In the issue of Parade Dec. 26, 2010 it featured Oprah and her biggest dream yet – her new OWN cable network. In the issue she talks about the power of her name. She shared how at first when she was a child she felt lonely that no one had her name. She said she would watch Romper Room hoping every time that they would “see her” and call out her name. It never happened. She reflects, “I would have to say that my deepest feeling about myself growing up, the word that would describe how I felt, would be lonely. And alone. It added to the feeling that nobody’s like me.” She shifts into the present and adds playfully, “now that’s a pretty good feeling!”
Talk about being one of a kind, someone who is known around the world by just one letter even – O! Oh, how unique Oprah is. She has created her life by following the unique mission God has given her to be herself and live her best life.
I’ll explore three symbols that are often linked to one-of-a-kind.
Heartbeat
The phrase walk to the beat of your own drummer is one that I’m sure you are familiar with. But did you know that each of us actually does have our own unique heartbeat? Our hearts all beat differently both physically and figuratively. When we are expressing our spirit, the core of who we are, is when we are in tune with our heart beats. What makes your heart sing or beat? Cari Vollmer, referred to the as the passion to profit mentor, has found that her heart beats faster when she follows her own brilliance and helps other soul-inspired women find their brilliance.
Snowflake
This is pertinent for me right now as I live in Minnesota and we’ve had a lot of snow already this season, more than normal! As I see mounds of snow everywhere, it’s hard for me to imagine how each snowflake can be unique and different. I think of this symbol as how we tap into our uniqueness during different seasons of our lives. One season in our life we were known for something and another we were known differently. This year I’ll be celebrating my 20th high school reunion. If you asked many of my other fellow classmates, yes all 40 of them, many would probably say that my uniqueness was my enthusiasm. I loved sports and showed my enthusiasm on the court or track. Now, 20 years later, my uniqueness has changed seasons into one of being enthusiastic about helping people get to the heart of what matters most.
Fingerprint
Our fingerprints are another way that we are unique and leave our marks. This is how criminals are identified and this is how we can be identified with what we touch in life. Each of us who choose to listen to our heartbeats will have the opportunity to express our spirits in a way that is unique only to us. How we live out our spirit is through the fingerprints we leave along the way. Oprah is leaving her fingerprint on the legacy of 25 years of the Oprah Winfrey show to now her expressing her uniqueness through her OWN network.
Share with us how are you uniquely leaving your mark on the world?
********************** For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.——————
Janae Bower is an inspirational speaker, award-winning author and training consultant. She founded Finding IT, a company that specializes in personal and professional development getting to the heart of what matters most. She started Project GratOtude, a movement to increase gratitude in people’s lives.
Janae Bower of FindingIt is an inspirational speaker, award-winning author and training consultant who helps others get to the heart of what matters most.
Linda Ferguson wrote the book "Path for Greatness: Spirituality at Work" and has presented workshops around the country on aligning our gifts, passion and purpose.