For My girl was a beautiful girl?

Everywhere she passes, people admire her.

She was shining.

I went to school when I was a child.

But my grandmother gave me food all the time.
It was good times.

There is a story of a little boy who has his mother sick.

He plans everything to cook for her but nothing.

Why are you trying to do your best to bypass me ?

All these things have to be deleted after.
knowing who you are

knowing who you are

being able to answer this question
who am I ? and what do i want ?

many times when i go out of the country,

i am baffled by that question
to explain what is your occupation?

i've stood there for 10 minutes

well am I talk show host?
well i'm more than a talk show
am i businesswoman? i'm a businessman ?
i'm more than a businesswoman
am I entrepreneur?
i'm more than an entrepreneur

so i just leave it blank or self-employed

i'm not asking for the roles that you play as daughters
i'm not asking that question
what are the roles that you play as a daughter, as a friend, as a
sister?

you're going to be a lawyer

you're going to teach
you're going to be a pharmacist

i'm asking the bigger question of who am I

who am i really ?

my answer is i am god's child

i am that which is born of all that is

i am as pierre de chardin said “a spiritual being having a human experience
come trailing the breath of the ancestors yet but trailing the breath of the angels
and understanding that because i am connected to the source of all that is
all that is possible is possible for me
that's who i am

and what do i want ?

i don't want to just be successful in the world
i don't want to just make a mark or have a legacy

the answer to that question for me is

I want to fulfill the highest, truest expression of myself as a human being
i want to fulfill the promise that the creator dreamed when he dreamed the cells that made up
me

what do i want ?
you must have some kind of vision for your life even if you don't know the plan
you have to have a direction in which you choose to go

i never was the kind of woman who liked to get in a car and just go for a ride
i had a boyfriend would say let's just go for a ride
i wanna know where are we going ?
do we have a destination ?
is there a plan ? or we are just riding

what i've learned is : that's a great metaphor for life

you want to be in the driver's seat of your own life because if you're not, life will drive you

knowing who you really are in this space and time that we embody, that's number one
what do you want

number two
you must find a way to serve.
martin luther king said that not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great because
greatness is determined by service.

now we live in a world where everybody wants to be famous and where we admire people for
just being famous.
we think being known brings us value.
the truth is all of that will fade in time

the real truth is that service and significance.

service and the significance that you bring to your service is that which is lasting.
so to be able to, whatever your occupation or job or talent or gift is, our honorees today
getting doctor degrees to apparently opposite fields hiv and aids and the spoken word
but what they have in common is service.

using the spoken word in service to community and the world

using your knowledge and information about hiv and aids and medicine in
service to the world and if you look at all the most successful people in the
world, whether they know it or not, they have that paradigm of service.

everybody's talking about mark zuckerberg and ipo : service

jay-z rapid : service through the word to people, through song.
for many years i was really just happy to be on tv and people would stop and say oh you on tv
- yeah i'm on tv
i like being on tv it's a nice job
that i went back and i took a long lookn at what it was i was doing on on tv
and made a decision
that i was no longer going to just be on tv but i was going to use tv as a platform, as a force
for good and not be used by tv

