Innehållsförteckning för Special #2 2022 från O, Quarterly

EVERY DECISION, SETBACK, and triumph in your life is a chance to identify the seeds of truth that make you the wondrous human you are. But sometimes we need help deciphering those truths, and I believe we can learn how from anyone or anything that shows up in our lives, if we’re willing to listen. Teachers come in many guises. There are those who’ve put in the work to master their fields and spend their lives sharing what they’ve learned—they are mentors and guides, no matter their areas of expertise. I’ve spoken often with Martha Beck and others about the role of soul teachers, both in terms of my own evolution and in helping others to become their best selves. Drawing on experts whose wisdom has been cultivated over time and…

1 OPT FOR OUTSTANDING OUTERWEAR Think about it: Your coat is the first thing people see, so why not make it fabulous? This hooded anorak comes in perfect-for-spring hues and is water- and windproof. 2 Find Your Nude Consider a heel, wedge, or flat that matches your skin tone the LBD of the shoe world. It lengthens and slims legs, can be worn from winter to fall, and goes with every ensemble. 3 BE A WRAP STAR Swimsuit shopping can be a pain in the area you are trying to cover. A plunging one piece with a waist-defining wrap front is always foolproof—it works on every body type. This one has compression and goes up to size 22. 4 Pick a Carryall That Does It All A bag that works in different…

BE HONEST WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Gennev cofounder and CEO Jill Angelo, 48, suggests spelling out exactly what you’re feeling and what you need to loved ones. That way, “when you’re cranky after a night of no sleep or are quick to anger, they don’t take it the wrong way.” SPEAK UP AT WORK. Angelo, a former Microsoft executive, recommends talking about hormonal manifestations like you would any other health issue. “Don’t be afraid to inquire about later start times if that’s something that enables you to be more productive” when insomnia and night sweats are running you ragged. Ask HR if existing leave or time-off policies can be used for managing menopause-related symptoms or if appointments with specialists are reimbursable. SEEK OUT THE RIGHT CARE. Feel like your doctor…

1 FORM A BOOK CLUB. There’s no shortage of excellent novels and nonfiction by Black, Asian American, Latinx, and Indigenous authors. A book club is a fun, social way to spark meaningful conversation, and some releases include guided questions in their back pages. If you’re not sure where to start, must-read recommendations abound online. Or ask a librarian at your local library for a curated list—if they don’t have one, you may inspire them to create it. 2 EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT WHITENESS AND THE HISTORY OF RACE IN AMERICA. Research the racial history of the town you live or grew up in, including the roles your ancestors may have played, to gain awareness and to examine history’s lasting impact. Seek out books and podcasts on the topic, such as Scene on Radio’s…

TASTES LIKE SPRING Spinach and Mint Salad with Crispy Goat Cheese Makes 4 to 6 servings Total time: 40 minutes (includes freezing) 1 (6-ounce) log goat cheese3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice6 radishes (3 chopped and 3 very thinly sliced), divided½ cup canola oil½ cup panko bread crumbs1 large egg, beaten2 Tbsp. olive oil2 tsp. pure honey1 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard2 bunches spinach, thick stems removed (about 8 ounces)¼ cup fresh mint leaves1 cup fresh blueberries 1. Cut goat cheese into 12 (¼" thick) rounds; shape into tidy disks. Freeze until firm, 10 to 15 minutes. Combine lemon juice and chopped radishes in a bowl. 2. Heat canola oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Place panko in a shallow bowl. Place egg in a second bowl. Dip chilled cheese in…

NICELY SPICED Ginger-Grape In a pitcher, muddle 1 cup red or black seedless grapes, ¼ cup brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger. Add 2 more cups grapes and 1 2"-piece fresh ginger (sliced). HERBACEOUS Berry-Lemon-Basil In a pitcher, muddle 1½ pints raspberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Add another 1½ pints raspberries, ½ pound strawberries (hulled), 1 lemon (sliced), and ¼ cup basil leaves. BRIGHT & CITRUSY Vanilla-Citrus-Honey In a pitcher, whisk together 1 cup fresh orange juice and 3 Tbsp. honey. Scrape in pulp from 1 vanilla bean (cut horizontally in half) and whisk again, then add 2 oranges (sliced). CAN'T BE WITH MOM ON HER DAY? CHECK OUT oprahdaily.com/best-flower-deliveryservices.…

