As dedicated Oprah Life Class Students, We wanted to share with other Oprah fans our favorite life class moments, things we have learned, a-ha moments we have had and ideas that will help us to live our best lives.

Posts Tagged: Life Class

Last exercise of fit test! #lifeclass krista pumps it out! Woo!

Week 2 of Insanity…Krista tests the fit jeans to see her progress! #lifeclass feeling great and loving the challenge!

Krista and Kayla put up a Gratitude board in their home so as to be able to see what their thankful for every single day when they walk in the door. They hope this will give you some ideas on how to be thankful for the many gifts in your life.

Get Working on Your Vision!

-Kayla

Krista makes a promise to workout for 60 days so as to fit into her skinny jeans which she has renamed her fit jeans. Watch her progress every Monday as she uploads a new video of how the jeans are fitting! Get inspired to get your body in great shape too!

Changes we are making in our lives as a result of #LIFECLASS with @Oprah  Here is a video we hope will motivate you to change your lives too! Get off your rump and get out there and start working out. Healthy body=Healthy mind. We can do it and so can you! We believe in you Lifers!

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#LIFECLASS Homework for tonight’s class with Bishop T.D. Jakes. Here’s my answers. Wow-already many ”a-ha” moments!
1.  My purpose is ______________. (If you don’t have anything to put here, you will! That’s what this class is all about. So skip for now if needed.)
I’m not entirely sure what my purpose is to be honest. I always felt like I have some big destiny waiting for me, but I am guided by my heart and intuition more than my mind. I feel my way through situations more than I think them. And I definitely feel that part of my purpose is to guide others. I have a gift for communication and for knowing the right thing to do. Right now I am trying to follow my intuition more and to increase its strength.
2. T.D. Jakes says your passion can lead to your purpose. So if you can’t figure out your purpose—can you list three things you daydream about on slow days at work or while in the carpool lane?
I daydream about:
1. Having a tv show or radio program like Oprah. She has always inspired me with the way that she reaches people. And I felt like my life is far advanced from what it would have been had I never watched her program.
2. Teaching others all the things I have learned. I have thought about inspiring young women and building a business that is uplifting and lifechanging.
3.Travelling the world and documenting it to share with other people. Living fearlessly and doing all the things that one could do in this life.
3. Are you looking for, or currently with, somebody you hope will tell you what you should do? Write down examples of times when you’ve made yourself fit somebody else’s ideas for you, rather than be the person you are.
I am not currently with anyone. But I do find that people in my life try to control me and tell me what I should do. In the past, I was with someone who was very controlling and would always tell me what to do. If I suggested wanting to do something, he would often tell me my ideas were stupid. I really had the wind knocked out of my sails, but since that relationship has ended, I have realized that life is way too short to live it according to someone else’s standards. I went on this incredible Rotary experience to Belize and Guatemala and I realized I can do and have anything I want in life. It was the most freeing thing I have ever done. And since then I have worked towards the life I want for myself and I am building my confidence every day by telling myself I am great and I can achieve anything and I deserve the best because I am the very best. I feel so empowered.
4. Are you living beneath your purpose? Are you giving your strength to stuff that “must be done”? List five things that keep you from your purpose. How can you stop spending time on them?
I have definitely been living beneath my purpose for a long time. I have been living a shadow existence of my real self.
Five things that keep me from my purpose:
1. Doing things I feel obligated to do-To change this, I think I need to not say yes to things right away. I should tell people that I need to check my calendar and I will get back to them. I should only do the things I really really want to do.
2. Wasting time-I think it would benefit me to keep a chart for a few weeks and write down what I do to fill my time that way I can change things that aren’t adding to my purpose.
3. Spending time doing things that I have to do just to survive-Some of these things are necessary for the moment (ex. work and house cleaning). But I think that if I plan properly, I can spend any extra time working towards my purpose and I can hire someone to do the jobs that don’t fulfill me. (I am horrible at cleaning! lol)
4. Spending time with people that don’t add to my feeling of accomplishing my purpose.—To fix this, I think I need to limit time with these people and also be willing to tell them that I can’t do the things they want to do.
5. Not knowing exactly what my purpose is-I think this will hopefully be resolved by tonight’s Life Class!! But I also think I am on the right path to figuring it out. My heart knows the way, but I’m trying to listen better. Its hard to hear your intuition when you’ve ignored it for so long. But I’m nurturing it now.