and i will tell you

my decision
to make that significant change in the
way i operated
on television using television as a
service
changed my career exponentially
service
through
medicine service through
art
using whatever it is you produce your
product
as a way of giving back to the world
when you shift the paradigm of whatever
it is you choose to do to service and
you bring significance to that
success will i promise you follow you
service
and significance
equals success
that's number two number three it's so
simple but so hard to do
always
do
the right thing
be excellent
people notice
think of how you notice you go to taco
bell somebody gives you extra napkin and
some sauce
you notice
you want to go back to that person
because even at taco bell
excellence shows itself
be excellent
let excellence
be your brand
everybody talks about building a brand i
never even knew what that was
when people say you're a brand i would
say no i'm just oprah
what i recognize now is that my choice
to in every way
in every example in every experience
to do the right thing
and the excellent thing is what has
created the brand
and what i know is that when you
are excellent
you become
unforgettable
people remember you you stand out
regardless of what it is you become an
unforgettable woman and that is what we
[00:07:58.72 --> 00:08:03.60] all want we want to be unforgettable and
[00:08:02.00 --> 00:08:06.56] not forgettable
[00:08:03.60 --> 00:08:08.80] so doing the right thing
[00:08:06.56 --> 00:08:11.20] even
[00:08:08.80 --> 00:08:12.48] when nobody knows you're doing the right
[00:08:11.20 --> 00:08:16.32] thing
[00:08:12.48 --> 00:08:18.88] will always bring the right thing to you
[00:08:16.32 --> 00:08:20.56] i promise you that why
[00:08:18.88 --> 00:08:22.80] because the third law of motion is
[00:08:20.56 --> 00:08:25.12] always at work for every action there's
[00:08:22.80 --> 00:08:28.80] an equal and opposite reaction
[00:08:25.12 --> 00:08:31.04] that is so true in all of our lives
[00:08:28.80 --> 00:08:33.92] that's what newton said
[00:08:31.04 --> 00:08:37.84] celia in the color purple said it
[00:08:33.92 --> 00:08:37.84] everything you even try to do to me
[00:08:38.84 --> 00:08:44.28] already done to you
[00:08:40.96 --> 00:08:49.52] [Music]
[00:08:44.28 --> 00:08:52.80] everything you even try to do to me
[00:08:49.52 --> 00:08:55.68] already done to you
[00:08:52.80 --> 00:08:56.88] so you don't have to worry about revenge
[00:08:55.68 --> 00:08:59.60] or
[00:08:56.88 --> 00:09:00.88] getting back at somebody
[00:08:59.60 --> 00:09:02.64] making sure
[00:09:00.88 --> 00:09:05.52] they pay
[00:09:02.64 --> 00:09:07.36] you just have to do the right thing and
[00:09:05.52 --> 00:09:08.40] the right thing will follow you even
[00:09:07.36 --> 00:09:10.72] when people
[00:09:08.40 --> 00:09:13.36] don't support it
[00:09:10.72 --> 00:09:16.40] i remember many times on my show there
[00:09:13.36 --> 00:09:18.00] are many shows y'all never saw
[00:09:16.40 --> 00:09:19.12] and the reason you didn't see them is
[00:09:18.00 --> 00:09:20.64] because
[00:09:19.12 --> 00:09:23.28] i
[00:09:20.64 --> 00:09:26.32] got the last vote
[00:09:23.28 --> 00:09:28.08] and i remember 2010
[00:09:26.32 --> 00:09:30.24] my team hardest working team in
[00:09:28.08 --> 00:09:32.72] television had done this interview with
[00:09:30.24 --> 00:09:35.52] a woman who turns out she was a sunday
[00:09:32.72 --> 00:09:36.17] school teacher by day and a sex addict
[00:09:35.52 --> 00:09:39.28] at night
[00:09:36.17 --> 00:09:41.52] [Music]
[00:09:39.28 --> 00:09:44.08] they were like you won't believe it we
[00:09:41.52 --> 00:09:46.48] got her going out we got her with the
[00:09:44.08 --> 00:09:50.60] men and we get to show her and she was
[00:09:46.48 --> 00:09:50.60] willing to show us everything
[00:09:51.20 --> 00:09:56.16] i sat down with a woman
[00:09:53.84 --> 00:09:59.04] for an interview that was taped
