On May 25th 2011 the final Oprah show came to an end after a long and successful 25 years on the air. I can remember what I was doing when her first show aired and still find it hard to believe that 25 years have come and gone. Her show was inspiring and always left me with some kind of message to take with me for the rest of the day. She touched many of us and changed lives forever.

During her final “speech” on Wednesday, the 25th of May she said something I think I always knew, but never put it together the way I did on this particular day. Her words have changed how I will be viewing and treating other people. She said that every single person that crosses our path in life all want and need the very same, one thing. That is to be “validated”. No matter how successful or not someone is, we all need validation. We all just want to be heard. We want to know that what we say actualy “means” something to another human being. Just the simple act of “stopping, and listening” to another person can mean more to them than words themselves.

I found this to be so true in thinking of “myself” and what is important to me. I too, need and want to be heard. I will be thinking of this everytime someone speaks to me form now on out. If that was all we needed to do for people, the World would have been, and still could be an easier and happier place to live in. Even if I can not “change” the way the world thinks, I can, change the world that surrounds my life!