This morning, I was speaking with a friend who is in the music industry as a composer, producer and performer. He was telling a story about a talented musician friend who wanted to sound like another well known singer songwriter whose work I also knew and enjoyed. My friend told him that if he could go back in time and have the kind of life this person did, with its pain and challenge, then maybe he would have the same vocal stylings. He was laughing as he told me the tale, since I use that as an example with clients. Everything we experience is part of the journey; what I call the Hansel and Gretel Breadcrumb Trail that leads us from where we start to where we eventually end up.
Oprah is a household name world-wide and stands as a symbol for what happens when faith, gumption and a zest for life meet inspired action. Her long running (25 seasons) TV show remains the highest rated talk show in American history. She has used her notoriety to speak out against abuse, to encourage literacy and raise money to build schools in Africa, to name but a few.
Through her show and O Magazine and now OWN, we have the opportunity to explore spirituality, social justice, entertainment, education, body image and giving back in a whole different light.
As someone who loves being front and center, sharing similar messages, I have viewed the Divine Ms. O as a role model for the kind of determination that took her from financially impoverished, abusive childhood, to wildly successful adulthood. She set the course and followed the trajectory to where she is now. Although it seems that she became an overnight success, when I looked back at her career path, it took several decades.
On a friend’s Facebook page she posted about a dream she had in which The Divine Ms. O came to her and said that she had “created everything from nothing.” My response was that I thought Oprah was referring to starting with a seed, which she fertilized, watered, and maybe added some Miracle Gro to and one day it blossomed. This is a person who is a creative, successful therapist and growth facilitator, so her unconscious was the one delivering the message in the guise of the celebrity.
There was a time when I wanted acknowledgement from transformational thought leaders, as if that validated my work. Now, I engage in activities that provide a valuable service and support myself well in the process. I don’t have the intense craving to be on ‘the big stage,’ that I had for years, although I will be on an international stage on October 1st as I offer my first TED talk on the topic of Overcoming the Taboo of Touch. I have seed planted for it ever since I saw my first one delivered by Elizabeth Gilbert on the subject of creativity.
I plant the seeds too and sometimes have no clue what kind of outrageous outcome there will be. In my yard, next to my deck is a plant of unknown origin, that sprung up a month or so ago. It is now huge, towering over me by many feet as it stands tall by the fence. A friend looked it up and said it was some kind of grain of Asian origin. How the heck did it end up in Bucks County, PA? Maybe a bird carried a seed and dropped it there. What I do know is that I place compost around it, comprised of the remnants of fruits and veggies, as well as egg shells which is likely what is nourishing it. In my own life, the challenges provide the compost and fertilizer that make my life so full and rich.
Although I am not a household name, I am known in the circles that matter most to me, those comprised of the overlapping soul circles that are treasured people in my life.
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