[00:09:56.16 --> 00:10:02.24] and during the process of the interview
[00:09:59.04 --> 00:10:04.24] i said why are you doing this
[00:10:02.24 --> 00:10:05.76] and she said oh i want to help people i
[00:10:04.24 --> 00:10:07.92] want to tell my story and i want to help
[00:10:05.76 --> 00:10:11.28] people i said do you have children she
[00:10:07.92 --> 00:10:13.04] says yes i have a 10 year old son
[00:10:11.28 --> 00:10:15.12] i knew right then this is never going to
[00:10:13.04 --> 00:10:16.88] see the light of day
[00:10:15.12 --> 00:10:20.56] so we got off the air and i said to the
[00:10:16.88 --> 00:10:23.12] lady we are not going to air that show
[00:10:20.56 --> 00:10:26.00] and she said why
[00:10:23.12 --> 00:10:28.56] my producer said why
[00:10:26.00 --> 00:10:31.04] she knew she was being filmed she knew
[00:10:28.56 --> 00:10:34.64] what she was saying she knows what i
[00:10:31.04 --> 00:10:35.84] said because her son will never get over
[00:10:34.64 --> 00:10:39.36] it
[00:10:35.84 --> 00:10:43.12] her son will never get over it and it's
[00:10:39.36 --> 00:10:45.28] not worth a rating point to me
[00:10:43.12 --> 00:10:47.92] not worth the rating point to me
[00:10:45.28 --> 00:10:50.16] to know that there's a ten-year-old boy
[00:10:47.92 --> 00:10:52.00] who's destroyed because his mother went
[00:10:50.16 --> 00:10:54.16] on the oprah winfrey show
[00:10:52.00 --> 00:10:57.68] and told all her business
[00:10:54.16 --> 00:10:59.68] you do the right thing
[00:10:57.68 --> 00:11:02.00] even when other people think it may not
[00:10:59.68 --> 00:11:03.84] be and oftentimes when you make a
[00:11:02.00 --> 00:11:06.32] decision to do the right thing
[00:11:03.84 --> 00:11:07.92] immediately you're faced with doubt was
[00:11:06.32 --> 00:11:09.68] that the right thing was that the right
[00:11:07.92 --> 00:11:11.92] decision i don't know was that the right
[00:11:09.68 --> 00:11:15.76] thing you always know it's the right
[00:11:11.92 --> 00:11:18.96] thing when in the end there is peace
[00:11:15.76 --> 00:11:22.88] you are rewarded by peace
[00:11:18.96 --> 00:11:22.88] in knowing that you did the right thing
[00:11:23.44 --> 00:11:27.60] the most important thing i have come to
[00:11:25.76 --> 00:11:29.60] know in
[00:11:27.60 --> 00:11:32.24] doing the right thing and making the
[00:11:29.60 --> 00:11:33.12] right choices
[00:11:32.24 --> 00:11:35.84] is
[00:11:33.12 --> 00:11:39.04] understanding
[00:11:35.84 --> 00:11:41.04] what we talked about yesterday
[00:11:39.04 --> 00:11:42.40] all of you leaving here
[00:11:41.04 --> 00:11:46.56] have the potential
[00:11:42.40 --> 00:11:50.24] for enormous success
[00:11:46.56 --> 00:11:53.04] there's a price that comes with that
[00:11:50.24 --> 00:11:55.68] people don't always like you
[00:11:53.04 --> 00:11:58.56] and they're not always happy for you
[00:11:55.68 --> 00:12:02.80] and if you surround yourself with people
[00:11:58.56 --> 00:12:04.56] who are not accustomed to your success
[00:12:02.80 --> 00:12:06.64] they become fearful
[00:12:04.56 --> 00:12:08.64] they become scared
[00:12:06.64 --> 00:12:10.16] because you are reflecting back
[00:12:08.64 --> 00:12:11.60] something to them that they don't
[00:12:10.16 --> 00:12:13.24] recognize
[00:12:11.60 --> 00:12:14.40] now they're not going to say
[00:12:13.24 --> 00:12:17.52] [Music]
[00:12:14.40 --> 00:12:20.40] you know i'm very fearful
[00:12:17.52 --> 00:12:23.12] because you're reflecting back to me
[00:12:20.40 --> 00:12:24.80] something i don't recognize
[00:12:23.12 --> 00:12:26.40] they're going to say
[00:12:24.80 --> 00:12:28.64] you know what they're going to say
[00:12:26.40 --> 00:12:30.72] they're going to say who she thinks she
[00:12:28.64 --> 00:12:33.20] is
[00:12:30.72 --> 00:12:35.92] who she thinks she is
[00:12:33.20 --> 00:12:39.52] that only happens when you are around
