Normally, I am someone who is successful in finding the light in situations. However, in the past year, finding the light has been a struggle for me. That said, this past year has been anything but normal. I like to think of myself as a strong person, and though I still believe I am one, this year has one-hundred-percent tested not only that but also my beliefs regarding what a strong person looks like. For example, I used to think that a strong person was the equivalent of the world’s most ultimate optimist and that nothing could or should upset them, but I was wrong; strong people are allowed to be a little blue sometimes too. Though I have a difficult time remembering that sometimes (alright, most times), this past week especially, I have been internally pushed to start turning to those who inspire me most for help in seeking light again.
I know I am not the only person who struggles in one way or another, and though I wish I could replace that with another statement that expresses invincibility, I know that is not the case, especially right now. In this article (and more to come), I want to tell all of you about the people I’m turning to for a sense of hope and glimmers of light. Nonetheless, today, I want to discuss one of my role models who serves as a true beacon of light for humanity as a whole: Maria Shriver.
Maria Shriver is an American journalist and author, but you also may know her for her role as First Lady of California from 2003 to 2011. In her time as First Lady, she began the Women’s Conference in 2003, and she also created the Minerva Awards to honor women in California who better not only their communities but also the United States as a whole. Additionally, Shriver served as co-anchor on The CBS Morning News from 1985 to 1986, was also a member of NBC News from 1986 to 2004, and then returned to the station in 2013. Also, she is the founder of The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, an organization that promotes research on Alzheimer’s and how it disproportionately affects women and raises awareness about it to the public. She also takes great pride in being a mother to her four children: Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher. Lastly, she believes her life mission is to challenge the ordinary and make differences in the world that can move humanity forward, and this is what she works for every day.
Needless to say, Maria Shriver is a woman with an abundance of accomplishments under her belt, and there is no doubt in my mind that there is more to come from her. However, it is not her accomplishments that inspire me to turn to her in times of uncertainty, but rather her heart and her words that speak from it.
I began reading I’ve Been Thinking… Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations For A Meaningful Life a little less than a year ago, but I didn’t finish reading it as the new school year began, and I didn’t have much time to read anymore. However, in the past week, I turned back to it looking for words of hope, wisdom, and overall positivity, and let me tell you, I’m so glad I did. In her one chapter, “The Power of the Pause,” Shriver discusses how pausing is okay, and sometimes, it’s better to pause because it gives you a moment to turn inward and think about what is genuinely important to you, instead of turning outward automatically and not having a clear idea as to what you stand for. On a day when I felt like I wasn’t doing enough, this idea of “The Power of the Pause” spoke to me. I realized that I was still trying to process certain things from both the present and past, and it was okay for me to take some time for myself to gather my thoughts and feelings and form a sense of them. Then, in another chapter, “Why It Takes Courage to Care,” Shriver helped bring a sense of light once again. At the end of the chapter, she talks about her mother who once said (like many) that if you have your health, then you have everything. Though this is true, it is often too forgotten about. So, to put her twist on it, she adds that along with your health, having someone you care about is something that money can’t buy, and furthermore, that if you have someone who cares for you, then you have the whole world in your hands. Instantly, a smile cracked on my face and I noticed my perspective shift into a brighter space, and all I can say is that I hope it did something similar for you, but if not, that’s okay too.
I wish I could write every reason as to why I look to Maria Shriver or every line she has either written or spoken and how it moved me in some way, but in that case, this article would be far too long. That said, at the bottom of the page, I’ve listed several of Maria’s resources, including her books, websites, and podcasts if you wish to continue learning about her and possibly be inspired by her like I am.
Keep seeking the light, my friends. I hope this article did a little something for you today.
Maria Shriver Resources
Books For Children:
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What’s Heaven?
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What’s Wrong with Timmy?
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What’s Happening to Grandpa?
Books For (Young) Adults:
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Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Went Out Into The Real World
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I’ve Been Thinking… Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations For A Meaningful Life
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I’ve Been Thinking… – The Journal: Inspirations, Prayers, and Reflections For Your Meaningful Life
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Just Who Will You Be?
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And One More Thing Before You Go…
The Shriver Report:
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The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s
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The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink
Websites:
The Sunday Paper:
https://mariashriver.com/sundaypaper/
Podcasts:
Meaningful Conversations with Maria Shriver
Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations: Maria Shriver
Works Cited
“Maria Shriver.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 June 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Shriver.
“MY STORY.” Maria Shriver, 26 Feb. 2020, mariashriver.com/mystory/.