5. You know you’re being true to your purpose when things that you couldn’t do on your own start happening. Describe times in your life when something worked out beyond your expectations.
In all honesty, for the first time in a LOOOOOOOONG time, things are working out now beyond my expectations. I feel like the last 7 years of my life, my tires have been stuck in a giant mud pit and I was just spinning them. But now, I feel that the wheel has come free and started to move and it’s all just happened these past 2 months. First, I visualized myself at Oprah’s show, then I ended up getting tickets to the Toronto show and then winning them to the New York show and then I ended up front row, centre with Oprah and Deepak. Then I got into the program I wanted to for school that only accepts 25 people a year. I had an amazing birthday. My friendships are rock solid and I am meeting some truly amazing people. I started a new position at work and everything is just working out. I know I am in the groove and things are happening for me.
6. T.D. Jakes says, “The pursuit of your life is to come into that purpose—and the waste of your life is to miss that purpose.” What would you regret most if you missed your purpose?
If I missed my purpose, I would regret everything. My life before realizing I could have and do anything I wanted was so dead. It was lifeless and uninspired. I was going through the motions of life and not truly living. When I think back on that time, I see a zombie. I hate to think that if everyone is living that way, we truly are in an apocolypse now and we need to change that. If I didn’t come into my purpose, I would regret never living. When my Mom passed away, she wanted to live more than anything and it is that feeling that chills me to the core. She loved life and she had just come into her purpose when she died. I want to live as much of my life with purpose as I can.
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It’s never too late for a do-over—which means it’s never too late to find your purpose. What would you do again if you had the chance?
If I had the chance, I would go back and tell others how I was living my life and fearlessly follow my passions. I would never apologize for not being what someone else wanted me to be. I would just be myself and follow my own gut to where it would take me. I would never have allowed myself to fall into that zombie lifestyle. I would never have accepted second best when I knew I deserved first.
8.  What’s one thing you could do to create that second chance?
To create that second chance, I think I just have to live my life that way now. I can’t be afraid to be myself and to speak my mind and blaze my own trail. I need to take the reigns. (Wow just writing this feels so good and motivating)
9.  What would you say you’re good at? Are you in an environment that allows you to use those skills on a regular basis? If you are, how does it feel? If you aren’t, what place would be more conducive to your best work?
I am great at communication and writing. I am excellent with people of every walk of life. I am a good motivator and great at giving advice.
I am in an environment that allows me to use these skills on a regular basis but I don’t think I realized previously how great I was at them. It feels great knowing that I can do this and that I am awesome at it. Even though what I’m doing now is not my best purpose I know I can stick with it while still pursuing my best purpose and then switch to entirely pursuing my best purpose (once I am certain of what it is). I feel like a million bucks just knowing my strength and being confident in them. And it feels great to know I am coming into my own and that my purpose will soon reveal itself. I think there is a place that will be highly conducive to my best work, but I’m not quite sure where that is right now. I feel I will be led to it by a force stronger than me if I just do my very best right now.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Oprahs-Life-Work-Lesson-3-Live-with-Purpose-with-Bishop-TD-Jakes#ixzz1rYs0lXqP

Kayla and I are working on our vision boards. Here is a clip of us discussing our vision for our lives and how we are putting our vision boards together. We are so excited to be doing this and we will post pictures of our finished boards shortly. We hope this encourages you to complete your vision for your lives as well. All the best to you lifers!

Didavision at @Oprah ‘s #LIFECLASS ! Inspiring video on the power of the mind and visualization! #DREAMCOMETRUE

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“How can you begin giving more of your time to what you were really meant to do with your life?”

I can stop worrying about money, start living fearlessly, and look high and low for a social work job.

-K

After #LIFECLASS NYC @Oprah delivers a powerful message.

@Oprah ‘s #LIFECLASS Audience Dancing in NYC. Feel the energy and excitement of 5000+ #LIFECLASS students! Blessed to be front row! #DREAMCOMETRUE

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1.      What is the story you are telling yourself right now? What self-limiting beliefs within that story (like, “I’m not good with money” or “I’m not creative”)?

I am constantly telling myself that I’m not strong enough to do social work.  I tell myself that there is a reason that I have not found the job of my dreams.  I tell myself that I will fail.

