First off let me say that I've been looking forward to this event and the hype and buildup was worth the wait. What I learned this evening could not be weighed in gold, it was far too priceless. When my mother picked me up from work this evening we came straight downtown to find a parking space and hopefully be early enough and not be in too long of a line. Let me say by the time we did get down there at 4:30pm, the Peabody was packed outside from ear to ear! Thankfully we did find a great parking spot just 2 blocks away and we made our way to the end of one line and the doors started opening up around 5pm.
We make our way to our seats and from 5:30pm to 7pm, Oprah's staff would be on stage giving instructions about how the format was going to be taped, no chewing gum, blah, blah, blah. I was just like, "Give us Oprah already!!!" FINALLY! at 7pm, Oprah in a beautiful spring green dress comes out and the OTHER first thing that comes to mind besides the fact that I'm in the same building as Oprah is that I could tell by the way she was walking she couldn't wait to get out of the mules she was wearing. Needless to say the excitement in the room was contagious and you couldn't help but be on your feet and yelling to the ceiling. She speaks to the crowd for a few minutes and she quotes something Iyanla has said, before bringing her out and I had to write down.
"You can accept or reject the way you are treated by other people,
but until you heal the wounds of your past, you will continue to bleed."
She then shortly introduces Iyanla Vanzant who was simply divine in a stunning coral dress, red long leather style earrings, and nude pumps. The sister looked bad;) On her arms she wore brass/gold arm long arm bands. The ladies had the crowd pumped and within a few minutes took their seats. The name of this workshop was called "Stop the Pain". Oprah asked Iyanla to describe PAIN, give it a definition. Pay Attention Inward Now. What she states is that pain is something inside of you that you have to visualize and get rid of.
She said the way to face it was three steps:
1. Feel - Understand how it makes you feel
2. Deal - Own up to it
3. Heal - Move on and push it out
Pain is a prison within ourselves. We have the key to become free we just haven't used it yet to get ourselves out. She further states that All pain is the same, it's the way we deal with it is the difference. Now what she said next really made sit up and take notice. She was working with two people in the audience, their stories already being used in the show and we were given background info on them before they made their way to the stage. She said the number one type of addicton that is out that there that is a pain for people is being "Addicted to their story". What she is saying that people get so caught in telling the story of why they are so sad or depressed it's as though they have rehearsed it because they have been telling the story for such a long time that they don't see anything else. She states to get out of that story, you have to begin by telling a new one. She states ask what you want out of your new story and get yourself a vision of it.
I started thinking to myself I've been having the same recurring stories for far to long and it's done far more damage then it could ever be helpful in my life. It's been a self-destructing process to the part that I know I have alienated myself from close friends. Yet as though she was reading my mind she says, she understands that there are people at all different ages still trying to find themselves. They say to themselves,
I don't want this, I don't know what I want, but I know I don't want this.
As I was listening throughout the show I can say I cried because so much Iyanla was saying really made me think about myself and what I want. I deserve to be happy, I deserve to be treated with respect, and I deserve to be proud of myself. Now I just need to start a new story.
To Oprah and Iyanla if you should ever see this post I just want to say,
To see more from tonight's show click here