[00:12:35.92 --> 00:12:43.04] people who do not mean and want and
[00:12:39.52 --> 00:12:45.68] aspire to the best for you
[00:12:43.04 --> 00:12:48.00] people who want the best for you want
[00:12:45.68 --> 00:12:50.80] you to be your best
[00:12:48.00 --> 00:12:53.52] so my greatest advice to you
[00:12:50.80 --> 00:12:55.84] is to surround yourself
[00:12:53.52 --> 00:12:59.44] with people who are going to fill your
[00:12:55.84 --> 00:13:01.20] cup until your cup runneth over
[00:12:59.44 --> 00:13:02.79] so when people say you're so full of
[00:13:01.20 --> 00:13:06.03] yourself you can say
[00:13:02.79 --> 00:13:06.03] [Music]
[00:13:08.16 --> 00:13:17.20] yes i'm full
[00:13:11.92 --> 00:13:17.20] i'm so full my cup runneth over
[00:13:17.92 --> 00:13:22.96] and you know
[00:13:19.76 --> 00:13:26.40] that once your cup runneth over
[00:13:22.96 --> 00:13:28.88] you cannot spend your life
[00:13:26.40 --> 00:13:31.84] with your gallon
[00:13:28.88 --> 00:13:36.16] size offerings
[00:13:31.84 --> 00:13:36.16] offering them to pint-sized people
[00:13:38.32 --> 00:13:44.16] you have got to surround yourself
[00:13:41.12 --> 00:13:46.56] with gallon-sized people
[00:13:44.16 --> 00:13:47.68] who can hang in the same company with
[00:13:46.56 --> 00:13:50.64] you
[00:13:47.68 --> 00:13:53.68] so that you're not offering your gallons
[00:13:50.64 --> 00:13:57.28] to those little pipes out there
[00:13:53.68 --> 00:13:57.28] who can't hold it anyway
[00:13:57.36 --> 00:14:01.76] choice to change the world i love that
[00:13:59.68 --> 00:14:04.32] song
[00:14:01.76 --> 00:14:06.24] i love hearing you all sing that song
[00:14:04.32 --> 00:14:10.72] and what i know for sure is that the
[00:14:06.24 --> 00:14:13.76] biggest choices begin and end with you
[00:14:10.72 --> 00:14:16.48] your internal big questions
[00:14:13.76 --> 00:14:20.56] who do i want to be in the world
[00:14:16.48 --> 00:14:23.20] my relationship to source energy
[00:14:20.56 --> 00:14:25.68] to all that is god i'm not talking about
[00:14:23.20 --> 00:14:29.36] what you believe in god i'm talking
[00:14:25.68 --> 00:14:30.64] about your experience of that which is
[00:14:29.36 --> 00:14:33.12] all life
[00:14:30.64 --> 00:14:35.92] which is divine and universal i'm
[00:14:33.12 --> 00:14:38.72] talking about the big deal
[00:14:35.92 --> 00:14:41.04] being connected and aligned with that
[00:14:38.72 --> 00:14:44.08] when you are
[00:14:41.04 --> 00:14:45.84] tuned in and charged into that whenever
[00:14:44.08 --> 00:14:48.24] you feel empty
[00:14:45.84 --> 00:14:51.20] you go inside yourself and you connect
[00:14:48.24 --> 00:14:55.12] to the source and you know that all
[00:14:51.20 --> 00:14:57.60] things are possible
[00:14:55.12 --> 00:15:00.08] to know that
[00:14:57.60 --> 00:15:01.44] and to choose to do the right thing in
[00:15:00.08 --> 00:15:03.52] service
[00:15:01.44 --> 00:15:06.16] and significance
[00:15:03.52 --> 00:15:10.08] i promise you
[00:15:06.16 --> 00:15:12.32] you will create a vessel of service
[00:15:10.08 --> 00:15:14.96] for yourself first because you have to
[00:15:12.32 --> 00:15:16.64] honor yourself first you have to give to
[00:15:14.96 --> 00:15:19.12] yourself first otherwise you have
[00:15:16.64 --> 00:15:21.52] nothing to give away
[00:15:19.12 --> 00:15:23.28] you will create a vessel for yourself
[00:15:21.52 --> 00:15:25.60] for your family
[00:15:23.28 --> 00:15:26.88] your community and the world
[00:15:25.60 --> 00:15:29.36] and those
[00:15:26.88 --> 00:15:33.12] three things
[00:15:29.36 --> 00:15:35.20] will not only lead you to a blessed life
[00:15:33.12 --> 00:15:37.44] i stand as a witness my life is so
[00:15:35.20 --> 00:15:38.57] blessed i can't even take it in
[00:15:37.44 --> 00:15:40.64] sometimes
[00:15:38.57 --> 00:15:43.92] [Music]
[00:15:40.64 --> 00:15:44.72] it will lead you not just to a a gifted
[00:15:43.92 --> 00:15:48.24] life