THE POET W.B. YEATS once wrote, “Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.” Amen to that. I’ve always considered teaching to be my highest calling, whether in front of a live audience on television, delivering commencement speeches, offering thoughts on the pages of this magazine, or, most recently, sharing wisdom in our “The Life You Want” classes on OprahDaily.com. At the same time, I am a lifelong student, learning from the soul teachers all around us, and from my own experience. The quest for purpose and truth, and to be my highest self, is one I will always consider ongoing. And that’s what I hope you’ve taken from this issue, and will continue to receive from my weekly intentions and all the other…

1 “THE LIFE YOU WANT” PLANNER Let Oprah be your guide to making living well a daily practice. Part weekly planner, part intention journal, this powerful tool—bound in a stunning linen with two ribbons to mark your spots—will help you strengthen the 12 focus areas that Oprah believes are essential to creating a joy-filled, purpose-driven life. Topics you’ll dive into include integrity, connection, and vulnerability. Pick up your copy at shop.oprahdaily.com. 2 “THE LIFE YOU WANT” CLASS You could be chosen to sit down with Oprah! Every month she’s leading a livestream class about the defining principles laid out in our “The Life You Want” Planner. She’ll be joined by special guests and a select group of Oprah Daily Insiders. Head to oprahdaily.com/the-life-you-want classes to find out how to apply, get…

“PAINT IS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAY TO BRIGHTEN YOUR SPACE. PICK A COLOR YOU LOVE—MAYBE THE COLOR YOU FEEL BEST WEARING—AND PAINT A ROOM IN IT!”—Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Los Angeles THERE’S NO PLACE like home—until you’ve been cocooning in it for too long and the scene starts to feel stale and stagnant. And, come to think of it, so do you. Apparently, adopting your home’s vibe is a real thing since your surroundings and your mindset are intertwined, according to Sally Augustin, PhD, an environmental psychologist who uses scientific research to help people design and decorate spaces that enhance well-being and performance. In fact, she promises that if your space is sapping your spirit, you can easily flip that situation with a few easy design moves—and there’s no better time…

Skin DON’T FORGET YOUR (SKIN) VITAMINS I follow the A, B, C, D rule: topical vitamin A (retinoids), an oral B-complex supplement, topical and oral vitamin C, and an oral vitamin D supplement. These four vitamins are well-aligned with skin biology and really boost skin health. —Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University CONSIDER BOTOX TO BOOST YOUR MOOD, TOO When we frown or scowl, we both exude and internalize negative emotions. Numerous studies have shown that cosmetic Botox injections—which minimize your ability to make these expressions—may help reduce the symptoms of depression and even make you happier. Start early, and you’ll need less over time. (Translation: big savings.) —Omar Ibrahimi, MD, PhD, dermatologist based in Connecticut REACH FOR MOISTURIZER, STAT Your skin is most prone…

The use of hormone therapy—the R has been dropped from HRT because “we’re not trying to replace what the ovaries make; we’re just trying to manage symptoms, which requires far less,” says Stephanie S. Faubion, MD, medical director of the North American Menopause Society [NAMS]—has been one of the most debated topics in menopause care. Certain HT (estrogen or estrogen plus progesterone in a pill, patch, cream, gel, spray, or vaginal ring) is approved by the FDA to treat many perimenopausal symptoms—but there are risks. Yet every medical expert interviewed for this story, as well as NAMS and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, agree that for many women, the benefits of HT outweigh those risks. Here’s a just-the-facts-ma’am overview. HT IS HANDS-DOWN DANGEROUS. FALSE The dark shadow over…

THE GOAL OF a cookbook writer should be to tell the stories behind the recipes featured. That’s very much how I approached the latest version of The Essential New York Times Cookbook, which was meant to be the 10th anniversary edition but was delayed a year due to Covid. In the 11 years since the original was published, the Times has vastly expanded its base of contributors and its landscape of cuisines. Until the early 2000s, food coverage at the paper was largely Eurocentric. It’s not that there weren’t other cuisines written about at all; there was just minimal space devoted to them, and they were often written through the eyes of someone outside the cuisine’s culture. That has started to change in the past two decades and even more rapidly…

