Today Oprah Winfrey gave her first talk on Maui, a free event sponsored by HMSA and Sharecare. “Live Your Best Life” took place in the outdoor amphitheater of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. While it was a hot day under the sun and there was a lot of waiting for the main event, Oprah’s talk was ultimately inspiring and I was glad to have had the opportunity to see her in person. Expecting to hear more of an advertisement for the sponsors, I was pleasantly surprised to instead get a solid hour of stories from Oprah that spoke to the importance of embracing our own energy and purpose in the world.
Arriving at the MACC a half hour before the doors opened, traffic was backed up all the way to Kaahumanu Ave. The line of people waiting to get in snaked down the sidewalk and around the corner onto Kahului Beach Road, continuing to grow. I heard folks mentioning that they’d never seen this big of a crowd lined up at the MACC. Is there anyone more popular than Oprah?
As soon as the gates opened at 10:00am, the line moved pretty quickly and entrance was well organized. During the first two hours of the event, the crowd was entertained by live music and appearances by HMSA’s Senior Vice President and Trini Kaopuiki from KHON2 News.
Around noon, Oprah took the stage. She explained that she’d been encouraged by Dr. Oz to give a talk on Maui. Because one of her homes is here Upcountry, she wanted to reach out to her neighbors. While Dr. Oz and Oprah are both investors in Sharecare, an internet health resource and app, the talk was not focused on that. It really was a motivating collection of narratives that summed up her thoughts on how to live our best lives.
She spoke about how each of us can use our unique personality to “serve the energy of the soul” and find power in being a part of something bigger than ourselves. She talked about how everyone wants to live the highest, fullest expression of themselves as a human being. Using stories from her talk show days, she described how she came to believe so strongly in the power of intention. What you put out into the world is what’s coming back, and the intention behind every action determines the outcome. Deciding to use television to inspire people rather than being used by tv strictly for entertainment, Oprah found greater success and personal fulfillment. In her words, she wanted to “shift the paradigm,” and she encourages others to use their talents to serve a higher calling. “It will change your life,” she explained.
Talking of her days growing up too poor to have Christmas presents and of how the nuns from the church brought food and toys to her family, she shared the reasons that she wanted to give back and do positive things for others, like building the Leadership Academy school for girls in South Africa. She also told of the common thread found in all of her interactions and interviews with people from all walks of life…everybody just wants to know that they’ve been heard and that what they’ve said means something.
Oprah described how the thing that changed her life the most is gratitude. Focus on what you’re grateful for and it will change your vibration and frequency in the world. She let the audience know that what she really wants to hear about herself from others is that she is content. She concluded with a story of Maya Angelou telling her that she couldn’t know yet what her legacy would be. “Your legacy is every life you touch,” Oprah said, “You leave your hand and heart print on the world.”