So Long, Oprah

May 23, 2011

Are you an Oprah fan? Have you been following her show for the last 25 years? Have you been reading her magazine for the last 11 years? Do you read her suggested books? Have you followed her blogs? Are you going to watch her last episode on the 25th of May?

Well, one woman is and did…her name is Robyn Okrant and she did all of the above. In 2008, she set out to do everything for one year according to what Oprah would suggest. She bought the latest shoes, participated in the latest detox diet, set a vacation to one of Oprah’s favorite spots, and brought along one of Oprah’s book club book suggestions. Robyn is a yoga and performing arts teacher who just decided that she wanted to take on this challenge to see if she would become a happier person. Would she be able to pull it off without help and on her yoga instructor’s budget? She decided to go for it.

She blogged daily about her journey on LivingOprah.com and completed every task that she was assigned to either by the show, the magazine, or Oprah’s web site.  By the time it was all said and done, Okrant had spent almost $5,000 and had committed to a bunch of life-long challenges as well new daily tasks.

When she was interviewed for ForbesWoman magazine, she made a comment that it took her 1,202 hours of focused time and 75 full days where she felt she loathed living Oprah for the year. She stated that it was draining trying to follow the advice of someone in order to create her own happiness. Okrant is the stereotypical tomboy yoga teacher. Her daily wardrobe was cotton tank tops and yoga pants. She did not accessorize nor wear make-up. She started to follow the "best" lists, things you have to have in your closet, and became self-conscious. Also as a result of this year-long experiment, Okrant gained a little kitten and found that giving of her time was so much more valuable than her money. She said that Oprah advocates giving your time and giving of yourself. She did just that.

If you are interest to reading Okrant’s journey into Living Oprah, find a copy at your library.

Beth F.
Boardwalk Branch