[00:15:44.72 --> 00:15:51.36] and a rewarding life that fills you up
[00:15:48.24 --> 00:15:53.60] but a sweet life
[00:15:51.36 --> 00:15:56.08] that's what you want
[00:15:53.60 --> 00:15:58.56] you want the sweetness
[00:15:56.08 --> 00:16:00.40] you want it to be so sweet
[00:15:58.56 --> 00:16:02.40] so that even when the storms come and
[00:16:00.40 --> 00:16:04.32] they will
[00:16:02.40 --> 00:16:07.04] you'll know
[00:16:04.32 --> 00:16:09.68] this too shall pass
[00:16:07.04 --> 00:16:12.96] storm is passing over
[00:16:09.68 --> 00:16:14.40] and you shall not be moved
[00:16:12.96 --> 00:16:16.48] because you know who you are
[00:16:14.40 --> 00:16:18.08] [Music]
[00:16:16.48 --> 00:16:19.76] when you can do that
[00:16:18.08 --> 00:16:21.92] grace will follow you
[00:16:19.76 --> 00:16:26.00] grace and glory and when they see you
[00:16:21.92 --> 00:16:26.00] coming it oughta make them proud
[00:16:26.64 --> 00:16:30.32] i have spent
[00:16:28.56 --> 00:16:31.84] hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and
[00:16:30.32 --> 00:16:33.76] thousands of hours
[00:16:31.84 --> 00:16:35.04] talking to spiritual leaders and
[00:16:33.76 --> 00:16:37.52] teachers
[00:16:35.04 --> 00:16:39.92] and not just spiritual leaders and
[00:16:37.52 --> 00:16:40.72] teachers who have been deemed so
[00:16:39.92 --> 00:16:43.60] but
[00:16:40.72 --> 00:16:45.76] thousands of people who came from
[00:16:43.60 --> 00:16:48.56] levels of dysfunction
[00:16:45.76 --> 00:16:50.72] who came from levels of pain
[00:16:48.56 --> 00:16:52.08] who were suffering who were challenged
[00:16:50.72 --> 00:16:55.12] in their
[00:16:52.08 --> 00:16:56.96] progression of trying to be the best
[00:16:55.12 --> 00:16:59.20] human beings they could be
[00:16:56.96 --> 00:17:00.16] and they allowed themselves
[00:16:59.20 --> 00:17:01.52] the
[00:17:00.16 --> 00:17:04.40] opportunity
[00:17:01.52 --> 00:17:05.36] to come on our show the oprah winfrey
[00:17:04.40 --> 00:17:07.44] show
[00:17:05.36 --> 00:17:10.64] and share their stories
[00:17:07.44 --> 00:17:11.84] i am one who believes in the sharing of
[00:17:10.64 --> 00:17:13.36] stories
[00:17:11.84 --> 00:17:16.00] i believe in
[00:17:13.36 --> 00:17:18.32] the process of sharing period
[00:17:16.00 --> 00:17:20.08] because i know that all life gets better
[00:17:18.32 --> 00:17:22.64] when you share it
[00:17:20.08 --> 00:17:24.40] and those thousands of people who have
[00:17:22.64 --> 00:17:27.52] been guests on the show and many of them
[00:17:24.40 --> 00:17:28.56] who are also audience members
[00:17:27.52 --> 00:17:31.28] have been
[00:17:28.56 --> 00:17:32.80] my greatest teachers
[00:17:31.28 --> 00:17:33.84] and i would say
[00:17:32.80 --> 00:17:36.56] that
[00:17:33.84 --> 00:17:38.96] one of my gifts
[00:17:36.56 --> 00:17:40.40] one of my gifts that i've had since i
[00:17:38.96 --> 00:17:43.52] was a little girl growing up in
[00:17:40.40 --> 00:17:44.40] mississippi being raised on a tiny
[00:17:43.52 --> 00:17:46.88] little
[00:17:44.40 --> 00:17:50.08] acre farm with my grandmother
[00:17:46.88 --> 00:17:53.20] is that i knew how to pay attention
[00:17:50.08 --> 00:17:55.68] i was a great observer of life
[00:17:53.20 --> 00:17:57.36] and i grew up
[00:17:55.68 --> 00:17:59.44] believing that
[00:17:57.36 --> 00:18:03.04] i was
[00:17:59.44 --> 00:18:05.84] indeed for sure god's child
[00:18:03.04 --> 00:18:07.36] it's because every sunday i sat in our
[00:18:05.84 --> 00:18:09.76] little church
[00:18:07.36 --> 00:18:11.84] down the road a dirt road from where my
[00:18:09.76 --> 00:18:14.16] grandmother lived no running water no
[00:18:11.84 --> 00:18:16.00] electricity but the church is down the
[00:18:14.16 --> 00:18:18.32] road from us and we could hear the
[00:18:16.00 --> 00:18:20.88] singing as i was getting dressed for
[00:18:18.32 --> 00:18:22.72] sunday school and i'd always sit on the
[00:18:20.88 --> 00:18:25.44] left hand
