Photo: Ruven Afanador

Hello, friends of summer.

I haven't written lately because my technically challenged self could not access this email account. So many barriers were put in place to protect the account, I ended up barring myself from access.

So here we go...last week was at the Allen Conference with all the movers and shapers of our world. Met some fascinating people, like Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. Dynamo woman. So exciting to see women crack that glass ceiling and burst through it. Came home inspired to work harder and do better.

Started out the week taking swimming lessons. Moving beyond my amateur doggy paddle. Learned the breaststroke today.

Over a year ago, I pulled a picture from O mag of a woman gliding through water. It was such a striking image of freedom and possibility, I put it on my vision board (which I've still not completed). Today, when I finished my swimming lesson, I passed the vision board lying on the table where it's been since 2009. I had an aha! moment.

I had just become that woman, gliding through the water!

For years I've been a challenged swimmer, afraid of the water and fighting it. Today I learned to move with the flow.

This, I've known forever, is the great metaphor of life: Move with the flow. Don't fight the current.

Resist nothing. Let life carry you. Don't try to carry it.

Sometimes we just have to be reminded. A swimming lesson did it for me.

I've brought the metaphor to life as I try to evolve OWN into its full potential. Erik Logan and Sheri Salata, presidents of Harpo, today will bring their unique partnering leadership into alignment with the network.

In all things, you must have alignment for flow to occur.

This I've known forever, but I couldn't make it happen because we were all so focused on ending The Oprah Show.

So as of today...Harpo team and OWN team become ONE.

Our intention is to use the cable platform and the Internet platform and the mobile platform to create messages that fill you up and bring you to new levels of awareness about yourself, ourselves and our world—our potential...

It's an incredible challenge ahead trying to figure out what kind of shows and programming will resonate with you, inspire you, bring a little piece of light into your already crowded existence. But I feel called to do it and will be relying on your feedback, emails and tweets and message boards to let me know what you think.

We're gearing up for October. The Oprah Show team of producers will be producing the Rosie show in Chicago at Harpo Studios.

I'll be in L.A. working on Next Chapter.

I'm also taking The Oprah Show library of 4,560 shows and redesigning them into the 100 best lessons I've learned about everything that can help you live a better life. Those will start airing October 10. Same day as Rosie.

At my core, I'm a teacher masquerading as a talk show host.
And now, I'll have a nightly class on OWN.

But for now, I'm enjoying every breath of summer.
I hope you all are appreciating the warm sun and blue sky wherever you are.

Everyday, I wake up grateful. For the smallest things and big things:

Health. Living in the USA. Freedom. Democracy.
Promise and potential. Growth.
And tiny pleasures, like bathing my dogs or picking vegetables.

I have a garden, and every Thursday we harvest our veggies. I grew up in Mississippi, too young to appreciate what it means to pull beans from the vine. Then I just thought it was work, now I get a little thrill from every onion and corn stalk. Yes, I'm growing CORN in my back yard. And beets and lots of basil.

I cook for Stedman but have a limited repertoire.

Next, I think I may want to take one of those Tuscany cooking courses.

Will let you know how it goes.

The Best of Life to You,
Oprah Winfrey

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