Whenever my business line rings, I often joke and say, “I’d better get that. It might be Oprah.” Words are truly so powerful in creating reality. Last spring my phone rang and listed on the caller ID was “Harpo Productions”! The caller introduced himself and said he worked for “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. He asked if I had a moment to talk.
I chuckled and said, “Would anyone ever say ‘no’ to you!”
That kicked off an hour long conversation about a happiness show on which he was working. Ironically, after the many, many, many, many pitches that various publicists and I have sent to Oprah’s producers over the last several years, he found me through an article I wrote for iVillage.com. Go figure!
The show he was researching was to be taped and aired live the following week. He asked me to send a copy of my book, The Goddess of Happiness, and the next day we spoke again for another hour. He said that they (whoever “they” were) loved my book and asked if I could send another three copies along with my first book, Vita’s Will. By the third consecutive day of talking with him about this show, I started thinking I might actually get on. So then of course, I start planning what to wear! Forget about what I’d be saying—I needed to look fabulous! On the fifth day, he told me it looked very promising. He even went over the logistics of flying me out the following week.
Throughout that week, I tried to remain unattached to the whole process and outcome. Even though my adrenaline was on overdrive, and I couldn’t think about anything else, I realized I had learned to surrender to the flow of life over the last few years. I was excited about the opportunity, but if it didn’t happen, so be it. I was happy before I got the call, and I knew I’d still be happy whether I got on the show or not. On Saturday morning, he called to tell me the show had taken a different direction, and I wouldn’t be needed. I wondered how many times he had to deliver that same message to other potential guests.
I thanked him and jokingly said, “Well, I guess it’s an honor just to be called.” And, life went on.
I don’t know why the Universe opened that door for me ever so slightly for a peek inside only to shut it before I could walk in. I figured it just wasn’t meant to be…not then anyway. I had learned enough from various authors that getting on the show was not always the ticket to fame and fortune. For that to happen, you need to be on it for more than just a few minutes, AND Oprah needs to love the book and say she loves it over and over again!
A week after that door closed a different one opened. I’ll tell you about that one some other time!
4/15/08
When Oprah Calls
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1 comments:
Dear Debbie, I love this blog report. As a positive psychologist, a happiness coach and the author of many books designed to help women and girls become and stay happy, I can really relate to your story. I too have joked around about Oprah calling and even imagined how I would, will handle the flight out there and what I will wear-certainly NOT what I wore on my last television appearance on Ebru TV. I wish I had had someone to tell me that purple jacket made me look fat!
Anyway, if the thrill of those phone calls is part of the roller-coaster ride of putting yourself out there. I once got a call from a major morning show. I was interviewed for one hour, I was told to come in-I was taped and then the material was not used. I remember feeling let down and one friend said to me, "But often these surprise big events are shadows of things to still come in the future." I thought that was a very interesting way to put it. In other words, I was almost in that arena. The shadows were already being cast.
Meanwhile, if you check my blog on typepad, The Enchanted Self, you will see my last entry is about the gratitude of not losing my sense of smell after a terrible head cold. So I'm trying to live a life of meaning, as I teach other women and that means taking the big with the little, and the humor where ever it can be found and getting a good night's sleep!
I'm excited with my new book and I would love to send you a copy to review. It is, The Truth (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything). My first fiction and yes it is a happiness book-designed to help girls and their moms laugh, cry, communicate, recognize what is important and hold on to what is most special and precious about themselves and the relationship. Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, www.enchantedself.com, author of The Truth, (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything)
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