2.      Tony Robbins says we need to see life as it is—but not worse than it is. Can you describe your life realistically without emphasizing the negative?

I am having a hard time describing my life as it is while not focusing on the negative.  Because I feel so much frustration in my career, I struggle with feeling as if I am not “good enough”to have a career the way that my social work friends are.  Because I am feeling really stuck in where I am in my life, I feel as if I tend to focus on the negative, and how I am not where I want to be.

3.      He says the only two choices we have are to lead an inspired life or a dead life. Which choice have you made so far? What’s one example from the past six months that exemplifies this choice?

In the past six months, as a result of life class, I have changed my life from dead to inspired.  In july I chose to move to Australia for three months and then backpack South East Asia before returning home.  This trip left me with such a buzzing high and I felt as if I could accomplish anything.  Since watching Tony I have been able to maintain that sense of positive energy, however I am still not feeling fulfilled in my own life.

4.      Write about a recent happy moment.

Today, I pushed myself to run the escarpment stairs by my house four times when I usually only run them twice.

I felt so proud of myself and so accomplished.

5.      Tony Robbins has said, “I asked her about her joy, and she gave me her wound.” Looking at the above answer, did you describe something happy—or tinged with pain or dissatisfaction?

Wow.  I answered with something happy, but I followed it up with my past disappointments. I had no idea that I did that.

6.      He says people have six needs: love, certainty, adventure, significance, growth and contribution. Write down your two top needs from that list.

Love and significance.

7.      Now describe what you’ve given up as a result of having those two needs as your priorities. For instance, if you chose certainty, which means you value control over things, have you limited spontaneity in your life?

I have given up living my life for my self in some regard because I allow my love for my family and my friends to guide my life.

I consistently feel as if I will fail or have failed as a result of choosing significance.

8.      How do you define success? Write your definition below.

I define success as waking up in the morning with a sense of joy, fulfillment, and pride.

9.      Tony Robbins says success without fulfillment is failure. Does your definition of success include things that give you a sense of meaning? Would you say you’ve been successful so far?

My definition of success does include meaning.  I defined success by the feeling that it would give me in the morning.

I have been very successful in some regards of my life.  I have graduated with two degrees, worked in theatre, and traveled the world.

However, I have noticed a change in myself in the last few months and I am feeling more stuck than successful.  I have limited goals for my future because I am feeling lost and as a result I have limited my own successes.

10.  Where in your life do you feel stuck? What is the small action you can take to change? Then what massive action—an exponentially bigger step—can you take? 

I am feeling stuck in my career.  A small step that I could take is to meet with a person with my dream position and discuss their experiences.  I could also find a volunteer position that would improve my skills while trying to find work.

A massive step that I could take would be to walk into a hospital with my resume and meet the hiring manager.


Read more: http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Oprahs-Life-Work-Lesson-2-Tony-Robbins-on-Living-Fearlessly#ixzz1rVKlg167

