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BY Nancy Mueller 2 Comments ON November 14, 2014

Oprah Dazzles in Seattle: Life You Want Weekend Tour

PicMonkey CollageShe came. She spoke. She dazzled.

Oprah stopped by Seattle last weekend, nearing the final leg of her “Life You Want Weekend Tour.” Her message?

“I want us all to fulfill our greatest potential. To find our calling, and summon the courage to live it.”

Oprah's Life You Want Weekend Tour in Seattle

After a previous day of torrential rain, the Friday kick-off began on a promising note: abundant Seattle sunshine with clear, blue skies, the perfect weather to accompany my tour of O Town, a “pop-up town square” on the lawn of Seattle Center, leading up to the evening’s main event.

O Town

I intended to check it out, then head back home before returning for Oprah’s evening presentation. But I ended up staying the entire day. With such a fun, festive, infectious energy surrounding the event, how could I leave just when the party was getting started – especially knowing I couldn’t make it on the second day?

First stop: a photo-op with Oprah’s life-size image.

Nancy Mueller and Oprah

Next up, the pampering tent because we wanderboomers can never have too much pampering, can we?

PicMonkey Collage

Then off to another tent to visit with a couple of Oprah’s favorite friends, like Gayle King.

Gayle King and Oprah

From the outdoor stage I picked up a few fashion tips from O Magazine’s Creative Director, Adam Glassman, e.g ways to tie a scarf, what’s trending (“Fanny packs are in, but personally I wouldn’t do it.”), what’s classic (turtlenecks) and here to stay (skinny jeans) if you can wear them.

Nancy Mueller and Adam Glassman

Once we entered Key Arena for Oprah’s evening presentation, the music playlist had us all dancing our way to our seats where we each found a gift, courtesy of Starbucks.

PicMonkey Collage

 

Starbucks O Quote

All of this before we even had a LIVE Oprah sighting.

Then the O moment had arrived, starting with the sound of Oprah’s voice rising in volume and energy from off stage, climaxing with her grand entrance. She brought down the house. In a mesmerizing performance sprinkled with personal anecdotes and humor over the next two hours, Oprah shared her inspirational message with the moms, daughters, aunts and sisters (along with a few brothers) who had come out to greet her. Here’s a sampling of what I heard:

You are here to honor your calling.

I am where I am because I listened to my spirit.

Your legacy is every life you’ve ever touched.

No matter what you’ve been through, if you are here, it means you have a second chance.

Invictus – “I am the Master of my Fate. I am the Captain of my Soul.”

I learned that I could be a better Oprah than I could a pretend Barbara Walters.

I move on when I’m done growing.

We know we are all equal in spirit – but our hair? No.

When you feel not at ease, it’s life trying to move you in a new direction.

Everybody has a thread that has led you to the space that you now hold in your life.

Anything that you have, you are supposed to share it in service. Your life is validated in your service to others.

We are all asking, “Am I okay?” We are all looking for validation. We want to know that we matter.

We are all co-creating our lives.

Third Law of Motion in physics: for every action there is a reaction. It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not.

You co-create your life with the energy of your Intention. Your Intention rules your life always.

All this time I didn’t say no because I didn’t want people to think I wasn’t nice.

You are responsible for your Intentions.

Your thoughts become what you believe.

Be responsible for the energy you bring into a room – Jill Bolte Taylor

You have power in your energy field. Stop meddling in other people’s energy fields.

To have the life you want, you have to choose love.

You must choose the way you think about your life.

Go Boldly

Thanks for stopping by Seattle, Oprah! Same time next year?

Wander on!

Nancy

*If you liked this, be sure to check out my previous post on Oprah.

How does Oprah inspire you, wanderboomers? Please share with us here.

Filed Under: Activities Tagged With: Adam Glassman, Gayle King, O Town, Oprah, Oprah's Life You Want Weekend Tour, Starbucks, words of wisdom

BY Nancy Mueller 7 Comments ON April 24, 2013

U is for Uluru

Ulura. The aboriginal name for Ayers Rock, Australia . . .

I recall when Oprah was planning her Australian adventure extravaganza a few years back. She hadn’t considered visiting Ayers Rock until her pal Paul Simon told her she needed to go. After her visit, she said he was right.

Ulurujemasmithflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of jema smith – flickr

What is it about this sandstone monolith located in the middle of nowhere Australia that calls to 400,000 to 500,000 visitors a year? Is it the changing colors of the rock and sky at sunrise and sunset? Or something more profound . . .

Ulurucharlesbukowskyflickr (450 x 338)

Photo courtesy of charles bukowsky – flickr

For aboriginal Australians, Uluru is considered a sacred site, home to ancient paintings in the caves at the base of the massive monument that were created during their mythical Dreamtime. Though requested by the aborigines not to climb the rock because of its spiritual nature, visitors are still allowed to do so – for now. Today the government is considering a ban on climbing for safety, environmental and cultural reasons, making it only a matter of time before visitors find the path closed.

UluruTheCreativePennflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of The Creative Penn – flickr

Have you visited Ayers Rock, wanderboomers? What was your experience?

Filed Under: Activities, Australia, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Travel Experiences Tagged With: aborigines, Australia, Ayers Rock, Dreamtime, Oprah, Paul Simon, sacred site, sunrise, sunset, Uluru

BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON May 26, 2011

Thank You, Oprah!

OprahStoryAccentsflickr (450 x 378)

Photo courtesy of Story Accents – flickr

I know. You’re wondering what on earth could Oprah possibly have to do with this travel blog – besides the fact that she’s a Wander Boomer who likes to travel (Can you say “Australia”  anyone?). But Oprah represents so much more than that to this Wanderboomer. We grew up together after all. Yes, she was in Chicago while I was in Seattle. But we learned from making some of the same mistakes. I’ll bet some of you did, too. We learned when it’s time to let go and move on, to trust our inner voice, and to use that voice to stand up for ourselves and others.

Oprah has blazed a bright trail for women – and men – yet her message to each of us has always been to get off the beaten path and follow our own calling. I took her message to heart – literally. When classmates and colleagues went to Europe, I hopped on a plane to Egypt, and later Brazil. Long after friends had given birth to their children, my husband and I traveled to China to bring home our toddler daughter.

When I travel to far-flung locations, I am my best self – not always as fearless or as smart as I’d like to be, but I go anyway. I’m still learning, still a work in progress, still growing into a better version of who I am capable of becoming. Travel helps me do that. I’m forced out of my comfort zone, the blinders come off, and I have to figure out how to be resourceful in unexpected situations .

So many of my “Aha” moments have come while I’ve been on the road: clarity about decisions hanging over my head; a recognition that despite our differences, we are all interconnected; a visceral understanding of how vital it is to preserve a pristine natural habitat for our planet.

Travel to Quito, Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands is next up for me, while Antarctica and Australia are still ahead. But wherever I go, I’ll take Oprah’s gifts with me: grace towards others who may see the world differently than I do, generosity of spirit, and gratitude for the freedom to travel the world and live an adventurous life. When you think about it, not bad items to bring along on any of our journeys.

Thanks, Oprah!

What about you, Boomers? How has travel changed you? Where are you going next?

Filed Under: Baby Boomers and Travel Tagged With: Antarctica, Australia, Brazil, Chicago, China, Ecuador, Europe, Galapagos Islands, inner voice, intuition, Oprah, travel

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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