The Path Made Clear : Discovering Your Life's Direction And Purpose- Oprah Winfrey

The Path Made Clear : Discovering Your Life's Direction And Purpose

You can discover your purpose at any time

Oprah was a news anchor and reporter before co-hosting on a Baltimore talk show called “People Are Talking”. She got to interview Tom Carvel, Carvel ice-cream man, and the actor who played Benny on “All My Children”, and while doing that, she felt tingling all over her body, and right there and then she knew that was what she was supposed to do. The seed that would give her life meaning and purpose had just been planted.

Her “job” ended, and her calling began. Even though the show was her home, and the audience her family, at some point, it was time for her to move on to her own. Every decision, challenge, or setback is an opportunity to identify the seeds of truth that make you the wondrous human that you are. What is most important is that you believe in yourself. Years later, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” has achieved a level of success no one could have predicted

Your calling is deep-rooted within you

Oprah knew from when she was a kid that teaching was her true calling. She would pick up “teacher” roles whenever she got the chance. All of her other skills and talents grew from her love for teaching. She firmly believes it is no coincidence that she found herself sharing wisdom and knowledge with millions of people through the world's largest classroom, “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” To her, luck is when preparation meets the moment of opportunity.

For some like Oprah, their purpose aligns with their career. Amy, Oprah’s chief of staff, has always had a tack for organizing people's lives and managing paperwork. Coincidentally, and happily, her career is just her doing that. While for some, their jobs might be one thing, and their purpose, another.

Whatever your calling is, it is in you. It may be trampled, tugged, pulled, but not removed. Instead, it grows stronger when nurtured, tended, and shared with others. Identify what makes you unique, connect to hope, fulfillment, and possibilities in all areas of your life. The world would indeed be a beautiful place if everyone was doing what they were created to do.

Listen when life gives you warnings to set you in the right direction

We all know how natural disasters, accidents, illnesses, or other unexplained events are gut-wrenching and beyond our control. But tragedies like job loss, financial problems, and painful breakups, though shocking, will rarely arrive without a whisper along the way.

Life speaks to you, in whispers, to guide your next step. It is that little voice in your head, the goose-bumps, or the pit in your stomach that tells you when something feels off. Irrespective of the form it takes, they're signs that give you a push towards your life's purpose and away from missteps.

Oprah was struck by a conversation she had with author, speaker, wife, and mother Shauna Niequist. Shauna was married, raising two sons, and traveling around the country with a full-time job when she realized she could no longer ignore the increasing warning bells life gave her.

In a moment of silence, she was able to think, listen to her heart, and she concluded that the life she was living wasn't the one she wanted. Life is about growth and change, and change is the only constant thing.

So, if you find that the path you are currently on isn't making you grow or change positively, then you have received your first whisper. Pay attention to it, and focus on what makes you energized, connected, happy, and follow your intuition because by doing what you love, you are surely on the road to success and fulfillment.

Every critical step in your life will create an inevitable resistance that you have to beat

Oprah has been speaking publicly for over thirty years. She was once invited to give the commencement speech at the 382-year-old Ivy League institution, Harvard. She felt a lot of pressure because it was a big honor — Harvard is a big deal, a milestone in fact.

She was so pressurized that she couldn't even get herself to prepare for the speech. She knew she wanted to give the talk. What she felt was fear. Fear that she had nothing to teach the Harvard minds. And that ended up in guilt.

Months later, she made sense of what she was feeling during her conversation with Steven Pressfield when he said: “The more important an activity is to your soul’s evolution, the more resistance you will feel to it.” He explained that the shadow of resistance is inevitable.

The shadow can be from you or those who love you. Your family or friends may give you reasons not to pursue your dream. They are often well-intentioned, but some of their advice may have atoms of self-interests.

Oprah felt relieved when she realized that it was merely the natural force of negativity at work, trying to convince her of her unworthiness. The more significant she placed the speech, the stronger the resistance.

What you do is to make your sheer will and desire stronger than that resistance. You decide, declare, and take action to confront the fear head-on. The true meaning of courage is to be afraid and still make the leap anyway.

Be in total alignment with your dreams

Before you embark on a journey, you have to envision your path, set your course. It doesn't have to be a formal or public announcement. When you believe that you are capable of achieving your goal, stay focused, and stand behind what you believe, because if you don't, the road to your dreams will become blurred and out of reach.

When Oprah started The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Johannesburg, South Africa, it was a challenging and equally rewarding step. Even though she met obstacles along the road, she did not waver in her determination, and she stuck to the plan.

Her roadmap to succeeding at this inspirational venture was clear, and her intention, pure. The difference between winning the race and stumbling at the finish line depends solely on your purpose. When your intent is pure, irrespective of the challenges, you will find the strength to pull through.

Discovering your purpose starts with a commitment to a course. Oprah knew that these girls had potentials that only needed opportunity to make them bloom. And she preached to the girls at the school continuously, that they are not their circumstances, but rather that they are their possibilities.​

So, in whatever you want to do, whatever dreams you want to chase, ask yourself, what your intention is, and how you will execute the action. The moment your intention is fully aligned with your beliefs, you are on the right path to a purposeful life.

Find and maintain your flow

Gloria Steinem is the feminist icon who was brave enough, with the support of others, to fight for gender equality, and so, paved the way for other women to use opportunities available at their grasps. While speaking to Oprah, she said what keeps her going is her “on the road” state of mind that keeps her feeling boundaryless, spontaneous, and at one with everything.

She compared her approach to birds in flight, focused on the forward motion, and checking the direction of the wind at all times. “Birds find their flow, like su​rfers, catch their wave,” she said. For Oprah, all these descriptions meant flow. It implies identifying and trusting your current, one that is in complete alignment with your life. It is when everything seems to fall into place, and things are going the way we want it to go.

