| |
Oprah Show Series: Have You Let Yourself Go?
By Shelly Lowery
We can always count on Oprah. If we need a good book, or a good chocolate,
she's there with a recommendation and, if you happen to be in the audience, a
sample. Perhaps Oprah is at her best, however, when you need a swift kick in the
bottom - when you need someone telling it like it is, pulling no punches.
We turn to Oprah for weight loss advice and inspiration, tips on jeans that
don't make our butts look big, and "girl, no you didn't" comments on our hair
and makeup. So it's no surprise that Oprah, queen of the TV talk show and the
best friend we've never met, has turned the makeover show on its head by
offering us a series called "Have you let yourself go?"
Featuring the stories of real women who feel they've let a part of themselves
go and wonder how to retrieve it, the series examines the plight of women who
say they've lost a piece of themselves somewhere along the path. One woman
featured on the first episode of the series was Cheryl, who became a mom 4 years
ago and feels she's lost a part of herself to motherhood.
"I chose to stay at home", she said in her confessional cam. She pointed to
her clothes and hair and noted that she cares little about either and then
plaintively said, "I feel I've lost a lot of myself."
According to Oprah.com, 90% of respondents in a recent survey at the
website admitted they have let themselves go. The women featured on the
series of shows have a variety of life stories to tell, from abuse and weight
gain to broken relationships and significant life changes that brought them to a
point, they say, of losing themselves and letting themselves go.
The Oprah message boards have been buzzing since the first shows aired. Women
confess they know exactly how the show guests feel, and share similar stories of
putting others first, feeling depressed, gaining weight and feeling hopeless and
helpless to put things right.
One woman said she lost her job 4 years ago, moved into a contracted job for
two years and is now out of work. She identifies, she says, with the issues
presented on these Oprah shows. "I feel like I have let knowing who I am go",
she wrote. "I have been settling and I don't want to settle for just anything. I
want to get back on track. I need help and I want to make a comeback - Why am I
scared to look at myself? I need to bring that to the surface."
Oprah doesn't dwell on people's problems without offering experts and
solutions, and for this series, she offers us Dr. Robin Smith who has suggested
a vast reading list to help us in our bid to pick ourselves up, brush ourselves
off, and get our new life.
Some of the suggested reading includes:
The Woman's Comfort Book, by Jennifer Louden
The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and
Spiritual Growth, by M. Scott Peck, MD.
Getting the Love You Want, by Harville Hendrix, PhD.
Necessary Losses, by Judith Viorst
The Language of Letting Go, by Melody Beattie
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel
Ruiz
Family Secrets: The Path to Self-Acceptance and Reunion, by John
Bradshaw
In this quest to help women renew themselves, Oprah has also brought a
personal trainer on board. Jeanette Jenkins offers up daily exercise and eating
plans. Visit Oprah.com for the plan, or you can download a printable version of
it there as well.
Finally, the Oprah.com website is also offering an online journaling tool
called a "discovery journal". The "Who am I?" journal is
designed to help you discover yourself, says Dr. Robin. That, she suggests,
might be the first step toward retrieving the part of yourself you thought you
lost.
About the Author
Shelly Lowery is a successful writer with an interest in celebrities like Oprah Winfrey. She demonstrates the power of Oprah's Favorite Things list each year on the holiday shopping season. See her report on what products made the list on Oprah's Favorite Things for 2005, 2004, 2003, and 2002.
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/26358.html
| If you wish to add the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/26358.html" as shown above and make it hyperlinked. |
| Some other articles by Shelly Lowery | |
| |
|
