank you Neil Diamond. I always want to play that song this month.
I am digitally, technically, challenged but learned a great new thing yesterday.
Please don't LOL, but I did not know that you could play music wirelessly thru the speakers in your house directly from your iPad. And can upload movies directly to your tv screen and the movies maintain their HD quality.
I still think that iPad is a magic box.
I spent my first full week at OWN merging new staff with Harpo folks. Alignment is the first step in getting anything to work. We all had a great week. Although if you saw my tweet, you noticed I could use some better office furniture.
We're working on new shows for fall. ROSIE's on at 7pm ET/PT. I watched in awe this past Friday as she sat in a room full of critics, (Television Critics Association) and made them actually LOL.
OWN YOUR LIFE (the oprah class) will be at 8pm ET/PT. Sign up if you're interested in having a better life at Oprah.com.
By the way did you see the show SERVING LIFE on OWN it reairs this Wednesday night 9pm and 12am ET/PT. Produced and narrated by Forest Whitaker. If you didn't see and can't see when it reairs...DVR. It's worth your time.
I've been emailing Forest all weekend. I can't stop thinking about it. It was really, REALLY good. And a tough subject. But opened my heart and made me drop a lot of preconceived notions and judgment.
It is great television I'm proud to platform on OWN.
@Woodsy1069 asked me on Twitter yesterday if I was "frazzled" by OWN's performance thus far.
Nope, not frazzled. And I have faith that if I do what I'm supposed toâallow it to serve my purpose, and you, the viewerâit will succeed.
Everyone in the cable business told me it would take 3 years. Some said 5. I've been here a week.
Lorne Michaels, master creator/producer told me months ago, "it won't start to come together until you're there."
So I made myself CEO and now in the trenches with Erik and Sheri who've masterfully run Harpo, now also Presidents of OWN. We're uniting and building our team.
I will say this; it's 10 times harder than doing my daily show. Doing that show felt like breathing everyday. Now I'm in so many meetings I sometimes have to step out and catch a breath.
But I see every challenge as an opportunity. So no shortage of opportunities here.
I know the same is true for your life.
My experience is a network, yours is whatever is calling you right now.
Get clarity. Don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Don't be defeated by mistakes. Learn from them.
We have a new motto..."The next right decision"...what is it?
Onward!
Oprah Winfrey
Photo credit emilydickinsonridesabmx via Flickr |
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by Elizabeth Kay
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posted Oct 26 2011 4:11PM
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I'm lucky enough to be on one of Oprah's email lists and here is her latest email she sent this week:
Hello friends of Summer,
I haven't written lately because my technically challenged self could not access this email account.
So many barriers were put in place to protect the account, I ended up barring myself from access.
So here we go... Last week was at Allen Conference, with all the movers and shapers of our world. Met some fascinating people like Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. Dynamo woman. So exciting to see women crack that glass ceiling and burst through it.
Came home inspired to work harder and do better.
Started out the week taking swimming lessons. Moving beyond my amateur doggy paddle. Learned the breast stroke today.
Over a year ago I pulled a picture from O mag of a woman gliding through water. It was such a striking image of Freedom and possibility I put it on my vision board (which I've still not completed). Â Today when I finished my swimming lesson I passed the vision board lying on the table where it's been since 2009. I had an aha moment. I had just become that woman, gliding through the water!
For years I've been a challenged swimmer, afraid of the water and fighting it. Today I learned to move with the flow.
This I've known forever is the great metaphor of life. "Move with the flow". Don't fight the current.
Resist nothing. Let life carry you. Don't try to carry it.
Sometimes we just have to be reminded. A swim lesson did it for me.
I've brought the metaphor to life as I try to evolve OWN into it's full potential. Erik Logan and Sheri Salata, presidents of Harpo today will bring their unique partnering leadership into alignment with the network.
In all things you must have alignment for "flow" to occur.
This I've known forever, but couldn't make it happen, because we were all so focused on ending The Oprah Show.
So as of today... Harpo Team and OWN team become ONE.
Our intention is to use the cable platform and the internet platform and the mobile platform to create messages that fill you up and bring you to new levels of awareness about yourself, ourselves, and our world; our potential...
It's an incredible challenge ahead trying to figure out what kind of shows and programming will resonate with you, inspire you, bring a little piece of light into your already crowded existence. But I feel called to do it, and will be relying on your feedback, emails and tweets and message boards to let me know what you think.
We're gearing up for October, The Oprah Show team of producers will be producing the Rosie show in Chicago at Harpo studios.
I'll be in L.A working on "Next Chapter".
I'm also taking The Oprah Show library of 4560 shows and redesigning them into the 100 best lessons I've learned about everything that can help you live a better life. Â Those will start airing Oct. 10. Â Same day as Rosie.
At my core I'm a teacher, masquerading as a talk show host.
And now I'll have a nightly class on OWN.
But for now, I'm enjoying every breath of Summer.
I hope you all are appreciating the warm sun and blue sky where ever you are.
