What Do You Know for Sure?

On our daily walk, Annie and I started listening to a book by Oprah Winfrey called What I Know for Sure (Flatiron, 2014).

The book’s title came about when film critic Gene Siskel interviewed Oprah and asked, “What do you know for sure?” It caught Oprah off guard, and she couldn’t come up with an immediate response. But she was so challenged by the question that she ended up writing a book with the same title.

If someone were to ask you right now, “What do you know for sure?” what would you say? I can’t hear your answer, but I’m trying to picture what some of you might have said.

I suspect many of you might have responded, “I had never thought of that before” or “Let me think about it.” I wonder if some of you might have said, “It’s a tough world out there!”

I was very surprised that Oprah had no response. I wonder if, as a celebrity, she has to be careful of what she says.

After Oprah shared how the book came about, I turned off the audio and told Annie, “I have some answers.” First: according to my birth certificate, we’re all going to die. Then I added, “That means that we have to live each day to the fullest.”

I followed this with “Also, I know for sure that love, the agape kind, can make this a very different world in which to live.” It has changed my life radically. I get up every morning and know exactly what I have to do: love everyone unconditionally, no matter where they are on their life’s journey. There can be no exceptions. But I don’t have to like everyone. My life has to be full of forgiveness of self and others so I can move forward without baggage. Then I have to take care of others in all sorts of ways.

I know for sure that agape has simplified my life. For starters, my prejudices, biases, and dislikes are totally unimportant because agape doesn’t care. Knowing that I have to love everyone, but not necessarily like them, makes my life richer and fulfilling.

For sure, I know Jesus, the historical one, is my Christ (everyone has a christ) because he taught me all this. The fictional Jesuses turn me off. I don’t like them.

I know for sure that being married to my best friend for sixty-four years has given me an understanding of love that I never knew was possible. We have faced our fair share of adversity as a team, but that has made us only stronger.

For sure, living via positiva versus via negativa makes daily living so much simpler and fun.

In her book, Oprah had time to reflect and elaborate on everything she knows for sure. Just listening has allowed me to develop an even bigger list of what I know for sure, and this has been a positive activity.

What do you know for sure? I think you’ll find it an enlightening exercise.

PeaceLoveJoyHopeKindness

Bil

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P.S. People often ask me provocative questions about current events, both religious and secular. I have found that some of these questions are being asked universally. I’ll be periodically alternating regular articles with one of those questions and my answer. I invite you to send me your question to bilaulenbach@yahoo.com.

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