Oprah Wins at Living With a Lifestyle Choice
The New York Times, in a recent article that was quite insightful and thought provoking, went to Oprah Winfrey and asked her “How do you say no?” to the environmental, health and wellness industry. She then gave a detailed answer to the question that is worth reading, if only because of her openness and honesty.
“I got tired of seeing some of my own backyards being plowed up and burned down by companies that want to make money off my water and property. I heard what all the news reports were saying about these types of companies, and I got really angry at them, I mean really mad. And I thought they were absolutely wrong, and they were taking advantage of people like me.”
“I thought it was disgusting, people who had no business being there killing the natural life that was in my yard. It made me sick and it made me mad. So, what I did was I made a promise to myself that when I became wealthy, I would do everything in my power to make sure that the next generation, my grandchildren, did not have to go through the same thing I went through.”
In other words, she took her decision to be an activist against the hazardous and unhealthy nature of “lifestyle choice” in her home and turned it into a way to pay for her education to become a legal and licensed nurse. Why she did not do this years ago, she does not know. She simply feels strongly enough about the matter to make it a personal goal.
“I think that what I did before was shameful and I’m very glad that I made the decision to do what I did after I won my network show.” Not so surprisingly, Oprah’s interviewer then asked, “So, you never drank alcohol or smoked or had sex before you decided to turn it into a business?” “Not at all!” she replied.
Oprah’s answer was honest and authentic and, when you hear it, you realize that she actually never did drink or smoke, but she did turn her “lifestyle choice” into a living being in a way. She took it from an emotional force in her life to a physical and chemical force. Her response, therefore, is understandable and empowering. It shows that even when making a commitment, she had no choice but to take action.
That is why we must utilize the power of the consumer as we can. Take the decision you need to make, and then set the chain of events in motion that will lead you to a healthy, affluent, sustainable lifestyle. Our choices today will determine the health of our children’s children. Oprah Winfrey tells us that it is time to protect our children from toxic “lifestyle choice” and help them lead better lives than we could ever imagine.
