what i know for sure - day 11

​My Biggest mistakes in life have all come from giving my power to someone else. - Oprah 


During an interview about her upcoming release, the film Beloved, Oprah Winfrey was asked the question, What do you know for sure?  Oprah recalls being flummoxed by the question and asked if it related to the film.  No, in life. came the reply.  After the people you’ve met, the experiences you’ve had, what do you know for sure?  No answer came to mind having been put on the spot but the question later became the basis and theme of her best selling books - What I Know For Sure, The Path Made Clear, and The Wisdom of Sundays.  Each of these books are filled with the life wisdom learned or remembered by Oprah herself or her many guests on her shows throughout the 35 year span of her career.

Imagine you were Oprah, put on the spot and asked the question What do you know for sure?  The older I get, the less certain I become about many things I thought I had sussed.  Perhaps that’s the wisdom of age.  Here’s a few of my what I know for sure considerations.  Well…… until I know better anyway.

• A whole turkey is too large for my family’s needs.  A fine free range breast is sufficient for Christmas lunch and St. Stephen’s Day pie.
• I’m not so happy starting out on a walk but I’m always glad I did.
• A vegan meal is more about spices than it is about vegetables.
• If you ask someone their opinion they’ll give it.
• Mellow smooth jazz with coffee at 5am makes everything ok.
• We’d know the answer to everything if we could see through a child’s eyes.

And here’s the one that surprised me most.

• Just when things seem at their most hopeless, a change occurs, something surprising that makes everything better than you ever thought.  Disenchantment, despair and disillusion are all signs that your spirit knows there’s something better for you.  That’s when you're most open to do the thing that makes the changes happen.

Enough of my list.  What are yours?  

Today is the day when, like Oprah you get to think about what you’ve come to know for sure. (Perhaps you’ll share them with us on the zoom call tomorrow evening at 7pm.)  Is there someone who inspires you, whose view on life is similar to your own.  It’s often a restful experience to read their work or listen to their podcasts and Youtube videos etc.  Considering what other people know for sure can trigger your own response which can help you consolidate your own values, interests and beliefs so that you make decisions and choices in your life with greater assurance. 

Nothing helps you make up your own mind on what you believe than being exposed to another person’s opinion.

Enjoy a lovely evening,

Trina xx

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