Oprah's 25 years of lessons learned
On her final show, Oprah shared her greatest lessons and hopes for her viewers. In this series of posts, Paul highlights ten lessons Oprah learned, along with his related and unrelated thoughts and stories.
Oprah’s lesson 1: We are all called
Monday, June 6, 2011 · Topics: ambiguity, lessons-learned, life-purpose, living-systems, patterns
Everybody has a calling, and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it. Paul’s response: Some days months I think this is all hooey. · Read more →
Oprah’s lesson 2: Nobody but you is responsible for your life
Thursday, June 9, 2011 · Topics: accountability, blame, emotional-intelligence, energy, mindfulness
You are responsible for the energy that you create for yourself, and you’re responsible for the energy that you bring to others. Paul’s response: Rewriting my story about my mom. · Read more →
Oprah’s lesson 3: Everything you done to me already done to you
Monday, June 13, 2011 · Topics: compassion, golden-rule, lessons-learned, mindfulness, physics, videos
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction — articulated to perfection by Miss Celie in The Color Purple: Everything you done to me already done to you. It is the Golden Rule to the 10th power. Paul’s response: Expanding the Golden Rule. · Read more →
Oprah’s lesson 4: You are not alone
Monday, June 20, 2011 · Topics: emotional-intelligence, lessons-learned, shame, transparency
People started coming on this show saying things they couldn’t say to their own family members. Little by little, we started to release the shame. Paul’s response: Secrets on crumpled paper. · Read more →
Oprah’s lesson 5: The root of our pain is all the same — unworthiness
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 · Topics: emotional-intelligence, lessons-learned, life-purpose, paradigms, right-wrong, trauma-healing
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. Paul’s response: Shifts of paradigms. · Read more →
Oprah’s lesson 6: Everyone wants to be heard
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 · Topics: interpersonal-communication, lessons-learned, listening, respect, ubuntu
Every single person you will ever meet shares a common desire. They want to know: ‘Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you?’ Paul’s response: Holding a sacred space for listening. · Read more →
Oprah’s lesson 7: Be still, wait and listen
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 · Topics: lessons-learned, listening, meditation, mindfulness, silence, spirituality
I wait and listen for the guidance that’s greater than my meager mind. Paul’s response: Revelations in the stillness. · Read more →
Oprah’s lesson 9: Be a safe harbor for somebody else
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 · Topics: failure, lessons-learned, safe-space, trauma-healing
Be that safe harbor for somebody else — their safe place to fall. Paul’s response: Safety in threes. · Read more →