Everyday I wake up grateful. For the smallest things and big things:
Health. Living in the U.S.A. Freedom. Democracy.
Promise and Potential. Growth.
And tiny pleasures like bathing my dogs or picking vegetables.
I have a garden, and every Thursday we harvest our veggies. I grew up in Mississippi, too young to appreciate what it means to pull beans from the vine. Then I just thought it was work, now I get a little thrill from every onion and corn stalk. Yes I'm growing CORN in my back yard. And beets and lots of basil.
I cook for Stedman, but have a limited repertoire.
Next I think I may want to take one of those Tuscany cooking courses.
Will let you know how it goes.
The Best of Life to you,
Oprah Winfrey
Photo Credit: Pan-African News Wire File Photos via Flick |
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by Elizabeth Kay
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posted Oct 26 2011 4:11PM
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I've been emailing Oprah since her show wrapped up at oprah@oprah.com and here's her latest email.
Hello y'all, friends of summer.
Got back safely from vacation. Had to come back for Cable convention and meetings with OWN team. Building a network doesn't allow for the long relaxing time I had imagined for myself.
But I'm ready for the challenge.
Thanks for all your good wishes.
I'm sure you feel the same after vacation. Not long enough.
Oddly enough it's not the vacation, but small moments like having time to stop for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, or Friday night going out to dinner with friends that feels so different.
In the past I've been so exhausted that when Friday comes I just want to collapse and sleep.
So I marvel at the spaces of time to do something just normal and not worry about where I have to go next.
I appreciate you wanting to send me ideas for programming but I can't accept unless in real general terms. Law suits; Not my idea of a good time.
And though I empathize with everyone having money problems, even with all the kids I've given scholarships to, I don't give money to them directly but to a school or institution.
I've enjoyed corresponding with some of you. But with 132k emails in my inbox right now, obviously I can't respond to you all individually.
On my way out of country on business. Â Would appreciate if you'd watch BTS tonight 8/7 central on OWN. Tonight's episode is all the Behind the Scenes stuff with James Frey. I teared up watching it and I've obviously already lived it. Why? The true miracle of reconciliation and being willing to see things differently. Of all the BTS shows I think this one is the best so far. Â You really get an insight into all the misunderstanding that keeps people holding on to "stuff" for years. I didn't think I was one of those people until this show. Also looking forward to BTS on the making of United Center surprise shows. I still don't know HOW my team did that. Took over that venue from the Bulls and had less than 36 hrs to build the stage and rehearse, Aretha, Beyonce, Stevie, Jamie, Rascal Flatts, et al..
After Season 25 Behind the Scenes is Finding Sarah, really good I think. Please let me know what you think at Oprah.com
And I need your feedback on the Ryan and Tatum O'Neal show as they attempt a real reconciliation on camera. That's 10/9 central.
BTS.....Finding Sarah... The O'Neals.. Sunday lineup beginning 8/7 central.
I have to say, my experience with James Frey felt like a holy moment. You'll see in tonight's episode how we both came full circle. I would have never imagined of all the nearly 30 thousand people I've interviewed that James Frey would turn out to be a friend.
Amazing Grace..indeed.
Happy Father's day to all you great dads. And to those of you who are trying to be better; recognizing that you're not a man because you can make a baby... You're a man when you can raise one. I salute you for the work and sacrifice and the dream you carry day in, day out for your family.
It's good we take a beat once a year at least, to acknowledge and make sure Father's feel appreciated. And most important VALIDATED.
As I said on last show Everybody wants to know they matter. And every relationship improves according to how valued the other person feels.
I already called my Dad, since I knew I'd be traveling out of the country today.
Blessings and Thank you for your emails,
Oprah Winfrey |
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by Elizabeth Kay
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posted Oct 26 2011 4:11PM
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The countdown to Oprahâs final show on May 25th is onâ¦AND EVERYONEâS GETTING A CAR! Just kidding. After 25 years of shocking interviews, hard-hitting investigations, invaluable life guidance and a ton of free stuff, itâs no wonder Oprahâs many fans are saddened by the legendary showâs end. Are you one of them? Then you may be suffering from what one psychiatrist has actually dubbed âEmpty Oprah Syndromeâ â characterized by feelings of anxiety and a sense of loss at the thought of a world without The Oprah Show.
Donât worry though- between her magazine and an entire television network devoted to her, Miss O isnât really going anywhere. Weâll never get rid of her.Â
Are you sad about the end of The Oprah Show? How will you fill the void? |
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by Kidd & Elizabeth in the Morning
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posted Oct 26 2011 12:28PM
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After 25 years, this week the Oprah Winfrey Show came to a close.
There were laughs and a lot of tears, but the message was clear - Oprah loved you just as much as you loved her.
If you missed Oprah's finale, click here for everything. |
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by Kidd & Elizabeth in the Morning
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posted Oct 26 2011 12:28PM
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We've laughed, we've cried and we've learned. After 25 years, the Oprah Winfrey Show has come to an end.
But who could forget those wonderful memories!
To see the full list of Oprah's top 20 moments, click here. |
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