Original Air Date:
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Maria Shriver's Speech at the California Women's Conference:
Maria Shriver made a surprising speech at the California Women's Conference in October of 2007 in front of 14,000 people - she described that she felt lost in her life and was experiencing a transition finding out who she truly was.
Oprah touched on the subject first as the words of the speech are not what people typically expect to hear from Maria Shriver, someone who always appears to have it all together, and that was exactly the point.
Growing Up Kennedy:
Maria Shriver is part of the closest thing the US has to a royal family - the Kennedy's. Maria was instantly part of the legacy from birth and described that her life was not truly her own from the start. Maria never desired to go into politics or be the First Lady of California, she wanted to create her own story instead of getting lost in the story of her family. One thing Maria does not do is take for granted the life she had, she shared that she feels very blessed, she simply described what expectations were involved in a family so on the move and competitive.
Maria Shriver on Becoming First Lady:
A big shift in Maria's life happened when she became the First Lady of California when her husband was elected. A result from the win was Maria losing her job at NBC because of a conflict of interest. Maria was so identified with her role as a news woman that she didn't know where to fit in anymore or what was expected of her in her new political role.
Maria can since see the shift in her life as a blessing as it gave her the opportunity to slow down and learn how to authentically live her life and connect fully with her children and parents.
How Maria Shriver Has Changed:
Maria described the health of her mother and how it has helped her to grow and change as a person. Maria now is more gentle and has learned that she can be different and chose another way of doing things. With this, Maria learned how to mother her mother and become closer to her now at 86 than she has ever felt before. This has also trickled to her relationship with her children - Maria can now just talk and listen to them, seeing them as individuals.
Readers Share About the Book:
Maria was inspired to write a little book called Just Who Will You Be? which has since inspired women from all over the country. A few women touched by the book were in the audience and on Skype to share what they had learned by reading the book. A common thread among the readers was the feeling of being stuck, afraid and lost and the need to redefine themselves no matter what stage of life they were in - the feelings are universal. Feelings of meeting other's expectations and putting yourself last were the major issues that readers were suffering with when starting the book.
Maria's Pledge:
Maria made a pledge in the book and encouraged women to create their own series of pledges to inspire them to do things differently in their daily lives. A few of Maria's goals included: "show up in my life as myself, not as an imitation of anyone else" and "avoid using the word 'just' to describe myself" as well as "to give myself 10 minutes of silence and stillness every day to get in touch with my own heart and my own voice."
Feeling Like You're Worth It:
Oprah pointed out how silence and stillness are so important - but that many women couldn't think of taking 10 minutes. But it's a question of asking yourself am I worth 2, 5, or 10 minutes each day? Through this silence Maria has realized that she doesn't have to have all the answers for her kids and that it's ok to admit when you're struggling. While many think taking time out for yourself is selfish, Maria described the best way to parent is to be present in your own life so that you will be the ultimate example for your children.
While the book was written for high school or college grads, Maria is surprised how many are taking the message to heart. Maria shared that it's never too late to ask yourself what you want to be and to have the desire to see the possibilities awaiting you in your life.
