Getting Unstuck

“As the author of your life, you can rewrite the story by changing your perceptions.” -Oprah Winfrey

Last week I started a 21-day meditation series co-hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra titled Getting Unstuck: Creating a Limitless Life. It is available for free for a limited time, and you can find it and other meditations and gems of wisdom from these two powerhouse self-help gurus here.

I like to call it my Ch-Oprah meditation, and I’m sure I am the first person to create that witty portmanteau.

This morning, I completed the Day 6 meditation, titled You Deserve More Than Second-Hand Experiences, along with its mantra and brief journaling exercise.

Oprah recounts a story about her days as a young TV anchor:

“Early in my career I would imitate Barbara Walters. One of the most enlightening days of my life was when I realized I could actually be a better ME than I could be Barbara. Once I stopped imitating her and becoming more of my true self, infinite possibility opened up for me.”

That blew my mind, and I hadn’t even started the meditation part of the video yet.

She and Deepak discuss what they call “second-hand experiences.” According to Deepak, these include the times when you:

• Do what someone else tells you to do
• Live up to someone else’s low expectations
• Do things that really are not true to yourself

Oprah encourages listeners to think about their own second-hand experiences and asks, “Were you following someone else’s script instead of your own life story? Are you allowing the past old story that’s stuck on Play in your head control your experiences?”

Well, don’t. That’s basically the duo’s message.

JUST STOP. Do things differently. Rewrite the story.

I agree. Every day, we can rewrite our own story and start creating first-hand experiences.

Oprah was born to an unwed teenage mother in the segregated South in the 1950s. She grew up poor and wore potato sacks as dresses at times, which made her the object of ridicule. As a child, she was sexually abused by family members and family friends. At 14, she became pregnant and gave birth to a premature baby who died shortly thereafter.

That is quite a story to rewrite.

Now, Oprah is the wealthiest woman in entertainment, is recognizable with a single moniker (adding Winfrey feels superfluous, doesn’t it?), and has touched countless lives in ways far beyond entertainment and daytime television consumption.

Love her or hate her, one cannot discount the overwhelming odds Oprah has faced and overcome over her lifetime. She hasn’t done so without rewriting her story and creating first-hand experiences. Imagine what her life would be like had she continued trying to be a second-rate Barbara Walters.

What are some second-hand experiences in your life?

What are some ways you can change your perceptions and get unstuck?

Reach out and let me know. I’d love to hear them!