Finding
My Ruby Slippers:
My
Quest to Work for Oprah – Day 1
My name is Erin Parker, and I have a dream. It literally
consumes my thoughts and causes an aching in my body. I have suppressed this
dream my whole life because I always thought it was impossible, but you know
what? I refuse to live my life playing small. I refuse to not fight for what is
in my heart because I am afraid I will fail. I know I will stumble along the
way, but I will get up each time and keep moving forward because I want a live
a life where I dare greatly.
My dream is to work for Oprah. I want to create
programming on her network for teenagers. I want to develop tools for them to
turn to while they are tumbling through the insanely difficult teenage years.
This is my path. My gift is the ability to connect with people, and my purpose
is to use that gift in service of those I love most in this world: kids. I need
to do this on a platform purely focused on the betterment of others, and the
OWN Network is that.
I am chasing after my dream and taking all of you
with me. Each day on Twitter, @missp_lphs, I will post what I have done that
day to get me prepared for my future job. At the end of every week, I will blog
about what has been happening. It may take until Day 39,875, but, as Maya
Angelou said, “You can only become great at the thing you are willing to
sacrifice for.” I am willing to do whatever is necessary to fulfill my purpose.
I know I will one day get to OWN.
Walt Whitman once wrote, “That you are here—that life exists and identity, That the
powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” I know what my verse
is. What’s yours?
Day 1: I made a plan.
Eagerly waiting for Oprah,
EP
