In the foolhardiest of endeavors, a Chicago blogger is living her life in accordance with the gospel of Oprah for an entire year. In essence, she watches every episode of Oprah and reads every issue of O Magazine, then carries out anything that Oprah mandates (reading a certain book, wearing a certain outfit to flatter her body type, creating something called a "vision chart," etc.) She devotes about 40 hours a week to carrying out Oprah's "assignments," and hopes to write a book about the experience.

The best/most terrifying quote: "It takes a huge amount of pressure off to be handed a spiritual path."

While tidying up around the apartment I turned on the TV and came across Oprah doing a show on past-life regression. Eric makes fun of me whenever I confess to watching Oprah because I'm always complaining about how she drives me crazy; my defense is that if the current show's topic is interesting enough, I can put aside my dislike for the host and watch it anyway (the same applies to Dr. Phil).

Anyway, the topic of today's show, as I mentioned, was past-life regression. A therapist was leading patients with unusual phobias into what he claimed were past lives to help uncover the supposed source of said phobias. For instance, a woman with a lifelong fear of sharp corners and having her neck touched discovered that in a former life she had been slain by an Indian warrior with a spear to the throat.

The skeptic in me finds it very interesting that what seems to be 98% of patients who undergo past-life regression therapy report having been something akin to a member of royalty or a Babylonian high priest in a previous life. Remarkable, given the percentage that people of such status would have occupied in the general population. Why is it that no one seems to regress themselves into unglamorous identities, like chief stall-mucker or lonely Victorian widow? One of the patients did suggest that the therapy has a "fantasy" element, which lends even less credibility to the whole past-lives thing. I also found that the questions the therapist was asking had a definite "leading" quality.

Maybe it doesn't matter if the therapy is reality-based or total hocus-pocus -- if it helps the patient, maybe that's all that really matters. No doubt past-life regression therapists will have to break out the waiting lists now that they've received Oprah's coveted stamp of approval.

Without mentioning God, this man has words of wisdom for Christians and everyone else.  I found it very inspiring and caused tears to come to my eyes.  Oh that I would think as this man does.

 

Please find 11 minutes of your time to watch this...it will change your life!   http://video.stumbleupon.com/?s=ithct48cqw&i=ufcchmyxqsuj9vwsemax

I got this book for Christmas and finally finished reading it today. Unusual for me because I get through most books in three or four days.  Even Tileman commented last week, you're still reading that book.  I told him, yep it takes me awhile when I can't get into a book.  The only reason I kept coming back to the book is because Gilbert has a great descriptive voice.

 

Yesterday was Tileman's birthday.  Upon coming home, he opened the birthday card my mother sent.  There were prints from our family photo shoot back in December.  Tileman looked at the one of just him, me, and our girls.  The Little One has this look; she was not cooperating on picture day.  Tileman said, "Oh a look great grandma would be proud."  Tileman's maternal grandmother was as Italian as they come, I've been told.

 

What got me laughing about the comment was I had just finished reading Gilbert's description of the old medicine man's wife she visited in Bali; "She's got that fierce old lady vibe you see sometimes in Italian widows..."  Apparently one does not have to be old or a widow to have that vibe.

 

Tileman said his grandmother was good at it and one of his friends' mother.  He said, his friend would get in trouble and his mom would look at him, and the stare went right through and made Tileman feel guilty for something he didn't do.  And now it seems our little one can channel great grandma's Italian vibe too.  I could use some of that vibe.  The look I gave Tileman when he made the comment about my sister's email wouldn't even melt butter.  Alas there is too much German in this woman.

Last night, I typed a 10 page essay in just over 3.5 hours.
Oh yes!

Genio helped me with two paragraphs.
Therefore being a 12 page essay.

AMEN!

DONT FORGET!!

John Mayer will be on Oprah for the first time today!
Ya'll better watch it!
Also, check out his blog.. he is going to be blogging throughout the show.
He's too funny!
I love that man!

No Lost tonight :(
But I am going to watch Day Break.. see what that's all about.. not to mention a few spoilers for the episode in February will be in there! :P i have other motives! :P

Have a great day everyone =)
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p.s- i put my heart in to that last poem... thanks to those who commented! :D