00:01
Oprah once said I will no longer be on TV, but use it as a force for good and not be used by TV. So when I heard this, I'm just saying what a drop, my drop moment this was because when she shifted from using TV as an air in air quotes, a service, it changed everything. And so in this episode, I hope to inspire this in you, this idea of a podcast doing that same thing, this more altruistic reason that you're here, that you're, you know why you're doing this something bigger. So it doesn't have to be, you know, altruistic and really huge, right, but like a bigger reason, like why do you love this, why do you want this? Right, beyond the marketing, beyond attracting clients, but to use it as a force for good in the world? Right, because when you come from that perspective, from that reason, of course, of course, clients will come. In fact, clients will start flocking to you and it'll probably happen effortlessly, because your focus is not on getting anything. Your focus is being a force, a force for good in the world. Okay, so I'm going to start with lessons from Oprah. Okay, so, seriously, when I'm peeling down or I need a little inspiration, I always turn to Oprah not always. I mean, I turn to other things, of course, but Oprah, you know, it's easy, she's easy on the ears, right. So I mean, come on, who doesn't find Oprah inspiring, right? So if you don't like Oprah, then you can just stop listening to this episode, okay, all right.
02:19
One day, not too long ago, I had a big ugly cry. Yes, I did. Looking back now, I really I can't even remember why I was upset. And this is so interesting now that I'm looking back, right, and I know that when you look at experiences that you've had, you look back on them. If you were angry, if you were upset and confused, and you're like, wow, like I don't even identify with that, like you know, it doesn't even bring up the anger or the confusion, right? So you can see how you're not. Those emotions, those are just sort of minds that you had. If you will, I like to call them minds and we can see how emotions can carry us away right Into who knows, like all kinds of delusion, right, but then they dissipate, they can dissipate and you know, then they just fly away, fly away and you know, wash after they wash over us. And the gift that came out of this experience, this big ugly cry that I had were rough notes, which are actually the basis of this episode.
03:31
And while I was filled with emotion, I asked myself what is this here to teach me, which is a question that Obra asks herself when disappointment or confusion strikes. And this is very interesting. To position it this way, Like, what is this here to teach me? Because the answer, I find, is always so revealing when it's positioned in this way, because it's not the stuff, right, it's not the static circumstance outside of us, it's simple and it's actually way more subtle, actually, right, because it's teaching us how to practice something, maybe, right? So when we ask ourselves what is this here, what is this thing here to teach me? And when I say subtle, right, this thing that we can't see, it's not like obvious, right? So it's likely teaching us some really essential things, really simple things Like how to be more patient, how to be more loving, how to be more giving, how to be more compassionate with not only ourselves, but really with others, so both ourselves and others. And again, it's not so easy to see because we like to go right to out, the like, to find a reason outside of us and that means we're normal, right, we know that we're functioning humans. If we're doing this because it's like this habit that we have, this, like our brain will, just by habit. I think it's habit, it's habitual, to go outside of us. So to think in a, you know, in this way, to like, ask the question what is this here, to teach me to go inside and ask inside, it's like, it's almost like it's not natural. So we have to, you know, sort of train ourselves. It was very interesting, like you know, and we look out. When we look outside, we'll say, well, it was that thing that was on my list that I didn't do, and I'm going to go shame myself. Right, I do that, that's what I do. So or so and so said this or that and how. My days of mess it's a hot mess. Now I gotta go put that fire out, right so it. But it never comes from outside, it's always inside, like that's the interesting part of this. Then inner obstacles solve outer obstacles, and it's funny because when we see that, when we see that our obstacles are in our mind, then anything outside is no longer a problem. Such an interesting thing to look at.
06:08
So here are three things that I want to talk about, three things that Oprah says will carry us if we let them. So I'm going to share what they are and then I'm going to riff. I'm going to kind of add my own little commentary, if you will, on each one. Okay, so number one is know who you really are. Number two, you must find a way to serve. And number three always do the right thing, be excellent. Okay, so let's talk about number one, know knowing who you really are.
06:43
And it's so easy to forget our magnificence and honor that right that we're born. We're born with a human brain, a human life, which is actually very special and very rare. And when I first heard that actually I heard that in a meditation class because I want to, I just want to share a little bit with you and maybe this will help you to see how fortunate you are, because with all the beings in the world, we are born with a complex human cognitive complex, this complex brain right that can help us to gain realizations and to solve problems. No other living being can do that the way a human can do it. So we get to use our life for good, to make a difference, or we use it for bad, whatever right. We get to use it the way we choose. And we got one life.
07:48
It's so subtle, so subtle that we can't see that, the rareness of it and the preciousness of it. And so what happens is we get caught up in the stickiness of the stuff. The stickiness of the stuff. I just made that up, I love that, I'm gonna I think I'm gonna use that again. That's gonna be one of my little coined phrases the stickiness of the stuff, the to-dos, right? The lists, the tasks, the calendars, what's next? What's next what I have to do today. And it's so interesting when we see all of those things that just keep coming like ocean waves, right, so it's endless and it can create madness.
08:31
So, instead, knowing who you are, your magnificence, which means you're born worthy, you know, some call it your God nature, your Buddha nature, like underneath the dirt on the gold coin, that's who you are. You're that gold coin. So, personally, I am here to create a podcast, right? Or I should say I said that wrong. I said that wrong. Let's rephrase it Pause. Maybe I won't even cut this out Like this is hey, you guys, this is really funny, actually, I just realized maybe this is a little living in the breakthrough in the reality of the, of the kind of making mistakes.
