Comments for The Oprah Project: Can a Self-Help Magazine Really Help?

Comment on Finishing up the July 2007 Issue (Men! Men! Men!) by oprahproject

oprahproject — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:17:35 +0000

WHAT WHAT WHAT??!!!! The September issue is sitting on my desk, mocking me because once again, I have put this project on the back burner. I haven’t looked at it yet, but yes, it does look like “Breathing Space” is gone. Thanks for making your magazine more like every other one on the newsstand, O staff!

Thanks for pointing this out, Bean, and you have excellent points. I do wonder if Oprah’s stretching herself too thin with all these projects. You can’t do everything well. And what’s wrong with being a different magazine? How can you possibly tell your advertisers how you’re different from every other women’s magazine?

My guess on your second question is that we tend to think the grass is greener in someone else’s life, and since we need to keep up, we’d better get some help doing so.

Thanks for your comments!!

Comment on Finishing up the July 2007 Issue (Men! Men! Men!) by Bean

Bean — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:37:14 +0000

You know what else is missing? Breathing Space. I couldn’t find it in the newest issue and was very disappointed. The format of the magazine has changed little by little over the years. Almost like the influence of Oprah herself has become diluted. Is she still as involved in it now that she is creating her own network and running the radio program? Has she stretched herself too thin?

One other question to ponder: why should we be so intent on fixing ourselves? Isn’t it possible to be enough in who we are that we don’t need advice or columns on how to be better?

Comment on About the Site by Vicki Sheffey

Vicki Sheffey — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:29:35 +0000

I am also a big Oprah fan. I am in the process of reclaiming
my life and would like a copy of the Self Esteem article from the March 2001 O Magazine. I don’t know if that is a service you provide or could lead me in the right direction.

Thank You
Vicki Sheffey

Comment on You Should Care About Having Debt by oprahproject

oprahproject — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:31:01 +0000

The above comment may be spam–I’m not sure. But why the absolute? “You must discount everything she says…” Why? Of course she’s not speaking to everyone—she can’t in a forum like this!

So, Netdebt (who’s selling a service), please give specifics on why Suze isn’t so smart. Otherwise we must probably discount everything you say too.

Comment on You Should Care About Having Debt by Netdebt

Netdebt — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:16:03 +0000

Suze Orman is not as smart as everyone makes her out to be. You must discount everything she says because she is not speaking to everyone. She is speaking to the average American.

Comment on Change Can Be Beautiful by Ralph

Ralph — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:39:20 +0000

Very intresting and unique site. I think that having motivational materials around will help shift thinking. At the very least it will build knowledge on the subject. But at the end of the day it’s habits and action that make the difference. I’ve never read O magazine so I’m not sure how they conduct those interviews but I know that reading biographies has made a difference in my life. I tend to get more aha moments out of someone writing about the life of a great person rather than that person just telling their story. Great idea for a blog!

Comment on Beauty on Tap by Lexi S.

Lexi S. — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:36:51 +0000

Interesting points regarding exploration vs. time saving. I find myself thinking of this a lot, too, in regards to the newspaper. I’ve found many an interesting thing I wouldn’t have known I was interested in by reading everything in the paper (well, the first few paragraphs of everything, the full version of the good stuff only). But, I always get to a point where I feel like it’s WORK to look at everything in the paper, that it’s taking far too long, and I’m not enjoying it. But I don’t want to stop doing it for fear that I’ll miss something. Then I just end up feeling totally stressed. I basically have to get to a point where the lack of enjoyment and feeling of stress is so great that I throw up my hands and say screw it and go back to just looking at stuff I’m interested in.

I remember thinking, back when we got our first computer (1996 or 1997) that I’d like to have some time to “explore the internet”. Can you imagine doing such a thing now, in 2008??? Talk about overwhelming…although, imagine the possible discoveries!

Comment on Is It Ambition or Goal-Oriented? by oprahproject

oprahproject — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:37:45 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Cheryl. Isn’t it amazing how women (and maybe to some extent men, but I really think this is a gender thing) are taught that their desires are selfish? It’s instinctive that we want to take care of people, but somewhere along the way we get guilt-tripped into believing that that means everyone else is more important.

After reading all of the success articles in this Oprah, I think there may be a way to change my thinking about what I consider success. I want to make a living as a published author writing the kinds of pieces I want to do. In my mind it still sounds kind of selfish to say, no, I don’t really want to do business communication/PR/straight journalism, so I’m not going to apply for those kinds of jobs. But I wouldn’t be true to myself if I did that kind of work, and even if I made a lot of money, I wouldn’t be happy.

Instead, I’m trying to think that I want to be more of an entertainer (or even a friend) with my writing–I want my writing to make you laugh and think and feel like, Oh, thank goodness there’s someone else who thinks this way!

In thinking that way, my work becomes more of a service to other people. I’m setting boundaries for myself, allowing me to do the kind of work I want to, yet if I’m selfish in that way, the success I want to achieve will help others. It’s a little tough to wrap my mind around it like that, but at least it’s comforting.

I’d love to hear about what you want to succeed in, Cheryl. Feel free to e-mail me (jilljaracz {at} yahoo {dot} com)–maybe we can support each other.

Comment on Is It Ambition or Goal-Oriented? by Cheryl S

Cheryl S — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:08:33 +0000

“Maybe you just need to figure out how to make what you want happen, do it in a way that’s beneficial to others, and don’t worry about bad press.”

Wow. That resonates for me as the most important part of your musings…

I have some big ambitions… and …
as a woman, getting past the feeling “selfish”, that what I want to happen is all about me/my ego and seeing it as beneficial to others is a big perceptual shift.

And trying to please everyone, i.e. worrying about what they think or what bad press I might attract, stops me in my tracks.
Perhaps, bringing myself to the place of not worrying about bad press is tied to seeing what I want as ‘beneficial’ to others… or is that selling out from owning my ambition? or is it actually the truth - that my ambitions will indeed serve others?

Courage. Courage.

Comment on Stamina, Success, and Failure by Richard Jackson

Richard Jackson — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:18:00 +0000

this is a very good article. stamina is something that all people striving to be successful really needs. you have to keep going to reach victory.

think about when making love to your partner the more stamina you have the more fulfilling the experience and the greater the reward.

this holds true with striving for success. great article.

Richard Jackson VictoryBlogger