My new attitude...thanks to Oprah. :)

"When life gives you lemons, take photos of them."

I mentioned a few days ago that I love Oprah and want to am going to meet her.  Aside from the obvious (her rise to the top, her generosity, her philanthropic ventures, etc.), the spiritual side of Oprah is what has truly changed my life.

My husband and I went through some slightly rough adventures of our own (nothing marriage or health-related) a few years back (more on that next week) and honestly as cheesy as it sounds, information I took from several of Oprah's shows is what gave me a very necessary attitude adjustment.  

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The first show that comes to mind was when The Secret was discussed.  I watched this show with various guests speaking of how this "secret" changed their lives.  I taped it (ha ha...yes we still used a VCR at the time...3 years ago) and I watched it over and over again.  I told my husband about it and while he thought I was a little crazy, he put up with my constant outbursts about the show.  My birthday was a few weeks later and he bought me the book as part of my gift.  Every page of it was like an awakening for me.  I have always been a positive person, but reading The Secret gave me such a better understanding of why that is so important in every aspect of life.   Finally interpreting  the laws of attraction, showing gratitude, and realizing that "you get what you give" made complete sense.

"Your life is a mirror of the dominant thoughts you think."  ~Lisa Nichols

After the Secret, I remember when  A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose  by Eckhart Tolle was announced as the newest piece for her book club.  To say this book was life-changing is a gross understatement.  A New Earth goes a bit deeper than The Secret and stresses the importance of living in the present moment.

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One of my ah-ha moments:  Though I considered myself an optimistic person, but found myself slipping away from this.  I had gotten to a point where I was unhappy with several things.  I was frustrated that I had always thought I wanted to be a teacher and then after several years of teaching discovered that I just couldn't do it anymore.  Then when we moved for my husband's job and I stopped working, I was completely content making our first house our home, but felt like I constantly had to answer to others ("What do you do all day?  Aren't you bored?") and justify why I wasn't working.  I also got annoyed with people saying, "That must be nice," when they learned that I wasn't working.  My frustrations with other people were starting to make me miserable.  I needed to just snap out of it.  I knew it really had nothing to do with me, but was all them and how I chose to deal with them.  Once I started reading the book, it was so clear to me, that I was letting what others said affect my daily life, and that really does not help things at all.  By living completely in the present moment, nothing that anyone said or did could bring me down and I felt more in control of my feelings because I now focus completely on what I am doing at the moment and don't let others' words or judgments cloud my thoughts.  I am rambling and I hope I am not sounding preachy, but it was really what I needed at the time.  Now, several years later,  I can honestly say that any event that has happened in the past has no effect on me now.  Whereas before I would hold grudges, now everyday is like a clean slate.  It is so refreshing.

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I have always tried to be as positive as possible in every situation, but this book just changed my attitude about life...in such a great way. Honestly, A New Earth was the missing piece.  After reading it, I now felt complete...as silly as that sounds.  There are portions that deal with anxiety, guilt,  judgment, worry, etc., and how these serve no useful purpose.  It also talks about how people can be so focused on the future, that they forget to enjoy life right now.   It truly helped me see things in a different way and to not let little things get to me.  I also registered on Oprah.com for the webcasts of each chapter of the book where the author and Oprah discuss each chapter for an hour.  Some of the book got a little wordy (like this post) and confusing and it helped to have the author further explain exactly what he meant.  It was also helpful when readers would call in confused about something or disagreeing with something and to see how the author would respond.  I actually took notes and have a file.  I am a little crazy, though!  :)

So to go back to that last Oprah post for a second... In A New Earth, Tolle stresses becoming one with nature when you feel yourself slipping away from the present moment.  I was having a day where I was stressing out about future events and needed to snap myself back into the present.  I went to our patio, laid down on our bench and stared up at our tree.  That's when I saw the Oprah Os...it was all just a little weird.  :)

I hope I haven't completely overwhelmed (or bored) you with this ridiculous book of a post.  I have such a hard time putting my thoughts into words.  Until I read these two books, I didn't really know how to remain positive and present all day, everyday.  Now I do and I can honestly say that I have never been happier.   ...thanks to Oprah.  :)