Lia Keith, OWN Ambassadors Founder

Lifeclass Lessons: You Need Your OWN Cup to be Full

            As usual, I am filled up with great life lessons and insights after experiencing Oprah’s Lifeclass on OWN. Iyanla Vanzant has an incredible gift that goes right to the heart and soul of what matters.  I watched her bring the light of life back into the guests’ eyes as they awakened to their true potential.

One of my biggest AHA moments of the night was this lesson:  You need your own cup to be full. What comes out of the cup is yours to give, but what’s in the cup you need. I must admit, I have been guilty of letting my cup run low too often. As a working mom of four children, one with autism, there were times my cup was bone dry and I felt like I was marooned in the desert. I don’t think I am alone in feeling this way.  We push ourselves too hard and don’t give ourselves moments of quiet and rejuvenation.  One of the results of this is that we feel lonely and empty, unable to find a way to fill ourselves back up.

I have learned one of the best ways to recharge is to give yourself permission to rest and do nothing.  Ask for help and find just a little time to be still and silent.  You must find a community to support you so that you don’t feel alone.  If you don’t have family or close friends you feel you can trust; turn to organizations that offer support in whatever area you’re stuck.  The internet can be an amazing resource where it is easy to find like-minded people that can give you the boost you need. I don’t know how many times I have been having a hard day and my friends on twitter instantly can tell and pour their goodwill and blessings into my cup.  I may never have met them, but I know they are solidly in my corner and devoted to helping me be my best.

You may think that the relationships you have on the internet aren’t real, that they are just digital strangers that you share a few words with, but I know for sure that it is so much more than that.  I could feel and empathize with the pain of the guests that were on Lifeclass last night. I could feel the healing energy that Iyanla shared with all of us. If it weren’t possible to have these connections then how could we explain the love we feel for God who we can never see or meet? How could Oprah feel such a connection to her viewers and us to her? How could I know, for sure, that I have made lifelong friends that I will always cherish on this internet cloud?  It’s all energy; it doesn’t need the physical form to be real. Use the gifts that technology has given us and find your community, in whatever form it comes. Find a source for that life-giving fire and strength and know you are not alone. Know there is love in many forms surrounding you and wanting to share its abundance with you. Fill your cup up until it runneth over and you can share its bounty with others.