The Oprah Test

A lucid dream is one in which the dreamer is aware they are dreaming.

In this state, the dreamer can often control what happens in the dream.

I’ve had a few of these, but my MOST powerful dream was not lucid. 

Years ago I went on a morning run and happened to recall the most impactful dream of my life. 

The Dream 💭

I was at a black tie event and the ambiance in the room was MAGICAL. 

I was showing someone around the room, when I happened to run into Oprah. 

She was dressed in a beautiful black gown and greeted me with a warm smile and a big hug. 

For a reason unknown, Oprah was SO proud of me and her energy was exhilarating. 

This was the ultimate high of fulfillment and pure joy. 

The Impact 💥

As crazy as this might sound… I often reflect on this dream and use it as a north star. 

It helps guide my decision making and where I want to end up. 

I’ve used it as a litmus test for actual day-to-day decisions. 

• Microdecisions. Texting with a girl considering going back out with her (knowing my real intentions), would this be something Oprah would be proud of me for? 

• Bigger picture, career or personal goals. Will this direction get me closer to creating work that Oprah is proud of me for making? 

• WWOD? What would Oprah do in this situation?

The Takeaway ⭐️

We’re not all going to have (or recall having) these types of dreams. 

BUT we all have people in our lives we look up to. 

Whether directly through the people we know or indirectly through the people we respect and follow; everyone can tap into this. 

The simple test is asking if that person would be proud of you. Would (my mom, Tim Ferriss, Oprah, Jesse Itzler, etc.) be proud of the work I did this month? This week? Today?

Joe Rogan talks about the “future documentary” concept. Imagine there is a film crew following you around every minute of every day. They are filming your documentary that will be shown to your future grandkids. 

What do you want them to see? 

• You had planned on working out one day, but decided not to because you were tired.
• You had a job you didn’t like, but continued to go through the motions even though it ate you up inside.

OR

• You took a chance and followed your gut, which led you to a place of fulfillment and true pride in your and the impact you’ve made. 
• You were the type of person that made commitments and stuck to them. You approached each day with excitement and drive that your grandkids will look up to.

It’s a simple yet powerful framework. We can tap into daily motivation and direction to stay aligned.

A few platitudes drive home the fact that we should consider the people closest to us in our lives. 

• “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  
• “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

But what if we took that a step further and created our own inner circle through this simple mental model? 

We can create the ultimate inner circle by using things like the “Oprah Test” or your “Future Documentary”. 

For me personally, I’ve been thinking a lot about writing more publicly. 

I’d rather my future grandchildren see me taking action towards things I’m interested in instead of just thinking about it and never doing it. 

Taking action in writing this single post feels like one tiny step closer to creating something Oprah would be proud of me for.

Thanks Oprah!

Bonus: Oprah Gift 🎁

Here’s an email I tried to send to Oprah a few years ago after being inspired by one of her podcasts…

I don’t think she ever received it, but it was fun making it. 🙂