How one speech can change the world...

Oprah Winfrey received the Cecil B. de Mille Award at the 75th Golden Globes this past Sunday evening, and delivered what I'm sure will go down in history as one of the most incisive, articulate, intelligent, compelling, sincere, thought-provoking, poignant, pertinent and inspiring discourses delivered publicly in recent times.

For some of you this may sound like a gross exaggeration (especially if you haven't yet seen a recording or read a full transcript of the speech - if that's the case scroll down to the bottom of this article and click on a link), but let me tell you why it's probably an understatement.

I personally don't think of the modern day entertainment industry (much less its self-serving award ceremonies) as a source for significant & positive change in Society. In fact, over the past few years I've pretty much lost all interest in what once made these shows mildly entertaining. If you've actually managed to sit through any one of them in recent years, you're familiar with the mindless formula (opening monologue+edgy jokes+fashion do's & don'ts+'heartfelt' acceptance speeches, etc.) that is repeated over and over again, from year to year, from TV to Stage to Music to Film... the 2018 Golden Globes were pretty much on par to becoming another unmemorable waste of time for viewers, that is until Oprah took the stage.

In a room full of celebrities and industry leaders, Oprah isn't always the most critically acclaimed, the richest, or even the person with the longest career (on Sunday night Meryl Streep, Jeff Bezos and Kirk Douglas held those titles respectively), but with a few possible exceptions, she always stands out as the most trusted and unquestionable and fearless Leader of the pack. As a reluctant viewer, after listening to Oprah for a few minutes, I was in her pack.

Oprah took the stage to accept an award for her outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment; the same way Jodie Foster, George Clooney and Woody Allen (to name a few) have done in previous years. Just like so many others, Oprah could have 'played it safe'; she could have touched our hearts by telling us stories of her love of film during her modest upbringing, she could have inspired us by reminding everyone how she faced and overcame serious challenges early on in her own career, she could have been strong by addressing the themes of inequality and harassment that have made headlines over the past months (thanks in good part to some of the same people who were in the audience). But she didn't play it safe... she was brave, she spoke from the heart and EVERYONE listened; not just the people in the room, but everyone around the world.

Her message was so personal, so eloquent and so relevant, that it became Universal. In a few minutes, Oprah captured the essence of whats been eating away at a big part of Society, and she used her celebrity and her words to communicate what so many people have been feeling, suffering and trying to say... In an instant, and as clearly and elegantly as only she could, Oprah gave voice to millions of people that have been abused and neglected through history. She connected the dots and told us how ignorance and hate can use fear and violence to create silence. She stood up for everyone who's been taken advantage of and suffered from gender or race inequality in any shape or form. She drew a line in the sand and said no more silence.

Her courage and the power of her message went beyond pointing fingers or blaming the offenders and bystanders who are equally to blame for their apathy. Her message didn't dwell on the negative, it gave us hope. Not just the victims or the activists, it gave the human race hope.

In the age of social media, we sometimes lose sight of what really matters; we're easily distracted and overwhelmed with virtually infinite access to information; a lot of it trivial, negative, dramatic, and sometimes hard to believe. Its refreshing to see that Oprah's speech is making headlines for all the RIGHT reasons; she's not someone to look up to because of her accomplishments, her success in business and her position of influence. She represents the best of humanity; she is the evolution of our species. She is the kind of person I hope my children will grow up to be.

I'm not a particularly spiritual person, but on Sunday night I felt hopeful; I also felt an inexplicable spark of energy from 2,500 miles away, and it reminded me of what our world could be...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN5HV79_8B8