TONYA PARKER gave her mother, Beverly, the shock of a lifetime when she had a baby at age 15. (Tonya hadn’t told her mother she was pregnant until she went into labor.) Three decades later, Tonya expressed her thanks for Beverly’s unwavering support. Tonya: Mom, ever since Dad passed away, I’ve been thinking about saying things to people we love while we still have time. So [when I was] asked the question “Who would you like to thank?” I picked you. Beverly: Oh! Tonya: I shared a story that when I was a teenager, I hid my pregnancy from you and Dad, out of shame and fear. The day I went into labor, I told you only that I needed to go to the hospital. And after you drove me…

LEIGH HABER: Bittersweet was inspired by your passion for melancholy songs and a friend in college who would ask why you were always blasting “funeral” music, right? SUSAN CAIN: Yes. All my life I’ve had a strong response to supposedly sad music. Like, say, Leonard Cohen or Adele. Their music doesn’t make me sad—it lifts me up! And I’m not alone. In my research, I found that people listen to happy songs on their playlists about 175 times but sad ones 800 times. They say happy songs make them happy, but sad ones make them feel connected, full. LH: You write that we live in a culture of “toxic positivity.” Can you elaborate on what you mean? SC: Our culture discourages us from going to a sad or longing place. I…

Dear Cub, The Romany community of Bulgaria trained bears to dance for hundreds of years—a medieval tradition that lived on as a modern vestige of the Dark Ages. These were brown bears, ursus arctos, known in North America as the fierce grizzly bear. They were plied with booze by their trainers, and they performed their infamous dances while schnockered. In 2007, Bulgaria was admitted to the European Union. Part of the price of admission was banning all dancing bear acts, which were rightfully deemed cruel and inhumane. The retired dancing bears were moved to a special refuge. The team at the bear sanctuary had the specialized task of teaching bears to be bears—how to hibernate, how to hunt, how to have bear sexy-time. Food was hidden around the sanctuary to…

Cheers to That Whether you’re having a cup of coffee or some rosé, this insulated mug will motivate you with Oprah’s well-known message. The stainless steel design with a swivel-closing clear top keeps beverages hot for up to six hours or cold for eight, and keeps you from reaching for paper or Styrofoam cups. (Oprah Daily Live Your Best Life mug, $30; oprahdaily.com/bestlifemug). What a Gem The stackable rings use healing malachite stones from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They’re also made there, helping to promote local economic growth. (Mulamba malachite rings, originally $60 for one, $110 for two, and $165 for three, now 20 percent off with code oprah; adolophine.com) A Good Catch There’s no fishing for answers with Sea to Table. The company details where your salmon, cod,…

SHOW YOUR COLORS Lipstick, lip balm, lip oil, and now, lip blush. The 10 pinky peachy-reddish shades of this hydrating formula enhance your lips’ natural lusciousness. Maybelline New York Green Edition Balmy Lip Blush, $10; drugstores A Firming Offer Why smooth on a plain old body lotion when you can treat your skin to this smoothing, plumping, collagen-boosting wonder? Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream, $45; sephora.com Best Face Scenario Like a smoothie for your skin, this glow boosting gel contains a potent percentage of vitamin C, white grape juice, chia seed extract, and prebiotics. Juice Beauty Prebiotix Freshly Squeezed Glow Vitamin C Serum, $65; Ulta stores BUBBLING UP We’ve all learned the importance of handwashing over the past two years. I’ve learned it’s nice to suds up with something…

“I can say hard things really well with a smile,” says Latasha Morrison, that high-wattage smile beaming at me as it did throughout an hours-long Zoom that flies by. “A friend once told me, ‘It’s like you punch me in the face, but you’re rubbing my back at the same time.’” MORRISON’S UNCOMMON gift was put to the test in her new hometown of Austin, where she moved in 2012 from Atlanta. “I have pictures of my godkids and family up in my office. Now, I’m the only Black person that works at this place,” Morrison, who goes by Tasha, says of the church where she’d begun working. A white coworker would routinely walk into her office and, her eyes falling to the cluster of photos, exclaim, “I just love little…

