The Age of Oprah

Ok, I am in a melancholy and irritated mood. I think I need a glass of wine but unfortunately "medication" has made that an issue so instead I will vent a little...

I may have continued down the road that is my adult life in basic blissful ignorance of self awareness if it were not for the Oprah's and Dr. Phil's of the world.

Believe it or not, I find myself feeling guilty for not allotting more time in my busy schedule for self motivation, healing and inner reflection.

I have been guilty more than a few times of opening up the current months Oprah magazine (to find the single page pull out of inner reflective opportunity) and analyzed my life while in line at the local grocery store while my children fidget uncontrollably and stare longingly at the rows of shiny candy wrappers.

I am happy were my life is at. I feel at peace. I, like most people, try to continually better myself. BUT I think that there can be self scrutiny overload. When do we get to sit back and coast emotionally in the world today? When are we not reminded moment by moment through TV, Radio, Magazines and Billboards that we are lacking in something. Get the better job, the better car, the better body, the better sex life, better car insurance, medication for the voices in our heads...

Somewhere between becoming my own therapist and motivational speaker I have also become my own worse enemy and started counting off all of my perceived failures and lost opportunities. Nothing like an eight and a half by eleven glossy magazine pull out to make you stop and rethink your whole life. Sorry Oprah but your team of physiatrists that sit around the boardroom table contemplating how they can make people cry each month can choke on their bagel for all I care.

Let me ask you, who can emotionally handle doing that each month much less find the time to do it? I have come to a breaking point.

I have gathered my Dr. Phil books and Oprah pullouts and I am headed for the compactor. Yes Dr. Phil I would like to tell you were you can stick this motivational weight loss book.....

But wait? What happens when I am feeling as blue as a sad county song and in the mood to rethink my life and I don't have a nice little list of questions laid out to analyze myself with?

What will I do when I say "now why in the world did I do that?" and Dr. Phil isn't there in perfect little paragraphs to lead my mind to the correct "how's that workin for ya" answers?

Good lord, this may actually take MORE time out of my schedule if I have to come up with the questions and the answers all on my own!

Ok, for now I will place it all back in the bookshelf but for the record I am going on a temporary self improvement and inner analyzation strike!