live your life on purpose

I was in the audience just now for the screening of Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure. Phenomenal. By now you’d know about Hugh smashing his eye. And Nicole and Keith and Livvie and Russ and Hugh singing “Still call Australia Home”. I cried through a lot of it. Such a wonderful, big energy. No one – not even all those male media journalists who seem intent on describing her fans as “middle-aged” and with “muffin tops” – could help but be thoroughly enrolled in her care and energy. It ain’t fake.

oprah-winfrey

What you perhaps didn’t hear is Oprah’s warm sign-off (off camera, just to the audience). She invited us to:

“Life your life on purpose”

As in, live your life like you really mean it. Not floppily. Not like it’s something you’ve got to get through, to tick off. Forget all the other advice you might be following, this is it. This is a mantra at the core of all the others. And simpler, and kinder and more generous.

It’s about anchoring your presence, stepping out with certainty, saying what you mean, doing things because they matter. And dropping off all the stuff that’s just filler and fluff and froth.

To do this doesn’t involve waiting for the right moment, or writing a list, or making a big deal of things, or changing jobs, or having a sea change. It’s starting now. Live life like you really mean it. Give a shit about what you’re doing right now. There’s no run up required. No dress rehearsal. No special conditions.

Be certain, solid, bold as you wash the dishes, put the kids to bed, write your to-do list for tomorrow.

Then you will live your life on purpose, as in on target, in keeping with your life’s purpose.

I’m going home now to eat dinner like I mean it. And skype a friend in Brazil who’s been on mind. You?

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