top of page

An Attitude of Gratitude

Oprah @ Toronto Lifeclass

On Monday I had the incredible opportunity and pleasure of experiencing Oprah’s Lifeclass in Toronto, with optimal living greats Iyanla Vanzant, Deepak Chopra, Tony Robbins and Bishop T.D. Jakes. I went to the first of two sold-out shows that day, each with 8,500 people sitting in chairs that stretched a quarter-mile back in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The energy and positivity in the room was electrifying as we explored the power of Gratitude in our lives. Here are a few of the nuggets of wisdom I picked up to share with you: 1. “Life is a journey; be grateful for every stop life takes along the way.” – Iyanla Vanzant Every single thing that happens to you in your life is a gift and a lesson. That’s not to say that life is without its painful moments, or that you should deny when you are in pain, or that it’s easy to immediately see the gift when you are faced with a great loss. But the only true way to heal the pain is to allow yourself to go fully into your pain and your grief. Letting yourself truly feel the pain allows you to process, rather than resist it, and only from there can you move through and finally beyond it. PAIN is a directive to Pay Attention Inward Now, and look for what you are being taught.

The Crowd @ Oprah's Lifeclass

2. “Wherever there is appreciation, there will be duplication.” – Bishop T.D. Jakes You bring into your life what you focus on. If you are forever thinking about what you don’t have, you will continue to lack those things. When you focus on what you do have, in this very moment – even in times when the only thing you can recognize as ‘good’ is the very air you are breathing – you will build a consciousness of abundance, and more good will come to you.

3. “Give people attention, appreciation and affection.” – Deepak Chopra When you are conscious of the energy you bring into a room, your presence is all that matters. Bring a presence of attention, appreciation and affection with you everywhere you go, in every interaction. When you are attentive to all that you can appreciate in your surroundings, you generate feelings of affection, love, joy, peace, contentment and connection with the world you are part of and the world that you create for yourself in each moment.

4.

“Life happens not
to
you, but
for
you.” – Tony Robbins

When you operate from this frame of mind, you transform everything that happens in your life into something more guided. When you experience challenges, change your story from one of pain to that of a gift. There is no joy in focusing on yourself, and your ‘story’ is only one element of who you are; it is not the totality of who you are. Look at the situation and determine what you are now responsible for giving back to the world. What have you learned from your circumstances that you can transform into something positive? Because the way you look at things is always a choice.

The Team @ Oprah's Lifeclass

Two years ago, I had the incredible fortune of winning tickets to see Oprah’s after-Oscar show in Hollywood with my best friend on our birthday weekend (our birthdays are one day apart). I thought that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I, for one, am incredibly GRATEFUL for this second Oprah opportunity, to learn from some of my most respected teachers and mentors. What are you grateful for today?

For more on cultivating an attitude of gratitude in your life, be sure to tune into OWN on April 30th. You can also watch all of Oprah’s previous
Lifeclass sessions online
.
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • X/Twitter
  • LinkedIn
IP_Certified_Trainer_logo_bw.png

©2023 by Kelly Wagner

bottom of page