You know I love me some Oprah
The other day as I was gearing up to make dinner, I poured myself a glass and decided to listen to her SuperSoul Conversations podcast. This particular conversation was with the legend RuPaul. I knew it would be entertaining but didn't know how deeply moving it would be. I was so caught up in the interview that the meal took twice as long to make.
What started off as a lighthearted exchange about fashion, quickly moved into thoughtful conversation around identity, connection and what it means to be here on this planet, breathing this air and maybe even reading this blog. Only Oprah can make those smooth transitions!
So I had to share some of my takeaways from the podcast with you. Because maybe, like me, you're curious what other's think being alive is all about. The thing is, and RuPaul mentions this throughout the interview, none of this is rocket science but for some reason when Ru (clearly we're friends now) tells it, it lands deeper. Here you go...
1. "We are all born naked and the rest is drag"
I mean, ain't that the truth. And what a beautiful way of expressing both our sameness and individuality. I had never thought about it like that before. Our outward persona is, for lack of a better word, a costume. It got me thinking about the power each of us have to chose how others perceive and receive us. And the best part is, it doesn't always have to be the same. Our identities can evolve just as we evolve. We're here for a short time so why not have fun with it? As Ru says, "I am everything and nothing at all". Love that.
2. Laugh. Don't take everything so seriously.
Ru says laughter is the most powerful spell a person can cast and I agree! We've all heard the saying that "laughter is contagious". But when was the last time you laughed without being provoked? I know I can get really caught up in the heaviness of situations so this a great reminder to bring a little levity into every day. It ain't that serious! Which leads me to the next nugget...
3. Don't succumb to the darkness and stay in kindness and love.
Ru makes this decision every day. Being negative is the easy way out; it's lazy. Negativity exists as lower levels of vibrations; low hanging fruit if you will. But the joy, the compassion, the love, those are all high vibes that require practice and mindfulness. I don't know about you but I rather float than sink so love and light my friends!
4. There is not enough dance in the world.
About half way through the interview, Ru talks about the need for more dance and has the fabulous idea of opening up a daytime dance club in Palm Springs (yes Ru, yes). What I love about this is the call for more real connection and expression. Everyone, even those closet dancers out there, knows that feeling of when an amazing song comes on and you just lose yourself in it. You know what that is? It's you coming alive; coming online as the real you. What if we supported more of that? Made it a goal to be more of that person AND in communion with others - wild!
5. Our purpose in life is just to live it.
So many of us are caught up in finding our purpose. I definitely have been. So it was refreshing to hear Ru and Oprah say they think our collective purpose is to simply exist and take full advantage of this human experience. To me that means being present and open to what is and what comes without judgement (that's the hard part). Our individual expressions are then how we interpret the experience. Might not be a new idea for some but for me this one was a real aha and took a little bit of the pressure off.