09:14
Normally at this point in a podcast, if I say something I didn't mean to say, I pause for like five seconds so that there's like a flat line, if you know what I mean. Like if you're not a podcaster yet, like when you're creating a podcast and when you look at the sound bite, if you will, it creates all these zig zig zags, right, but when you stop talking for like five seconds, it just creates a line. I call it like a flat line. Like when someone loses their pulse, right, like you know, when someone dies or stops breathing. That's horrible analogy, but you get the idea. That's where I know to cut, like, okay, we're gonna cut that out. Like, have I do it? Or my editor does it, my team of people that help me, right, it's easy to do, but right now I'm gonna leave it in to for this illustration, but anyway. So actually, here's what I meant to say.
10:13
Personally, I am not here to create a podcast but to use it. Like Oprah said before the TV analogy right, to use a podcast as a vehicle to create good in the world, something bigger than myself. This is the vehicle that I love and I get to use it to fulfill my highest expression of myself as a human. Well, one of the things I get to use, right, like I will take a chance, like I'm taking a chance with you right now and I'm sharing these things, you know, from this kind of this more spiritual level, this more altruistic, this bigger vision level, because this is what matters to me, I know that when I share from this place, that I am sharing from that highest expression, from that more meaningful place, that hopefully something I say will hit your heart in a different way, right. So I'm not gonna hold back if I know it's gonna help. Not gonna hold back, okay.
11:26
So, number two, let's talk about number two of Oprah's three things that will carry us if we let them. So we just talked about number one knowing who you really are. Number two you must find a way to serve. Everyone can be great, because greatness is determined by service and significance. The significance that you bring to it is that which is lasting, and I think Oprah said that too, and I'm just sort of paraphrasing a little bit. I love the way she said it, so there needs to be no new way of saying it, I think. So, whatever, your job is right, Whatever your coaching niche, is your knowledge, using your knowledge. The spoken word here, the podcast, the paradigm of service to your people through speech, is so powerful, so meaningful. So let's talk about number three is always do the right thing.
12:35
Be excellent In every experience. Do the right thing. This is how you become excellent. You become unforgettable. Oprah said this Again, sharing, sharing all the beautiful words that have come from her. I'm adding a few riffs in here of my own, but that is another piece of this that she said and I just love how she said you become unforgettable when you become excellent. You move aside, out of your own way, out of your own scarcity. Thinking the things that make you feel like, oh no, people are going to criticize me, are they going to think that's weird or whatever, who cares? When you become excellent and you know from your heart I am doing this, I am going out on that ledge to be to say what needs to be said to help in the way that needs to be helped that's when you become unforgettable. And doing the right thing, even when nobody knows about it. That's going to follow you, even when people don't support you too, when you stand behind what matters to you, when you stand stoically behind that because you know you are doing the right thing. That's excellence, right being excellent.
14:04
So I think about also, when you do the right thing right, when no one can see it like, think about how that actually there's an effect, the law of cause and effect, right, you know what that's saying. What you sow, you reap. So what you do, it bounces back. I truly believe that. I truly believe in karma. We've heard that phrase karmic payback. We kind of joke about it, but it's for real. And, like I said, this law of cause and effect, it really is the law of the universe. If you think about it in your own life but you have to think about it for yourself like, maybe you don't believe it, but if you look at examples in your own life, you might see the truth. So I invite you to go ahead and do that.
14:50
So I remember when my son was a bit younger, I used to bring him to this. It was called Dharma for Kids class. It was like it's a meditation class for kids at my local meditation center and they do these really fun projects with the kids and one day they created this thing. It was so brilliant. So they took boomerangs and they decorated them with peace symbols and love stickers and hearts and they called them karma ranks. Isn't that brilliant, karma ranks?
15:24
I'm like, oh my gosh, that is so brilliant, right, because you throw a boomerang. I don't need to tell you what a boomerang does, right? But you know, when you throw a boomerang, unlike a Frisbee, the boomerang comes back, right? So my son, he still has his and it's in his room. And when I go in there and I see it, I glance at it. It reminds me that you know, when you put something out there, it always comes back. And it doesn't come back the way you think it will either Not usually it doesn't and it comes back like that boomerang. So I think that is so brilliant and I love that idea.
16:04
So always remember the subtle things that you do, even when they're just in your thoughts, right, the law of cause and effect. And when those thoughts become words, like everything counts, everything counts. So those are the three things. I think they're brilliant. I'm going to repeat them again. So these are the three things that Oprah says that will carry us if we let them. Number one is knowing who you really are. Number two, you must find a way to serve, and if you're a coach I know you're doing that already Bravo. And number three always do the right thing, be excellent.
16:47
And now I want to leave you with a few beautiful phrases and quotes. Okay, so Buddhist scholar Howard Thurman said and I think I may have shared this in a previous episode and it's so good it's worth repeating again and again Because it's like it's like one of those sticky note things as far as I'm concerned. You put it on a sticky note so you can see it, or in your journal or whatever. So we said don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go. Do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Beautiful, love that.
17:30
And finally, some parting words from the Sufi poet, rumi, and this is a quote that I have on my wall and it's beautiful. It's like the words are placed on top of a background of a beautiful walking path that I hope I find someday. It's such a beautiful path I want to walk on it, but I always imagine that I can. So here it is. It reads as follows let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love. So be the change that you want to see. Do what makes you come alive and allow yourself to meander down the path that pulls you to what you really love.
18:26
Hey friend, will you help me get the word out about this podcast? I'd like to invite you to join my podcast routine. So think of it like this You're a founding member in helping this podcast get off the ground and to land in the ears of as many people as possible. So join the effort by going to www.karagottwarner.com/podcast to join the pod team, and when you do you'll also have a chance to win some really fun goodies too. And hey, by the way, if you're listening to this after the podcast has been out for a bit, then please join the perpetual pod team. I'm always looking for folks to help me rise the tide. And again, that's www.karagottwarner.com/podcast . See you next time and thanks again for listening.