Oktoberfest Love Quote

Oktoberfest, the biggest beer festival in the world, is in full swing. Yes, that does have something to do with love, actually:

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

– Benjamin Franklin

Love Leads to Happiness – Quote

This love quote is also a happiness quote – because love and happiness go hand in hand:

“Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

A Happy Life Thanks to Oprah

There is no idiot- proof formula for a happy life, even if some self-help books would have you believe such a thing exists. Neither can you plan every detail of a happy life – after all, happiness is often found in the most unexpected places. Nevertheless, an American blogger has been trying just that: to live a happy life by minutely following the advice of US Queen of Talk Oprah.

Due to the reach of Oprah’s empire, that advice encompasses diet, fashion, design, literature and film tips, as well as relationship advice and wellness-psychobabble. Imagine someone who knows the right diet, the inspiring novel, the perfect outfit and the correct relationship advice for every situation and serves it all up (with a generous helping of inspirational platitudes) on her website, her TV show, her radio show and in her magazine.

The blogger reads the Oprah Magazine and website and watches the Oprah Show. Whenever Oprah says “do this”, “buy that” or “read that”, she does. Her experiences are detailed at Living Oprah.

It becomes clear that Oprah gives some good advice, but also lots of unnecessary tips and even more that are unrealistic or even contradictory. Oprah preaches „love your self the way you are“, while constantly advocating unattainable perfectionism and doling out diet tips. Oprah is torn between pure materialism and esoteric spirituality (“de-clutter your life!” vs. “buy new clothes, furniture, books, DVDs, keyrings with an Oprah-Logo!”). A lot of advice is time-consuming and expensive to follow. Hence, the cost of Living Oprah is also documented.

As clicheed and trite as Oprah’s advice may often be, the Living Oprah project puts it to the test, questions it, thus giving it meaning. The blog doesn’t just shine a critical light on Oprah’s advice for a happy life, but manages to question the claim that women’s magazines, self help books and lifestyle gurus can help you live a happy life simply by following their advice.

The Living Oprah project was planned as a one-year challenge and the year is coming to an end. We’re looking forward to the conclusions drawn. Will the Living Oprah blogger decide that she’s living a happy life thanks to Oprah? Somehow, we get the feeling she’s already looking forward to living by her own rules again.

Update: there’s now a book out about the Living Oprah experience (see right).