On Monday April 16, 2012, I attended the biggest live taping of Oprah's Lifeclass in Toronto, ON. I have a list of "Things to do before I die" and going to an Oprah show is one of the top things on my list. And now...check...I've done it.
Here's how the day played out:
- 5:02am - I'm up, can't sleep. I'm excited and think that I have to also get my son to school for band practice at 6:50am, so need extra time to get ready and prep lunches etc.
- 6:30am - I find out my son does not need to go to school early and I curse the fact that I could have gotten another hour of sleep, so I am camera-ready. See ever since I got my Oprah ticket, I had visions of her seeing me amongst the crowd and pulling me up on stage to spill out my life story...so being camera-ready was a must.
- 8:00am - I'm on the road heading downtown. Need to go to a meeting a 10am first before I can head over to the O venue.
- 10:00am - Meeting. Good people make me smile.
- 11:30am - Stop into a Starbucks for a green tea and to kill some time, because I think to myself "Gee, I'm here too early. Doors only begin to open at 3:15pm so I'll wait an hour before I line up." I find out later, I'm am so wrong. My friend who is at the morning O taping is texting me the details.
- 12:00noon - I'm at the Metro Convention Centre and I don't see a big line up anywhere. I go inside the building and ask a lady if she was there for the O-show and she said she just finished writing an exam. I think "how can anyone concentrate on anything else, especially write an exam on the day O makes her big appearance in TO?!"
- 12:30pm - I find the line and my feet already hurt. I usually where flats, but instead I'm wearing heels because I need to be...yes, we went over this...camera-ready. I eat an apple.
12:45pm - I'm in line on my own and quite content feeling the energy from the mostly women in line and hearing everyone's excitement. Met two amazing women with a beautiful friendship in line that made the 3+ hours waiting in line fly by. Shout-out to Y&CD. Thanks for welcoming me in. Meanwhile, my friend at the show sees Oprah sitting right in front of her. I text her back "TOUCH HER."
- 4:00pm - finally they are letting use into the venue. Elbows out, in position to run for seat. At this point, all senior citizens, disabled and children big and small are all the same to me - competition - watch out. I know that doesn't sound very enlightened nor loving but there are moments where that goes out the window.
- 4:15pm - made it in alive, but good seats already taken. Think "Event organizers/MTCC why are there no ushers to seat people in areas they purchased tickets for?" then let it go...I'm about to see Oprah!!! The timing of everything becomes a blur from here.
- 4:30pm - 8:30pm
- Dragon's Den guy speaks about something.
- Jessica Holmes - Hilarious! especially Celine bit.
- Deepak Chopra - I'm taking notes and trying really hard to concentrate and somehow feel like I need a PhD to get through this one. Memorable quote: "Everything we call reality is an expression of ourself."
- Iyanla Vanzant - thanks for starting at the back and dancing up front - gave me a chance to brave the long lines in the ladies room and when I was done, she was still making her way to the stage. Memorable quotes: "Having a vision will pull you forward." and "When you follow the vision, there will be provision."
- Tony Robbins - first let me just say...I love him and didn't think I would because his infomercials were so annoying. But now, I love him. Memorable quote: "Motion creates Emotion." I was electrified at the end of the session.
- Bishop T.D. Jakes - the master of the metaphor. Loved him too and found myself affirming outloud while writing my notes. Memorable quotes: "I am pregnant with potential and possibilities." "There is something inside you that wants to live." "Pain is a sign that the baby is coming and where there's pain even though it gets worse, remember to... "Push!"
- 8:30pm - Harpo Execs, Sheri Salata & Eric Logan (?) gave us a sneak peak of the upcoming OWN show line-up and then the live taping of Oprah's Lifeclass begins...
- 9:00pm - After a brief introduction, there she is...Oprah in emerald green. Now although I'm sitting so far back and from the stage she's the size of my thumb, the energy in the room is amazing. Almost 9,000 mostly middle-aged women and a sprinkling of men on their feet, cheering and clapping when the big "O" made her entrance. Some even made their own signs to hold up. It was so much fun just letting go and living in the moment.
- This lifeclass was about "The Power of Forgiveness" and she started the show with a personal story and then proceeded to interview the spiritual leaders: Deepak Chopra, Iyanla Vanzant, Tony Robbins and Bishop T.D. Jakes. Below are quotes from each of the speakers about forgiveness:
- Oprah - "Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be any different."
- Iyanla Vanzant - "Untill you learn to heal the wounds of your past, you will continue to bleed. You can bandage it with food, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, sex etc, but it will stain your life and you will still be bleeding."
- Deepak Chopra - "Holding onto resentment is like holding your breath - you suffocate."
- Tony Robbins - "Not forgiving is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."
- Bishop T.D. Jakes - "Unforgiveness unchecked becomes a cancer in your soul and it spreads."
- 10:00 - 10:30pm - the show ends and we all begin to file out of the venue. I give my new friends a hug goodbye, bump into some old friends and then head off to my car - Satisfied, overjoyed and truly grateful. Note to self... "Carry this feeling with me everyday."
A Note about Vision Boards:
I made my first vision board at a women's course last year and became a believer in this process, so this new year, a group of friends and I got together to do our vision boards for the year and at the very centre of mine was a picture of Oprah (see pic below). At this point there was no talk of Oprah doing a tour let alone visit Toronto, but I still believed that I would see her live, a now, a few months later, I have. If you haven't made one before, I recommend you do because in Iyanla's words "Having a vision will pull you forward."
