I attended the opening weekend of Oprah’s The Life Your Want Weekend in Atlanta last weekend and feel like the stars must have aligned in order to get me there.  Due to scheduling conflicts and a recent medical procedure I never would have imagined that I would get to see Oprah last weekend, or any weekend for that matter, but the stars aligned, Toyota – a presenting sponsor of the event, invited me as their guest and wahlah, I was there!  Oprah and a team of hand-picked Trailblazers completed the first stop of an eight-city U.S. tour of “Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend,” rocked Atlanta’s Philips Arena where thousands danced, applauded and sought inspiration for transforming their lives.

Atlanta was the opening city and featured Oprah, Deepak Chopra, Elizabeth Gilbert, inspirational speaker Iyanla Vanzant and pastor Rob Bell.

Even before Oprah took the stage Saturday morning, the vibe in the arena was uplifting and energetic.  DJ Kiss, When Oprah entered the stage Saturday morning, the Winfrey spoke about identifying one’s life purpose and led exercises on taking actions to reach those goals. At times there were funny reflections on life while other soul-searching moments led to crying as people considered areas in their lives they wished to change.

I was invited to attend Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend by Toyota, a presenting sponsor of the event.  I knew Toyota was going to do something big at the event but didn’t know what.  What they did was larger than life and changed the lives of the many women who are part of an amazing network of women who run called Black Girls RUN!, here in Atlanta.

The first recipients of The Toyota “Standing O-Vation” award were announced on Saturday, September 6th in Atlanta, the first of eight awards to be presented at tour stops this fall. The Toyota “Standing O-Vation” recognizes extraordinary people who are making positive changes in their communities and inspiring others to do the same. Oprah Winfrey and Team Toyota brand ambassador Amy Purdy honored Ashley Hicks and Toni Carey, the founders of Black Girls RUN!, an Atlanta-based national running group created to combat obesity among women in the African-American community. As the first “Standing O-Vation” recipients, Black Girls RUN! will receive a $25,000 grant from Toyota in support of its continuing efforts to get women running.

Click here to watch Ashley Hicks and Toni Carey’s story.

Watch a video highlighting some of my favorite moments at Oprah’s The Life You Want in Atlanta

Black Girls RUN! was formed by Carey and Hicks to increase the number of African-American women who run, improving their fitness, quality of life, and ultimately decreasing the number of African-American women who are overweight. What began with a blog and two women in Atlanta has grown into a network of more than seventy groups and hundreds of thousands of members across the nation. For more information, visit www.blackgirlsrun.com.

Throughout Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend, Oprah and Paralympic bronze medalist snowboarder Amy Purdy, an amazingly inspirational woman I had the opporutnity to have lunch with Friday but sadly couldn’t work it out and would love to meet one day, will present the Toyota Standing O-Vation, a recognition of extraordinary people in communities around the country.

The driving force behind The Toyota “Standing O-Vation” stems from the automaker’s commitment to fostering women’s interests. While reflecting the kind of stories that define the brand, The Toyota “Standing O-Vation” is an opportunity to celebrate remarkable women who are not only making the world a better place, but also motivating others to spark their own journey of personal change.

When my tears started

I couldn’t hold my tears back during the first learning exercise given to us by Oprah.  We had to list the wishes we have for a loved one.  I chose my son.  When I was his age, I hit a deep depression and I am always concerned that he is going to follow my footsteps.  My son is a much stronger person than I was at his age though and will hopefully always be mentally stronger than me but I have such dreams for him it makes my heart ache sometimes.  I cried as I wrote my dreams for him which include good health, my hopes that he will take advantage of every opportunity that comes his way, establish and maintain a good relationship with his 7-year younger sister, and most important – love himself for who HE is and not who he thinks people think he should be.  I also wrote that I dream he becomes an adult who is not greedy, lazy, or materialistic. While some admittedly wrote wealth and nice cars, those things didn’t cross my mind when writing what I wish and hope for for my son. As long as he is healthy and loves himself I believe he will live a fulfilling live whether he has money and a nice car, or not. Here’s the kicker.. at the end of the exercise Oprah told us what we just wrote is what we need and should wish and dream for OURSELVES, but we typically wish for more for our loved ones.  It turns out, everything I had just written was about me too, not just my son.

At the end of two days in Atlanta, Oprah teared up as she thanked the audience for trusting that “this was worthy of you spending your hard-earned money to be here” and by telling the audience at the end: “Together we rise.”

About “Oprah’s The Life You Want” Weekend:

“Oprah’s The Life You Want” Weekend is an eight-city arena tour and transformational weekend featuring Oprah Winfrey and a team of special guests, sponsored by Toyota and Olay. Each tour stop spans two days. On Friday nights, Oprah takes the stage, bringing her personal story and insights to life in a one of a kind intimate evening. Then on Saturdays, Oprah leads a day-long gathering of thousands with handpicked thought leaders and pop culture icons including Iyanla Vanzant, star of OWN’s hit series “Iyanla Fix My Life,” regular O Magazine contributor, best-selling author and spiritual life coach; best-selling author of Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert; and one of Time 100’s Most Influential people, Pastor Rob Bell. Additionally, world-renowned author and pioneer in mind-body medicine Deepak Chopra will take the stage in select cities. “Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend” is produced by Harpo Studios, O, The Oprah Magazine, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and WME Live, and is presented by Toyota and Olay. For more information on the tour, please visit www.oprahweekend.com and follow on Twitter/Instagram @LifeYouWantTour #LifeYouWantTour.

This tour is one not to miss.  See when Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend is coming to a city near you and buy your tickets today!

Sept. 12-13 2014
Auburn Hills, Michigan
The Palace of Auburn Hills

Sept. 19-20 2014
Washington D.C.
Verizon Center

Sept. 26-27 2014
Newark, New Jersey
Prudential Center

Oct. 17-18 2014
Houston, Texas
Toyota Center

Oct. 24-25 2014
Miami, Florida
American Airlines Arena

Nov. 7-8 2014
Seattle, Washington
KeyArena at Seattle Center

Nov. 14-15 2014
San Jose, California
SAP Center at San Jose

Tickets for the weekend event start at a well worth it $99. For more information on the tour, please visit www.oprah.com/tour.