How I Learned to Live My Best Life from Oprah

As soon as I heard the big news that Oprah Winfrey would be giving a motivational talk in Maui presented by HMSA and Sharecare, the nation's leading digital health company, I downloaded the Sharecare app and kept my fingers crossed to win tickets.  As fate would have it, I didn't win tickets through the app, but I won special VIP tickets from local radio station KSSK and so my sister and I were off to Maui.

Over 5,000 people showed up to the Maui Arts and Cultural Center's outdoor Alexander & Baldwin Amphitheater to listen to Oprah speak about what it is to "Live Your Best Life" - a message she has been promoting for years.  I'm still processing all that she said during the hour she was on stage (because I was wonderstruck for most of it), but here's what I learned to live my best life:

1.  Intention.  Ask yourself, what is your intention and what is really motivating your choices?   Sometimes our intentions are not truly for ourselves which can have unwanted consequences.  The outcome will be determined by the energy of your motivation.
2.  Gratitude.  I liked Oprah's practice of reflecting over the day and journaling what she was grateful for.  I plan to do this more often as it will make me more aware of all that I am thankful for in life.
3. Legacy.  Our legacy is every life we touch.  How we treat people and how we respond to them will be our legacy.  What imprint will you leave?
4.  Being Content.  For me this is the ultimate goal because I equate being content with being happy.  If you are not content, focus on what you have rather than what you don't have.

Of course these principles are easier said than done, but I hope that with some practice they will become ingrained in me and I will authentically be able to teach my children to live their best lives.