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1.  What is the story you are telling yourself right now? What self-limiting beliefs within that story (like, “I’m not good with money” or “I’m not creative”)?
Lately I have been telling myself the story that I am not good enough. I have also been telling myself that I am disorganized. I have been telling myself that life is difficult.
2.  Tony Robbins says we need to see life as it is—but not worse than it is. Can you describe your life realistically without emphasizing the negative?
Yes I can but I usually don’t describe it without emphasizing the negative. Here’s my attempt. I am not living the life I dreamed of and imagined for myself. I have let myself down in many ways. I can succeed and do better in my life but I had given up because life got difficult for me. I realize now that I can change things and I can start today. I realize that my life is worth working hard for and fighting for.
3.  He says the only two choices we have are to lead an inspired life or a dead life. Which choice have you made so far? What’s one example from the past six months that exemplifies this choice?
I have definitely been leading a dead life. In many ways, I was not fulfilling my potential nor even coming close.
In the past 2 months, I have changed my view point and I’m living an inspired life. I simply started to change my thinking. I have decided to focus on the positive and to say affirmations. I have decided that I can do anything. And I am trying to listen to my thoughts and to keep them on the positive side. Already I can see a huge difference in my life and the way I feel about everything. I am so much happier and it has literally only been two months.
4.  Write about a recent happy moment.
I was more than overjoyed on my birthday on March 3rd. I think it was the best birthday I ever had. I spent two great nights with all of my friends. I had a wonderful dinner, delicious cake, and many laughs with friends. I felt so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. These relationships are ones I always dreamed of having. They made me feel so fulfilled and so positive.
5. Tony Robbins has said, “I asked her about her joy, and she gave me her wound.” Looking at the above answer, did you describe something happy—or tinged with pain or dissatisfaction?
I definitely described something happy.
6.  He says people have six needs: love, certainty, adventure, significance, growth and contribution. Write down your two top needs from that list.
My top two needs are love and growth.
7. Now describe what you’ve given up as a result of having those two needs as your priorities. For instance, if you chose certainty, which means you value control over things, have you limited spontaneity in your life?   
For a long time I gave up a lot for love: friendship, adventure, my own dreams, even myself. But not anymore. Love is important to me but I realized it doesn’t have to come from a lover. It can come from friends, family, pets, co-workers. Love is all around us and I feel better than I ever have to be able to express love for others.
By valuing growth, I have often given up the present moment. Someone told me I am like a train racing down a track always looking for the next destination but never enjoying the ride. It is difficult for me to stop and enjoy things the way they are. I am definitely always pushing myself to go further and bigger.
8. How do you define success? Write your definition below.
To me, success is a positive balance of everything in life. By this I mean, you could look at everything as a meter from 1-100. A positive balance would mean you have 50+ points in that category. For example you would have categories like health, happiness, friendship, money, career, goals, etc. Success doesn’t mean you have to be at 100% on all or even one of them, but that you strive to keep all meters above 50%. And keep improving on everything as best you can.
9. Tony Robbins says success without fulfillment is failure. Does your definition of success include things that give you a sense of meaning? Would you say you’ve been successful so far?
My definition of success does include things that give me a sense of meaning. Since losing my Mom to cancer, I think its more important to have meaning in your life. My Mom was so passionate about everything she did and it was inspiring. So far, I would say I haven’t been entirely successful. I have definitely had great success in some categories, but I have also had epic failures in others and I also have categories that have struggled and straggled along.
10. Where in your life do you feel stuck? What is the small action you can take to change? Then what massive action—an exponentially bigger step—can you take? 
In my life, I feel stuck in that I haven’t been able to do all the things I’ve wanted to do. But I also feel stuck by the fear that I can’t do things. To change things, I think I need to change my thinking. I need to tell the universe what I want so it can respond and I need to tell myself I can overcome these fears. I need to understand that they are only fear and that they don’t define me.
An exponentially bigger step I can take…..I can start to go full speed ahead with my career in all aspects. I can follow through on the plans I have in my head for my business and not constantly question if it is the right move or the wrong move.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Oprahs-Life-Work-Lesson-2-Tony-Robbins-on-Living-Fearlessly#ixzz1rWH9pGgr

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1.  The first step is to identify what the pain is. In 10 words or less, finish this sentence: My pain is ____focusing on the things I’ve lost in my life________.