[00:18:22.72 --> 00:18:27.12] side the left pew
[00:18:25.44 --> 00:18:28.56] in the second row
[00:18:27.12 --> 00:18:32.00] and i would listen to the preacher
[00:18:28.56 --> 00:18:34.40] preach about the lord thy god
[00:18:32.00 --> 00:18:36.64] is a loving god and sometimes he would
[00:18:34.40 --> 00:18:39.52] say the lord thy god is a jealous god
[00:18:36.64 --> 00:18:42.64] but most important i heard him say you
[00:18:39.52 --> 00:18:45.36] are god's child and through god all
[00:18:42.64 --> 00:18:48.00] things are possible and i literally took
[00:18:45.36 --> 00:18:50.24] him at his word so that by the time i
[00:18:48.00 --> 00:18:52.56] was leaving had to leave my grandmother
[00:18:50.24 --> 00:18:54.08] because she became ill and i was sent to
[00:18:52.56 --> 00:18:56.40] live in milwaukee
[00:18:54.08 --> 00:18:58.72] with my mother
[00:18:56.40 --> 00:19:00.56] who had two other children
[00:18:58.72 --> 00:19:02.48] i got beat up on the playground because
[00:19:00.56 --> 00:19:08.00] when people would ask me who is your
[00:19:02.48 --> 00:19:11.04] daddy i would say jesus is my daddy
[00:19:08.00 --> 00:19:13.76] sometimes he's my brother
[00:19:11.04 --> 00:19:15.76] and god is my father
[00:19:13.76 --> 00:19:17.20] but what i now know
[00:19:15.76 --> 00:19:18.32] and have learned
[00:19:17.20 --> 00:19:20.96] that my
[00:19:18.32 --> 00:19:23.44] view of god although i call that god in
[00:19:20.96 --> 00:19:25.60] a box and all that although that has ex
[00:19:23.44 --> 00:19:28.80] my vision of god has expanded to be
[00:19:25.60 --> 00:19:29.60] inclusive of all things all
[00:19:28.80 --> 00:19:32.96] all
[00:19:29.60 --> 00:19:35.12] god is all god is law god is all
[00:19:32.96 --> 00:19:37.12] in all things
[00:19:35.12 --> 00:19:38.96] not just the guy standing up in the
[00:19:37.12 --> 00:19:42.08] sitting up with the beard
[00:19:38.96 --> 00:19:43.36] and now that that view of god has
[00:19:42.08 --> 00:19:46.96] expanded
[00:19:43.36 --> 00:19:48.88] i still understand how important it was
[00:19:46.96 --> 00:19:50.00] for a little colored girl we weren't
[00:19:48.88 --> 00:19:51.60] even
[00:19:50.00 --> 00:19:53.44] black yet
[00:19:51.60 --> 00:19:56.16] not to mention african-american you know
[00:19:53.44 --> 00:19:57.52] what i mean harry a little
[00:19:56.16 --> 00:20:00.24] colored girl
[00:19:57.52 --> 00:20:04.48] in mississippi for whom there
[00:20:00.24 --> 00:20:08.08] was no vision of hope or possibility my
[00:20:04.48 --> 00:20:10.16] grandmother's greatest desire for me
[00:20:08.08 --> 00:20:13.28] as she had been a maid and her mother
[00:20:10.16 --> 00:20:15.44] before her had been a maid her greatest
[00:20:13.28 --> 00:20:16.96] desire was that i would grow up one day
[00:20:15.44 --> 00:20:18.88] and be able to
[00:20:16.96 --> 00:20:20.48] do the same and she wished for me that i
[00:20:18.88 --> 00:20:22.56] would be able to she used to say i hope
[00:20:20.48 --> 00:20:24.80] you get some good white folks when you
[00:20:22.56 --> 00:20:26.32] grow up i hope you get good white folks
[00:20:24.80 --> 00:20:28.56] who treat you good so my grandmother
[00:20:26.32 --> 00:20:30.24] would have no idea of the life that i
[00:20:28.56 --> 00:20:34.84] now lead with good white folks who are
[00:20:30.24 --> 00:20:34.84] working for me she just wouldn't get it
[00:20:35.36 --> 00:20:39.76] she wouldn't get it
[00:20:38.08 --> 00:20:41.68] she wouldn't get it but somehow i think
[00:20:39.76 --> 00:20:44.64] she must know and she's up
[00:20:41.68 --> 00:20:48.72] up around in the spirit realm saying
[00:20:44.64 --> 00:20:51.20] lord have mercy i didn't see it
[00:20:48.72 --> 00:20:52.16] but i now know that having that belief
[00:20:51.20 --> 00:20:55.12] system
[00:20:52.16 --> 00:20:58.72] that something greater than me was in
[00:20:55.12 --> 00:21:00.64] charge of my destiny of my fate that it
