What I know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey
(Book review 4/2015)
When
you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance (Maya Angelou). I
hope you aren’t so wrapped up in nonessential stuff that you forget to really
enjoy yourself – because this moment is about to be over.
Barn’s
burnt down / Now I can see the moon. Mizuta Masahide (17th century
Japanese poet).
Looking
back through Bradshaw’s window into my life, I was sad that the people closest
to me didn’t seem to realize what a sweet-spirited little girl I was. But I
also felt strengthened, seeing it for myself.
There
is one irrefutable law of universe: We are each responsible for our own life.
What
I know for sure is that the only way to endure the quake is to adjust your
stance. You can’t avoid the daily tremors. They come with being alive. But I
believe these experiences are gifts that force us to step to the right or left
in search of a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Let them help you
adjust your footing. In this moment you’re finding a way to step onto higher
ground.
I
know for sure that when you remove the fear, the answer you’ve been searching
for comes into focus. And as you walk into what you fear, you should know for
sure that your deepest struggle can, if you’re willing and open, produce your
greatest strength.
One
of my greatest lessons has been to fully understand that what looks like a dark
patch in the quest for success is the universe pointing you in a new direction.
Anything can be a miracle, a blessing, an opportunity if you choose to see it
that way.
“I
go forth alone, and stand as ten thousand, “ Maya Angelou proclaimed in her
poem “Our Grandmothers” When I move through the world, I bring all my history
with me-all the people who paved the way for me are part of who I am.
Lack
of intimacy is not distance from someone else; it is disregard for yourself.
It’s true that we all need the kind of relationships that enrich and sustain
us. But it’s also true that you’re looking for someone to heal and complete
you.
You
have the power to give yourself the love, affection, and intimacy you may not
have received as a child.
The
key to any relationship is communication. A relationship built on real love
feels good. It should bring you joy-not just some of the time but most of the
time.
If
the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is ‘Thank You’, it will be
enough-Meister Eckhart. I know for sure: If you make time for a little gratitude
every day, you’ll be amazed by the results.
I
gave to someone else; in the same way that someone had given to me. And I know
for sure that’s what we’re here to do: Keep the giving going.
“Soar, eat ether, see what has never been
seen; depart, be lost, but climb.” –Edna St. Vincent Millay
What
I know for sure is this: You are built not to shrink down to less but to
blossom into more. To be more splendid. To be more extraordinary. To use every
moment to fill yourself up.
My
biggest mistakes in life have all stemmed from giving my power to someone
else-believing that the love others had to offer was more important that the
love I had to give to myself.
“In the word question, there is a beautiful
word-quest. I love that word.” –Elie Wiesel
The
older I get, the less tolerance I have for pettiness and superficial pursuits.
Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We
are spiritual beings having a human experience.
Glinda
the good witch- “You’ve always had the power.” You just have to be still to
find it. And when you do, you’re on the way to finding the fullest expression
of you.
I
know for sure that whenever your inner GPS is off-kilter, trouble awaits. Your
instincts are your compass.
I
try not to waste time-because I don’t want to waste myself.
What
would happen if we declared our homes, our relationships, our lives a
gossip-free zone? We’d probably be surprised at how much time we’d free up to
do the work that’s most significant –building our dreams rather than tearing
down others’.
Become
the change you want to see. Instead of belittling, uplift. Instead of
demolishing, rebuild. Instead of misleading, light the way so that all of us
can stand on higher ground.
Give
your best in every circumstance so that you have no reason to judge yourself
and create guilt and shame. Make a decision and watch your life move forward.
I
know for sure that there is no them-there’s only us.
I
know for sure that what I think, what I say, what I do-everything will be
returned to me. And the same is true for you.