2.  If you have trouble answering that, take a deep breath and notice what’s causing you the most discomfort right now—not a twinge in a stubbed toe, but pain that comes from thoughts, for example, of a divorce or a job loss.
3.  Whatever the pain, you’ll feel it in specific areas of your body. Where does the pain reside with you—in your chest, stomach, lower abdomen? As you give it your attention, describe the thoughts that come with it.
The pain is in my shoulder, a tightening in my chest and my back. The thoughts/feelings that come with it are defeat, tiredness, and overwhelm.
4.  Look deeper into that particular pain—write down at least three things you’re holding on to that are causing it. These may be objects, relationships, situations or beliefs.
Three things that I’m holding onto that are causing the pain are:
1. The wish that things were different or could have been different.
2. Relationships that were meant only for a time but are with people I care deeply about.
3. The belief that I lost something that was meant for me and that it’s irreplaceable.
5.  Pain is often expressed through anger. List five things that bring up some version of anger for you (from frustration to rage).
1. Thinking of the way I was treated in the past.
2. When I feel like I’m stuck in a situation.
3. When people get involved and tell me how to run my life and it’s totally not what I’d do.
4. When I’m surrounded by people who are unsupportive of my dreams and wishes
5.Thinking that I wasted 6.5 years of my life and made a huge mistake.
6.  For each thing you listed, write an “anger rant” that describes how you really, truly feel. Don’t hold back. Say whatever you really want to say.
1. I hate the way you treated me. I never deserved that when I only ever treated you well. You make my blood boil. You hurt me and all the people I cared about. You took away some of the most important things in my life. I always deserved better. I hate that you manipulated me and made me feel bad about myself. I hate that you gutted me. I hate that I wasted so much time with you listening to all the garbage that came out of your mouth. I hate that I bought into your hatred and angst. I hate that you didn’t suffer like I did. I hate that kharma hasn’t come and kicked you in the ass like you deserve.
2. I hate feeling stuck like I can’t change things and like the world is somehow holding me down. I hate when I don’t feel like I have control and that I just feel hopeless that things won’t go the way I want and need them to go.
3. OMG I HATE it when people tell me how to run my life. They think they can just dictate to me how things should be. This is my life, you have your own. Go dictate your own life and let me dictate mine. Your opinion was not asked for and I don’t want to hear it. Don’t tell me how things should be when I know what I want for my life and I don’t want your opinion.
4. Negative people drive me nuts. I can do ANYTHING I WANT TO AND I CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AT IT. JUST BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET AND YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AS MUCH AS I BELIEVE IN MYSELF DOESNT MEAN THAT I CANT DO WHAT I WANT AND ACHIEVE MY DREAMS.
5. It drives me nuts to think I wasted 6.5 years of my life and that I made the biggest mistake ever. I wish I could take every single day back and change it and make it completely different. There is not a single moment of that time that is important to me in the slightest. It feels like an entire waste of time for me. Nothing valuable came out of it.
7.  Working from your anger rant, write a list called “X should Y.” Examples: Tom should be more considerate of my needs. Or: Barbara should stop being so obsessed with herself.

1. X should apologize for everything he said and did and in some way make all the problems better.
2. Things should just go my way
3. My friends and family should butt out of my life and let me run things the way I want.
4. Negative people should take a page from my book and start being positive.
5. I shouldn’t think about those 6.5 years. I should just put them behind me.
8.  Now write another list called “I could Y” by substituting “I could” for “X should.” Examples: I could be more considerate of my needs. Or: I could stop being so obsessed with Barbara.

I could apologize to myself for letting myself be treated so poorly and for letting myself be so deeply hurt. I could apologize to myself for not standing up for me and for accepting abuse. I could vow never to let that happen again in any area of my life or from any person. I could figure out how to change the problems and find solutions that would work for me in the best possible way without compromising my needs and wishes.

I can demand from the universe that things will change and my life will improve. I can decide that no matter how hopeless things feel I will push forward with my dreams and goals and never let the monotony of the world get me down.

I could politely tell people, “thank you for your opinion, but it is not required” and if they continue I could tell them to stop.

I could ask negative people to be responsible for their energy. I could ask them not to bring negativity around me. And if they continued, I could ask them to stop or I could stop listening to them and politely excuse myself.

I could acknowledge the 6.5 years and say, “I’m letting that go” every time I think about them. I could practice focusing on the present moment and the joy that is now in my life.
9.  Notice how much more challenging it is to live your ethics than to focus on what others should do. How will this change the way you direct your energy next time you get angry?

Thinking this way has made me feel empowered. I really realized I have the power in any situation and by being angry, I am giving my power away. The next time I get angry, I will stop, take a breath and refocus. If I can decide either in my head or on paper, I will write down what the other person or people should do. Then I will figure out what I could do. I will direct my energy from the problem to the solution. Wow, AHA! I love this. I really get it. Can’t wait to try it in a ‘of the moment’ anger.
10.  What corrosive thoughts (pain) have you been keeping to yourself (like, “I suck” or “everyone’s against me”)? How can you rewrite them to signal a shift you will make? Examples: I do X well, and I will focus on that. Or: I will ask X person for support.

Corrosive Thoughts:                            Rewritten:

I’m so fat.————————————————-I’m healthy and fit. I have a great body.
I’ve made so many mistakes.—————I can change anything. My past does not define me.
I’ll never be any good.—————————I am perfect just the way I am.

I will have to watch my thoughts over the next few weeks and write any corrosive ones down and then re-write them. I find this activity extremely helpful. I want to change my thoughts.