[00:20:58.72 --> 00:21:04.72] wasn't just
[00:21:00.64 --> 00:21:06.80] me alone having to survive for myself
[00:21:04.72 --> 00:21:07.92] is the thing
[00:21:06.80 --> 00:21:09.36] is the
[00:21:07.92 --> 00:21:10.80] value
[00:21:09.36 --> 00:21:13.28] is the rock
[00:21:10.80 --> 00:21:15.12] that has sustained me
[00:21:13.28 --> 00:21:18.00] so my vision
[00:21:15.12 --> 00:21:21.84] my perception my understanding of what
[00:21:18.00 --> 00:21:22.64] it means to be a universal citizen
[00:21:21.84 --> 00:21:24.24] has
[00:21:22.64 --> 00:21:27.84] has grown
[00:21:24.24 --> 00:21:31.28] as i came to understand acts 17 28 my
[00:21:27.84 --> 00:21:36.08] favorite bible verse that says in god
[00:21:31.28 --> 00:21:39.28] i move and breathe and have my being
[00:21:36.08 --> 00:21:41.68] so my every attempt in life
[00:21:39.28 --> 00:21:43.04] has been since i was a little girl
[00:21:41.68 --> 00:21:45.44] to be
[00:21:43.04 --> 00:21:47.44] in that space
[00:21:45.44 --> 00:21:49.20] that i call god
[00:21:47.44 --> 00:21:52.80] to literally
[00:21:49.20 --> 00:21:55.20] live in the breath that is god
[00:21:52.80 --> 00:21:57.04] to live in the breath and allow the
[00:21:55.20 --> 00:22:00.00] breath to breathe
[00:21:57.04 --> 00:22:03.20] me as god
[00:22:00.00 --> 00:22:05.28] and that is the reason i see
[00:22:03.20 --> 00:22:07.04] i have been able to
[00:22:05.28 --> 00:22:08.96] manage fame
[00:22:07.04 --> 00:22:10.96] handle the success
[00:22:08.96 --> 00:22:15.04] grow in grace
[00:22:10.96 --> 00:22:17.84] grow in the wisdom and glory that is
[00:22:15.04 --> 00:22:22.24] offered by that space
that i know to be god because in god
i
live and breathe i move and breathe and
i have my being in everything that i do
and all that i am comes up and out from
the center of that space
even when i didn't know what to call it
so i have paid attention
to my life because i understand
that my life just like your life is
always speaking to you where you are in
the language
with the people
with the circumstances and experiences
that you can understand and interpret
if you are willing to see
that always
life god
is speaking to you
now
it took me a while to actually really
get this and to understand it but once i
did i started paying attention to
everything and one of the reasons why i
can now accept the fact that i
can
offer my
gatherings of information and wisdom and
call myself a spiritual teacher
is that every single person whoever came
on my show and i hear there's like
37 000 guests i've talked to
a lot of them came from dysfunction and
a lot of them wouldn't appear to be
teachers but every one of them had
something to say
that was meaningful and valuable and
that i could use to grow myself
into
the best of myself
which is what all of our jobs are your
number one job is to become more of
yourself
and to grow yourself into the best of
yourself
one of my greatest teachers
was a man named john diaz we were doing
a show called would you survive
and on tuesday october 31st in um
2000 singapore airlines flight double
06.
a boeing 747 from taipei to los angeles
took off with a 179 souls aboard
four crew and 79 passengers
perished
in that flight a total of 83 fatalities
there was a typhoon rolling through at
the time
and the plane went down the wrong runway
now what's interesting john diaz was on
that plane and he had had
several several several indications
which i'll talk about later whispers
that he shouldn't have gotten on the
plane but he did anyway
he got on the plane and he managed to
uh be one of the survivors
and on the oprah show i was asking him
do you think it was what do you think it
was that you were the one of the
survivors and i said do you think it was
your position on the plane because he
was in first class and he was sitting on
the right next to an exit door
he said yes i think it might have been
the position of the plane
