Every so often I scan my bookshelf and pick up a book I haven’t read in a while. This week my eyes landed on the book by Oprah Winfrey, “What I know for sure”.
In the intro she describes one time she was at a loss for words when she was interviewed by Gene Siskel. He asked her, what do you know for sure?
Since that day, she’s taken on the practise of asking herself that question regularly and writes a weekly column in her magazine with her reflections.
I love this question because it’s interesting to see where your mind goes when you think about the answer.
The first answer that came to my mind is that there’s not much we really know for sure. Especially with the state of the world right now, where we have so many conflicting opinions about absolutely everything.
But then, on deeper reflection, there is so much that we do know for sure.
When we tap into our world of rich experience, gut instinct and what make us who we are, we get nuggets of realisations – from the simple to the sublime – that give us clarity and insight into who we truly are and what life is all about.
Here are some of mine that come up from allowing my mind to mull over the question.
I know for sure I love my family and that brings me joy.
I know I love lazy mornings, sipping my coffee slowly and taking it easy, a wonderful and occasional treat.
I know I like to read something light on the weekend for relaxation.
I know I love to disconnect from technology for 24 hours every single week which gives me ultimate rest.
I know tomorrow is a new day, with new experiences, thoughts, ideas, opportunities to look forward to.
I know that having an impact feeds my soul.
I know that I’ve been writing a weekly email for the last 2 years, sharing my thoughts and that I’m proud of myself for the consistency.
I know that it’s really ok not to know stuff and that asking questions can generate new thoughts and new knowledge.
And I’m noticing that these things I know for sure stem from my own experience and life. Somehow, facts and figures didn’t even feature for me in this thinking exercise.
Oprah writes in the book introduction:
“My hope is that you’ll begin to ask yourself the very same question Gene Siskel asked me all those years ago.
I know that what you’ll find along the way will be fantastic, because what you’ll find will be yourself.”
So what do you know for sure?
Try it for yourself, just write down whatever comes to mind.
Notice what you think about, where your mind goes on reflecting about this question and how it makes you feel.
Click here and share your reflections.
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