Basketball legend Lebron James was asked what could cause him to lose his rhythm on the court. His reply was: “I get off my game when I start playing for others rather than playing for myself.”

This is a universal truth. When we stop doing something we believe in, or when we move onto responding and acting based on what others think of us, things become harder.

This is because you have altered your efforts, your course, and your intention has wavered because you are trying to impress someone. Being your truth and standing by it is the only way you can be the most authentic version of yourself. So, get back to living for yourself and get back to your flow.

Do not let obstacles turn you back on your road to a purposeful life

To Oprah, a mountain is an excellent metaphor of life. It looks bright and smooth from a distance until you set out and discover astonishing valleys and precarious ridges along the way. If you don't set yourself to keep climbing, every stumble or obstacle will give you a reason to turn back. Around the time when Oprah got the invite from Harvard, she was “getting her butt kicked” in the news about how Oprah Winfrey Network was “struggling.” Yes, she enjoyed a long stretch to the top and was proud to be known as a powerful businesswoman, but still, it was a frustrating time, and every decision she made, made it to the news. She called that point, one of the highest climbs of her life, her “Kilimanjaro.”

One of her favorite lessons from Joel Osteen is: “What follows ‘I am’ is what we're inviting into our life.” So, when you say, “I am overwhelmed,” or “I am exhausted,” you are bringing that energy into your life. Same goes for when you say “I am happy,” or “I am honored,” as Oprah did, you are inviting the happiness and positive energy into your life.

From telling herself this, she embraced the positivity and found that her “climb” transformed into a challenging but stimulating adventure. And since then, she asks herself when she encounters any disruption, or challenge: What is this here to teach me?

There will be setbacks on your journey. But don't see it as the end of the road — it never is. It is merely a detour. You have to be ready to fail, so you can learn and win again. When it seems like your will is being put to the test, stop, and listen to your heart. It will direct you to your next step. Also, observe during your journey who stays with you, not when it is rosy, but when it's not.

Have a compassionate approach to life

The great Maya Angelou told Oprah: “People may not remember what you did or what you said, but they always remember how you made them feel.” This tells us every single moment is an opportunity to be of service to another being. It's not about what you can achieve, or how much power you can accumulate.

Volunteering and making donations are good, but it goes beyond just that. You have to be committed, decision-by-decision to have a sustained, heartfelt, and compassionate approach to life. Instead of waiting for years or lifetimes till you can watch your legacy, why not make that decision now.

Ask yourself what you want to be remembered for, and take steps to be that person NOW that you can. Ask yourself what you can impact on others, rather than what can you gain from others. Let your positivity resonate around you and spread to people you come across daily. As Maya would say: “When you know, teach. When you get, give.”

The Real Treasure That Is You

Raised by her parents and grandma, at an early age, she learned the value of a hard day’s work. There was no safety net or backup plan. Oprah started her first job at fifteen, babysitting at fifty cents an hour. The lady of the house would leave a pile of clothes for her to ‘tidy up’ and not even add a cent extra. She didn't value the effort Oprah put in.

Oprah didn't let it get to her. She valued herself and her work and decided that no matter how much she was paid, she wouldn't allow it to define her or her worth. She learned her first lesson: I am not my salary.

The second job was stocking shelves at a rate of $1.50, but she wasn't allowed to talk to the customers — remember how much of a chatterbox she is?. Yes, so that was so frustrating for her because it felt like a betrayal of herself. Then, she learned her second lesson: sometimes, knowing what you don't want is as valuable as knowing what you do.

She moved on to sell penny candy in a corner grocery store connected to her dad’s barbershop. Here, she didn't get paid, but she was free to talk and interact with customers at the store. Then, while she was still in high school, she got a job as a newsreader at $100 a week.

For a seventeen-year-old, that was a lot of money, especially for a job she could have done for free. It was perfect, and she learned her third lesson: Know the joy of doing what you love and never stop pursuing it.

Everyone needs to make a living, but do not let your salary define who you are or who you become. For Oprah, the greatest reward isn't the money, but the contentment and self-respect that comes with living out the truth of who you are.

The way people handle money reflects the way they see themselves. People that spend money lavishly, trying to create an impression of self-worth lose sight of the unique gifts they can offer. No matter how wealthy you become, everything passes and changes with time. What is real, and forever is who you are, the impact you make, and what you share or give to the world. So, remain your true self and don't let money or power define who you are.

Live your truth, and discover your purpose

Oprah read “To Kill A Mockingbird” and watched “The Wizard of Oz,” and these two changed the way she saw the world. In the book, she connected with Scout, who knew who she was and her belief, and did not let the fact that she was becoming aware of racism change that.

The movie was more like a spiritual teaching than a fantastical dream. Dorothy believed she had to search outside to discover her true self. The Good Witch tells Glinda; "You don't need to be helped any longer. You’ve always had this power." When her most trusted companion, the Scarecrow, asked why she didn't tell her before, the witch's response was: “Because she wouldn't have believed me. She had to learn it for herself.”

No matter how far from yourself or home you have strayed, there is always a path that leads you right back. Take Dorothy’s advice when she said: “If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look further than my backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it, to begin with." It doesn't matter how many obstacles you come across; it has always been at home, in your heart

Conclusion

To live a meaningful life, you have to believe in what your heart says. Do not waver in your commitment and focus. Clear the path and stay on the road to success. Always give, when you can, and impact the world with the values and gifts that are within you. To find out what drives you, listen to the whispers, observe what makes you happy, and even though you may come across obstacles, don't let them bring you down.

Try this:
Find out what your purpose is by listening to your inner self. Draft out the steps to achieve that purpose. Then start working on it.