ON THE ROAD OF LIFE, Natasha Brown and her eldest daughter, Alyssa, have encountered plenty of speed bumps, including frequent moves, financial strife, and a brief bout of homelessness. Natasha wanted to express her appreciation to Alyssa: “I need to thank her for being brave, even when it wasn’t her job to be.” Natasha: I feel like you’ve had to struggle unnecessarily, like things were hard on you when they shouldn’t have been. Do you feel that way? Alyssa: I don’t think I had to struggle so much as I had to sacrifice. I had to help out a lot. That’s not to say I shouldn’t have had to help, but I’ve had to do a lot. Natasha: I feel like you didn’t get a chance to be a kid…

GRATITUDE Every day, write down five things you truly appreciate. RECIPROCITY If you know somebody who is lonely, ask them to help you. Being shown respect, being depended upon, can give a lonely person a sense of worth and belonging that decreases feelings of isolation. ALTRUISM Helping others, sharing your knowledge, feeling a sense of mission—all this will give you a feeling of self-expansion that is similar to what people experience when they’re in a loving relationship. CHOICE Understand that even though it might not feel this way, being lonely is a decision. You can decide right now—yes, right now—if you want to feel lonely or happy. ENJOYMENT This might sound like the most obvious advice imaginable, but try your hardest to have fun. Enjoy life. Sharing good news and…

“When you travel solo, you’re never really alone because you become more approachable,” says Nastasia Yakoub, 34, author of Dame Traveler: Live the Spirit of Adventure. “You’d be surprised how many conversations are sparked simply because you’re not engaged in conversation with friends or a significant other. It really does open the door to meeting new and interesting people.” Here’s how to make the connection. TAKE THE INITIATIVE. If you’re standing in line to visit a landmark, strike up a conversation with the people around you. That’s what Liverance does when she wants to hike a remote or difficult trail but doesn’t want to take the chance of going alone. And don’t be afraid to ask for assistance, urges Murray. “If I need help with something, I will introduce myself…

LEIGH HABER: You write that “in a well-told story, reader and writer are so close together they’re one unit.” Is this proximity important only to produce the best possible story, or is there something more profound at work? GEORGE SAUNDERS: It’s a pretty good life principle: Always assume the full, interesting humanity of whoever you’re interacting with, getting into the habit of setting aside whatever assumptions or projections I might have about a person. In early drafts when I’m writing, I tend toward caricature. I know too much about a character; he or she is simply doing my bidding. Then the story chafes at this and I have to start discovering more about the character, being open to what the story wants (to the actual energy of the prose moment). There…

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SILJA GÖTZ. PORTRAITS BY CHAD GRIFFITH. THE O QUIZ How You Are You? Mike Robbins, author of Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken, can help you figure out how much of your true self is coming through. LIVING AUTHENTICALLY ISN’T just about letting it all hang out. It means living true to our values, expressing ourselves, taking risks, and focusing on what matters. This quiz will help you assess how genuinely you’re living, and offer advice to help you be even more yourself. For each statement below, circle the number beside the word that best describes your reaction. Be as honest as you can (we’re talking about authenticity here), then add up the numbers next to the choices you’ve circled to see where you net out and…

THINGS HAD STARTED off so well. I arrived in third grade with my pencils sharpened, my notebook waiting to be filled. I loved school: the dusty chalk, those tidy Scantron test bubbles, the chance to show what I knew. Maybe that’s why, as I went to my seat after yet another trip to the blackboard, a girl I’ll call Connie led a chanting chorus: “E student! E student!” At our school, E stood for “excellent.” To them, I was a goodygoody—trying too hard, doing too well. Heat flooded my face. I avoided Connie’s gaze. She was like a bulldog, her body squat, her face pinched into a scowl. Soon she was mocking my Afro, my glasses, my height. One day the bell rang at the end of class. Outside, dandelions dotted…