The following post is all about what Oprah wrote in her book LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE which I am currently reading. I am just so inspired with her article that I decided to repost it here. I'm sure you will feel enlightened too after reading her piece. You see, many of us have this tendency to be on the verge of a meltdown whenever we get so buried with work. Oprah reminds us all to have time for renewal... a time to love ourselves even if it's just one day or few moments in our very busy, driven lives...
"I was in my 20s when I figured out how to regulate my energy. I'd taken a job as a reporter and was working hundred-hours weeks, trying to be a team player. It was only after I became depleted that I realized I had only a certain amount of energy -- and I needed to conserve and restore it. I understood that I had to keep giving back to myself to refill my tank.
Now, when I begin to feel exhausted, I pull back. If I'm at work and people are lined up at my desk with one request after another, I literally go sit in my closet and refuel. And I always give myself Sundays as a spiritual base of renewal --- a day when I do absolutely nothing. I sit in my jammies or take a walk, and I allow myself to BE -- capital B-E -- with myself. When I don't, I absolutely become stressed, irritable, anxiety-prone, and not the person I want to be in the world.
The way you eat makes a difference in terms of sustainability, which is why I avoid sugar -- I don't want a high followed by a fall (see my Food Blog for some tips). I don't do energy bars or caffeine. I've learned to listen to my body. I know I'll be hungry at ten o'clock every morning, about the time I finish taping my first of two shows. At four in the afternoon, I'm ravenous. "Must be ten of four," I'll announce during a meeting, "because I could eat this cushion." That's when I have my biggest meal of the day --- usually a protein and some kind of fruit or vegetable.
But feeding yourself is more than food. I believe we're all connected to each other's energy fields -- whenever you walk into a roomful of people, your energy is either restored or taken away from you. If I'm around someone who saps me, I have to put up a barrier -- a nonphysical wall that keeps that person's negative vibes away. I also have a couple of energy idols --- people whose energy amazes me. Diane Sawyer is one. I don't know what I would do if I had to get up at three or four in the morning. And there's nobody like Tina Turner. How does she do that in Manolo Blahniks?
Energy is the essence of life. Everyday you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach your goal, and by maintaining focus. That means asking yourself: Is what I'm doing part of my overall plan and can I release the energy I'll need? ------ Oprah
The last line definitely blew my mind away. Over the last couple of months, there have been some opportunities offered to me which after much thought, I simply refused. I don't have a definite answer as to why, but I just mostly relied on my gut feel at that time. They just didn't feel right. I had queasy feelings in my stomach which are definitely a bad sign. After I read this article, and considering the fact that I just accepted a new job without even thinking so hard about it, it was all because those that I've let go were not part of my overall plan while this one that I've accepted, is. Therefore, I have the energy to release for it, despite my very busy, hectic schedule.
Having shared my simple food for thought, I wish you also gained a bit of wisdom from the article and I wish you all well in your present and future endeavors. Should you need some more enlightenment in a more unconventional way, do head to my Wiccan Blog for some magical help. The Kicking Pinay also does positive spells and tarot card readings. ^_^
"I was in my 20s when I figured out how to regulate my energy. I'd taken a job as a reporter and was working hundred-hours weeks, trying to be a team player. It was only after I became depleted that I realized I had only a certain amount of energy -- and I needed to conserve and restore it. I understood that I had to keep giving back to myself to refill my tank.
Now, when I begin to feel exhausted, I pull back. If I'm at work and people are lined up at my desk with one request after another, I literally go sit in my closet and refuel. And I always give myself Sundays as a spiritual base of renewal --- a day when I do absolutely nothing. I sit in my jammies or take a walk, and I allow myself to BE -- capital B-E -- with myself. When I don't, I absolutely become stressed, irritable, anxiety-prone, and not the person I want to be in the world.
The way you eat makes a difference in terms of sustainability, which is why I avoid sugar -- I don't want a high followed by a fall (see my Food Blog for some tips). I don't do energy bars or caffeine. I've learned to listen to my body. I know I'll be hungry at ten o'clock every morning, about the time I finish taping my first of two shows. At four in the afternoon, I'm ravenous. "Must be ten of four," I'll announce during a meeting, "because I could eat this cushion." That's when I have my biggest meal of the day --- usually a protein and some kind of fruit or vegetable.
But feeding yourself is more than food. I believe we're all connected to each other's energy fields -- whenever you walk into a roomful of people, your energy is either restored or taken away from you. If I'm around someone who saps me, I have to put up a barrier -- a nonphysical wall that keeps that person's negative vibes away. I also have a couple of energy idols --- people whose energy amazes me. Diane Sawyer is one. I don't know what I would do if I had to get up at three or four in the morning. And there's nobody like Tina Turner. How does she do that in Manolo Blahniks?
Energy is the essence of life. Everyday you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach your goal, and by maintaining focus. That means asking yourself: Is what I'm doing part of my overall plan and can I release the energy I'll need? ------ Oprah
The last line definitely blew my mind away. Over the last couple of months, there have been some opportunities offered to me which after much thought, I simply refused. I don't have a definite answer as to why, but I just mostly relied on my gut feel at that time. They just didn't feel right. I had queasy feelings in my stomach which are definitely a bad sign. After I read this article, and considering the fact that I just accepted a new job without even thinking so hard about it, it was all because those that I've let go were not part of my overall plan while this one that I've accepted, is. Therefore, I have the energy to release for it, despite my very busy, hectic schedule.
Having shared my simple food for thought, I wish you also gained a bit of wisdom from the article and I wish you all well in your present and future endeavors. Should you need some more enlightenment in a more unconventional way, do head to my Wiccan Blog for some magical help. The Kicking Pinay also does positive spells and tarot card readings. ^_^
