The Single Woman’s Dash of Sass: Oprah’s Lifeclass (Day One)

Quote of the Day:

“The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the whole person you were intended to be.” ~Oprah

The Single Woman Says:

As most of you know, I was invited to go on the road with Oprah as she films her Lifeclass in several cities across the country as a “VIB “ – Very Important Blogger – basically covering the event from my perspective. This past weekend I was in St. Louis for the first stop on the tour, and I captured these thoughts from Night One of this incredible experience.

I’m not really sure I’m going to be able to put into words how much this day has inspired, moved, and affected me…but I want to try, since this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I don’t want to let the moment slip away without documenting it in some small way.

I’m here in St. Louis for the launch of this season’s “Oprah’s Lifeclass” on OWN as a “VIP Blogger.” To say that I am humbled to have been chosen as one out of only six blogs…in the WORLD…that were picked for this experience is a MASSIVE understatement. I’ve been rather nervous about the whole thing, because 1) I tend to be a nervous traveler and 2) Being here puts me in a league of people that is so far beyond what I ever imagined for myself as a smalltown girl from Murfreesboro, TN that it quite literally renders me speechless at times. Ask Mastin Kipp. He witnessed me nearly start bawling at dinner, not from nervousness or anxiety, but from the sheer magnitude of the gift of being here in this moment, with these people, to play my small role in adding a little inspiration to the world and help make it a better place.

As I strolled into the beautiful Peabody Opera House in downtown St. Louis earlier today, I had a MAJOR case of the jitters. The other bloggers were delayed for a pretty significant amount of time at the airport, so I was the first to arrive, and that’s always a bit of an overwhelming thing, to be tossed into unfamiliar waters without the comfort of fellow swimmers treading water beside you. I felt nervous, anxious, overwhelmed, and VASTLY out of my comfort zone. Vulnerable…unsure…inadequate, even. I mean, this is OPRAH. The most iconic and inspiring figure of our time, and the woman I have sworn I was going to meet since I was “knee high to a grasshopper,” as my mom would say. (Southern to English dictionary: Since I was very young.) With knees knocking, I took a deep breath and made my way into the venue, saying a small prayer that no one would notice that they made a HUGE mistake and invited a girl who isn’t always sure of who she is or where she’s going in life…let alone measures up to the greatness of an Oprah event.

As soon as I walked into the venue, I was greeted by the quote: “The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the whole person you were intended to be” – One of my favorite Oprah quotes. It instantly calmed my nerves. Then, the very still, small voice of God spoke to the very depths of my heart. “I got you. Trust me.” And just like that, I let go of my fears and allowed myself to fall into the safety net of His embrace. It was in that moment that I realized what the wonderful folks at OWN must have seen in me, and in the words that pour forth from my heart into my blog: I am a work in progress. I have not “arrived.” I am still in the midst of the journey…and as messy and battle-scarred and imperfect as my journey may be – it is enough for Oprah. Even greater than that – It is enough for GOD.

And that makes it enough for me.