and also my quick thinking he says and
the fact that i didn't stop moving
so i said
you don't believe you're not a religious
man you don't believe that there was
some kind of divine
intervention going on there he goes no
i'm not a religious person
i don't believe is any i do not believe
that it was anything divine
i don't believe that
i did see
he said
as i got knocked back into the plane
that it looked like
dante's inferno
with people strapped
into their seats
and just burning
and it seemed a bit to me
as i turned and looked backwards
like
there was a light coming out of the tops
of their heads
i guess you could call it an aura
was leaving their
bodies and some lights were brighter
than others
it changed he said it changed me it gave
me a new kind of spirituality in a sense
that i now believe somehow i don't know
how but life continues on somehow
through that light
and i thought you know
i'm not a religious man but i thought
the brightness and dimness of the auras
were how one lives one's life so to
speak
so that's one of the major things that
really has changed with me since then he
says
i want to live
my life
so
my aura
when it leaves
is one of the brightest ones
that's one of those moments that happens
and you know that it's bigger than a
show about survivors
because i always knew that when i am
moved at least yeah a million other
people might be too because if i can
feel it and there are 20 million people
watching around the world it means that
somebody else also felt and heard the
same thing that's what connection is
so i thought a lot about that
and thought about it obviously in
thinking about uh and preparing to talk
to you all today about how does one
lead
a meaningful
life
because ultimately isn't that what we
all want
we want to lead a life
so that however we transition people can
say wow
that was a bright one that was a bright
light
first of all
i think that it comes from
a deep sense of awareness
about who you are and why you're here
it comes from being in touch with on a
regular basis
the appreciation
and the holy gratitude
that
should fill each of our hearts
on a regular basis just knowing what a
privilege it is to be here and to be
human
close your eyes for a moment will you
please
and breathe with me just close your eyes
and if you will
[Music]
put your thumb
to your middle finger
and gather your other fingers around and
let's feel
the vibration
and pulse of your personal energy as you
take three deep breaths with me
inhale
[Music]
and as you exhale just feel
the vibration
energy
blood pulsating
through
your body through you
and another inhale
[Music]
and another inhale
[Music]
[Music]
and keep your eyes closed
[Music]
and let's just think about
this day
this day that you have been graced
to breathe
in and out
[Music]
thousands of times
this
day where many of those breaths were
taken for granted you just expected the
next one to come
but the truth is there's no guarantee
that the next one comes
this day
how you started your day what your
thoughts were this morning
how you've carried yourself through this
day
how you've been allowed
to have encounters and experiences
some challenging
some more life enhancing
[Music]
that pushed you forward another day
of being here on the planet earth
as a human
being
let's just think about that
after all
you've been through
in this day alone
and the many days and years passed
how you got here to this
prestigious esteemed university
the choices you made
that have brought you to this day
open your heart
and quietly to yourself
say the only prayer
that's ever needed
thank you
thank you
thank you
you're still here
and you get another chance
this day
to do better and be better
another chance to become more
of who
you were created
and what you were created to fulfill
thank you
amen open your eyes
that's how it starts
that is the foundation
for
meaning and purpose in your life
is to bring yourself back to your breath
[Music]
you