Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus (a partnership with WW) is touring in 9 major cities and began on January 5th with Lady Gaga as the special guest in Ft. Lauderdale. The tour ends on March 7th in Denver with Gayle King as the special guest.
On February 15th, I went to see Oprah at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, along with 17,000 other people. I was interested to see how Oprah was going to inspire and encourage the 17,000 attendees to live their best life. Her guest for the day was Tracee Ellis Ross, star of Blackish and daughter of Diana Ross. She was great!
The day was filled with upbeat energetic music, Oprah sharing her own WW journey along with past weight loss and weight gain stories, an awesome interview with special guest Tracee Ellis Ross, a high energy short dance class led by Julianne Hough and her team at KINRGY, a group meditation (check out The Big Quiet) and a Workbook exercise led by Oprah.
One topic that was discussed a lot was learning to be present. My “word” last year was Gratitude. I also added Mindful, because I had decided that if I wasn’t Mindful about what was going on around me, how would I be able to express Gratitude? It stuck and I found myself being much more present than I ever had before. I liked learning this art of being present so I really enjoyed hearing her talk about the importance of it. It made me feel like I had done my homework last year and that I was continuing down the right path.
I’ve attended a local motivational health conference before where I left with goals, plans and dreams of my new healthier future, the me that I wanted to become, the me that I knew that I owed it to myself to be.
This motivational day was different for me. I love what I heard. I enjoyed the day. (Except for the constant unwrapping of cough drops…more on that later) This day was very therapeutic for me. I realized as I was doing the workbook exercise that I’ve spent the last five years really working on myself. Like, I made myself a project and I hadn’t realized how much progress I had made until we did the workbook. I’m not talking about the number on the scale. Yes, I weigh 40 lbs less than I did at my highest weight, but I also weigh 15 lbs more than I did at my lowest weight. At my lowest weight 6 years ago, I was nowhere near as healthy as I am now in mind, body and spirit. I think I knew that, but I hadn’t broken it all down like I did while doing the workbook.
This is just two of the many exercises we did in the workbook.
The scale does not define my success in becoming a healthier me. My behavior changes and my mindset tell me the real story.
Feeling comfortable in my own skin is defining my success. Appreciating what my body can do for me instead of worrying about my physical flaws is defining my success. Eating nutritious food is defining my success. Even at my lowest weight I wasn’t eating as well as I am eating now. Creating a bedtime routine and getting a good nights sleep is defining my success. Making activity a part of my life, no matter how small it may be that day, is defining my success. Keeping myself hydrated regularly is defining my success. Going after the job (even after receiving two rejections from WW) that I was passionate about for so long is defining my success. Continuing to write this blog for almost 9 years is defining my success. Buying a kayak and heading out to the lake by myself is defining my success. Walking into the Yoga Studio knowing I am the least advanced Yogi in the room is defining my success. Stepping outside of my box and buying a camper and a truck and camping by myself is defining my success. Allowing myself to set boundaries is defining my success. Learning what my boundaries even are is greatly defining my success. Finding balance is defining my success. I’ve made myself a priority which allowed me to do these things, and for me, that defines my success.
The changes that I have made, the work that I have done on me, has made me feel like I’m a better wife, a better mom, a better daughter, a better friend, a better co-worker and a happier person.
I feel in control of my life in a way that I never have before. I feel physically strong. I feel mentally strong. I feel like I have accomplished so many of the goals that I had set for myself.
I’m not perfect, but I’m not supposed to be.
I’m the person I’ve been wanting to be for so long and I realized it sitting there doing that dang workbook with Oprah. Her and her Ahh Ha moments!
I really like my word that I chose for the year. “Create”. I’ve really been focused on it. I now see the “me” that I have created. There’s always room for growth, but right now I’m going to appreciate where I am today.
Below I’ve listed some of my favorite Podcast from Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus
Podcast with Oprah and Lady Gaga
Podcast with Oprah and Michelle Obama
Podcast with Oprah and Tracee Ellis Ross
Podcast with Oprah and Tina Fey
Podcast with Oprah and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
You can go to Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations for more inspirational Podcast.
After a few conversations recently about this book, I ordered the Michelle Obama book and I’m looking forward to reading that after listening to her Podcast with Oprah.
Friday before flying to Dallas I was at the Minute Clinic. I was certain I was getting the flu or strep and was prepared to cancel my trip. Turns out I had bronchitis so off to Dallas I went with cough medicine and 3 large bags of cough drops. I hated the thought of getting on a flight and coughing all the way to Dallas while surrounded by so many people in such tight quarters.
This was my first trip to Dallas since Tess and Manuel moved into their house. It was SO fun to see them in their home. They cooked dinner for me Saturday night. I sipped coffee and watched Tess make breakfast Sunday morning. I flew home Monday morning.
Their house is decorated so cute and they have done so much work to the house since moving in at the end of September. They have a guest room! No air mattress or couch for this Momma any more.
Tess dropped me and my cough drops (no joke) off bright and early at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and off I went for my day of inspiration. About 10 cough drops in and my head now pounding, I realized the day just wasn’t going to go as planned. I was sitting with and looking forward to meeting several other WW Ambassadors that I only know via our private Facebook page or following them on Instagram. I met the other Ambassadors at the event, and while we did sit together, there wasn’t an opportunity to really get to know any of them until after the event, and then all I wanted to do was have Tess pick me up and go home.
So she did. Tess and Manuel made a delicious dinner of grilled steaks, roasted brussels sprouts and potatoes. I felt very taken care of by my kiddos. I didn’t lift a finger. I think they enjoyed taking care of me. That could all be in my head. How about this? I enjoyed having them take care of me.
After dinner, we watched the Oscar Award Winning Movie “Parasite”. I think that’s only the second movie that I’ve ever watched that was subtitled but we ALL three loved it!
I flew home early Monday morning. As we descended I felt as though my ear drums were going to burst. It was awful. I went to the doctor Tuesday morning because my ears had still not opened up after the flight. Fluid on both ears, ear infection, sinus infection. My doctor said the worst thing I did for myself was that flight home.
Who knew?
Anyhow, just over a week later and I am feeling much better.
Between the two Vision Board parties and that day with Oprah, I’ve done a lot of reflecting these first two months of 2020. I feel so good with where I’m at in so many different areas of my life. I feel like each year in the past I was always trying to make a change. Now I feel like I’ve made the changes I’ve been working on for years. Like the changes finally stuck. Right now, I don’t wanna change a thing.
If you see yourself somewhere in this post, I hope that you are patting yourself on the back for the things that you are doing to take care of yourself. Sometimes just recognizing that we are working on ourselves can be very gratifying.
You deserve to be your best self!
You owe it to yourself to be your best self!
Virtually hugging every one of you!
My next post will be soon and it will be much lighter and include a few of my favorite things that we’ve been eating recently, a new book I’m super excited to read and my latest project for my Travel Trailer, Effie.
“love the life you live, live the life you love”
Thank you!!
It was a great event and I feel so fortunate to have been able to attend.
I hope all is well with you and thank you for always continuing to follow me along. It really does mean a lot to me.
Sending a big hug to you!
Sounds like it was a great event to attend. I admire you so much for all you have had to deal with personally. You have such a great attitude. It always makes me happy to see a post from you!