Tonight starts the 2nd season of Oprah's Life Class. After watching season 1, I felt like I had gone to through the best of the best counseling sessions and I received so much insight into myself. I felt emotional healing and a new freedom in my heart. I recorded every episode on my DVR and any time a friend would come over I would share part or all of an episode.
Since I can't watch this program with everyone and I don't think I should, I want to share some of the truths and healing I gained in hopes that others would be impressed upon to watch this season.
There are some episodes that are best watched with friends and/or loved ones and some episodes where I needed to be alone so I could cry and cry a LOT! I know that crying helps you feel better, and you can read this article if you need proof.
I won't go into every episode here, because I can point you back to her website, but I'll share a few of her topics and how they impacted me. Once again, these were topics from season 1.
Lesson 1: The false power of ego
I was impacted by this in many ways. One way was that Oprah talked about having to accept and identify that she had an ego and that it could become a problem if she allowed herself to believe that she was better or deserved better treatment than anyone else. I look up to Oprah so much and she has about 9 gazillion dollars in the bank--if anyone should have an ego, it's her. But she realized that there was no room for her to have a big ego and if it weren't for the grace of God, who knows where she would be.
I applied this to myself as well because I have felt many times in my heart that "I deserve better" or if I'm going on a vacation "I deserve it." But the truth is many people who have much deserve less and many people who have less deserve more.
We all need to tone down our egos. We're all here together so let's work it out together. Stop comparing and get rid of feelings of entitlement. Only good things can come when we let go of the wrong ways of thinking. Which leads to the next lesson...
Lesson 2: Letting go of Anger
Anger, resentment and bitterness only hurts the person holding the anger, resentment and bitterness. The other person/parties involved in hurting you go on living their lives while you sit trapped in the prison of your mind and bad thoughts. Learning to let go of the anger and forgiving the person who wronged you not only frees yourself but makes you open to the good you can receive from those around you.
I have experienced this type of anger. The kind that you want to keep. That anger is a defense mechanism. It's a sign that you have been hurt. There is a saying that "Hurt people hurt people." The bitterness ensures that you won't get hurt again. But the sad truth of this type of defense is that it doesn't let the good through. Anger puts up a wall so that bad and ugly doesn't get through to you but neither does the good. And you end up hurting others around you.
It's one thing to learn from past mistakes, but don't let the past hold you back from your present and your future. Oprah encouraged all of us to find the places of unforgiveness in our hearts and to let the anger go. Forgiveness is not an open door inviting pain in, but it is a healing release to embrace the things we need in life, like love, joy, and peace.
To view the other 23 topics, go to Oprah's website here:
I assure you from the experience I felt in season 1, that you will also feel blessed. Please watch, and open your heart, mind, soul and spirit. You won't be disappointed!
