January 2008:
"A year ago I was writing about my great hope for that school [Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls South Africa]. That hope is stronger than ever."
February 2008:
"To know that people care about how you're doing when the doings aren't so good - that's what love is."
March 2008:
"If you can get paid for doing what you love, every paycheck is a bonus."
April 2008:
"They surprised themselves with how big they could give [Big Give Contestants] - and how great it could feel...Giving always makes an impact and leaves a big imprint. I knew for sure that would happen."
May 2008:
"It's the greatest discovery of life: to recognize that you're more than your body and your mind."
June 2008:
"It is indeed a miracle when you realize the fullness of who you are. You're not your body, and for sure you're not your body image. That's a free at last kind of recognition. No more wasted time."
July 2008:
"I know for sure there is no real meaning to life without a spiritual component."..."Spirit to me is the essence of who we are. That essence doesn't require any particular belief. It just is."..."People are getting it: that being aware of the present moment is what matters most. It's transformative. It redefines what it means to be alive."..."What I know for sure: The light in your life comes in, one conscious breath at a time. Breathe easy."
August 2008:
"Using your instincts and feelings as your personal GPS puts you in a position to make the best choices for you."
September 2008:
"Yes, there are many things that need to get done, but in this moment I have to do nothing. I no longer have a crisis in leadership. I know for sure that what's best for me is already on its way."
October 2008:
"What I'm only now realizing, though, is that while I think about food so much and have used and abused it as a substitute for contentment, I've never been a conscious eater. Kathy (Freston) cautions that the way to full consciousness isn't to give up every poor choice at once. She says, "Lean into it." Don't try to break a lifetime of bad habits overnight. I'm leaning."
November 2008:
To celebrate the "What I Know For Sure" Issue, Oprah shared her Top 20 list of all-time. Here are a few of my favorites: "What you put out comes back all the time, no matter what."; "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time."; "Doubt means don't. Don't move. Don't answer. Don't rush forward."
December 2008:
"For years I've noticed that the universe speaks to us in whispers. If we ignore the whispers, we get pebbles of warnings. If we still don't pay attention, we get bricks of problems, and if we're really hardheaded, eventually the entire brick wall comes crashing down. This is a pattern I've seen repeated so often in every area of life that I know for sure when you don't pay attention to the pebbles, it's just a matter of time before the bricks show up... Everything in life has meaning. The bigger the fall, the greater the lesson."