One of Oprah’s “Behind the Scenes” videos shows her rising at her customary time of 5:55 a.m. The morning sun is just peeking over the horizon.
Still in her pajamas, Oprah walks downstairs to the kitchen and scoops out a nice little snack for her dog. From there, she heads for a quiet alcove in her living room. This cozy little place is where she goes to start each day.
The camera pans the alcove. There are three candles on a wooden table, along with a few of Oprah’s favorite books of inspiration. Suddenly the camera zooms in on one. It’s an old familiar friend of mine—a bright yellow quote book called Love Life that I compiled several years ago.
What a fun and welcome surprise for me—to think of Oprah curled up on the couch in her PJ’s, starting the day with one of my books.
“Usually before the sun comes up,” she explains on the video, “I offer myself to something greater than myself. If it’s for one minute, twenty seconds, or ten minutes I at least stop in that space at my house every morning.
“There, I have beautiful readings. There, I light my three candles. And there, I express to this greater energy that I don’t want to be alone as I move out into the world.”
Like Oprah, I believe that we are all called to something greater than ourselves (if we will only listen for the call), and that there is no such thing as an unimportant day. Here is one of my favorite passages from the Love Life book:
Normal day, let me be
aware of the treasure you are.
Let me learn from you, love you,
bless you before you depart.
Let me not pass you by in the
quest of some rare and
perfect tomorrow.
—Mary Jean Iron
Click here to see the video of Oprah’s morning ritual.
Click here to see Dan’s Love Life book, published by Compendium Inc.
Remember:
1. Set aside time each morning to simply pause and reflect on the miracle of your existence.
2. Find your higher purpose; offer yourself to something greater than yourself.
3. As Ray Bradbury wrote, “Treasure this day, and treasure yourself. Truly, neither will ever happen again.”