Jacqueline Armstrong

Last Thursday I spent the evening with Oprah. Well technically, it wasn’t just O and I, there were around 9000 other people packed into the Brisbane Entertainment Centre sharing in the moment.

Oprah shone bright like a diamond in a floor length sparkly silver gown. She was equally funny and sincere. There were moments where the audience erupted in laughter and moments of complete silence – the kind where you can hear a pin drop, or the random in the audience yelling out “Where’s Stedman?”.

I have never really been a MASSIVE fan of Oprah, however, when I heard she was coming to town, I felt called to go and see her. I am so glad I did. The content felt really timely and relevant for where I am at in my life right now. She mostly talked about her life’s journey; the path that lead her to where she is today, and of the spiritual practices she has found to be most useful in her life.

I thought I would take the opportunity to share some of key points with you.

Here are some truth bombs from the queen herself:

// Life is speaking to you, always

It begins by speaking softly, offering messages via whispers. Sometimes we choose not to hear the whispers, or to pay attention, so the whispers become louder and louder until eventually we are forced in some way to STOP and LISTEN. She encouraged us to reflect on our own lives and to ask ourselves:

• What is my life saying to me?
• What is being whispered to me right now?
• What do I need to see?

// Be responsible for the energy you put out into the world

In an interview with Jill Bolte Taylor, Oprah came across this concept of being responsible for the energy you put out into the world.

Jill was a brain scientist, who in her thirties experienced a stroke. In her book: My Stroke of Insight, Jill talks about her need for visitors to bring their positive energy into her hospital recovery room. Without being able to communicate verbally with nurses and visitors Jill wrote about how she felt the difference in the energy of those who supported her recovery and believed in her ability to heal, to those who came in with highly anxious energy and who didn’t think she would or could recover.

Jill organised for a sign to be made and hung in her hospital room. It read: “Be responsible for the energy you bring into this room”.

Oprah’s message on energy: Keep your vibration high. Be aware of what you say to yourself and to others. Be mindful of your thoughts, because where the mind goes, energy flows. And overall, be responsible for the energy you put out into the world.

// Gratitude

Oprah shared her experiences of the spiritual practice of gratitude. She started a practice of writing down 5-10 things she was grateful for every single day in a gratitude journal. She said “It’s not just enough to think it; you have to write it down. The words have power”.

She encouraged us to be conscious throughout the day of things to be grateful for and to observe how the practice of gratitude can transform our lives. She explained how this practice of being grateful can completely shift our mindset. Instead of spending our days focusing on the things that aren’t so great, we will begin to focus our attention on the good things and the things to be grateful for.

// Surrender

Oprah explained that to surrender does not mean to give up. To truly surrender means to let go of any attachment to what you think the outcome must be. She explained: “after you’ve done all you can, let go of your attachment to whatever the outcome will be. The instant you can let go and release any attachment – your life will open up”. This was true for her.

Not sure how to surrender? Try prayer or meditation.

To finish Oprah left us with one of her favourite poems by Derek Walcott. As she read out this poem, I was reduced to tears. It still gets me every time I read it.

The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door,

in your own mirror each will smile at the other’s welcome, and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was yourself.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life.

Derek Walcott.

As you read through this blog, what resonates with you? Are you committed to any of these spiritual practices yourself? And if so, how do they serve you? Please share in the comments below.

Jackie

It’s been some time since I’ve sat down at the computer and finished a piece of writing. Many a time I’ve sat down with the intention to write and share my wisdom only to find I become some sort of keyboard ninja; index finger my greatest weapon – backspacing the f*** out of the words on the page until there is nothing left.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the last month, asking myself questions like: What is happening right now? Why can’t I finish a piece of writing? Is this resistance? If so, then what is it I am resisting? And so on and so forth. I feel it’s got something to do with the whole human doing v’s the human being. It’s been coming up for me a lot lately.

When I think back to what life was like in the months leading up to this point, I’d been so caught up in the doing; I’d forgotten what it meant to BE. I had allowed myself to be completely consumed by my work, sports, the people in my life and my own thoughts. I’d become lost in the doing and eventually my body stepped in and communicated to me that enough was enough – it was time to STOP with all the doing and just be.

I became quite unwell and was unable to work for a few days, barely moving off the couch. I remember having a conversation with a friend of mine; I was absolutely distraught and felt completely lost and confused around what was happening. Being the beautiful wise teacher she is, she offered her wisdom to me. It was around being present, letting go of all of the internal dialogue, the self-destructing self-talk and instead replacing it with love and compassion for myself. Having love for my body instead of feeling hate and rage, tuning in and listening to the wisdom being offered by the experience, apologising, forgiving and surrendering to what was. Such amazingly helpful advice that guided me back home to ME.

Some time has passed and I am now in a much better space. I’ve begun incorporating rituals into my life which have been really helpful and grounding. Most mornings (not all) I sit down on a sea of pillows, light an incense stick, put my headphones in and meditate. Sometimes I will meditate for 10 minutes, sometimes longer. Some days I don’t meditate at all. I’ve found freeing myself of the expectation to meditate daily has been really useful. Previously I would say to myself: “I am going to meditate every day for 5 minutes” and then I would NOT meditate and beat myself up and judge myself around not doing – and I’d never quite make it to the cushiony sea. Whereas now, I meditate when I feel called to (just so happens it is most days). I sit down with the intention to tune in to the inner knowing and to be guided through my day with love. What I’ve found through the practice of meditation is that I am a lot more calm and centred as I move through my day.

I would love for you to share your wisdom with others. Are you a human doing or a human being? and what helps you to move from the human DOING to the human BEING?

Big love.

Jackie