A couple of years ago I was hanging out at China Grill in NYC with one of my besties, actress-producer Patranila Jefferson. We were getting our drink on and talking about our latest relationship conquests and love dramas. Patranila and I have long been students of the self-help movement, so it was not unusual for us to clink cocktails and talk about our latest plans to evolve our lives.
Our discussion was interrupted by a sighting that, for us, was right up there with an appearance by the Dalai Lama or President and First Lady Obama. Deepak Chopra was sitting in China Grill. I was almost too excited to start hyperventilating.
I threw a sweater over my mini-dress and tried to resemble a respectable adult as we approached the man whose work has so impacted my life. I never get starstruck, but here I was. I asked my guru for a photo, and he requested my address. A couple of weeks later my mailbox was full of a new Deepak library, courtesy of the man himself.
Deepak Chopra has now become one of Oprah Winfrey's contributors and teachers on the OWN Network along with his BFF Hay House spiritual author Dr. Wayne Dyer and life strategist Tony Robbins. Mr. Chopra appeared on "Oprah's Lifeclass: The Tour," as well as "Oprah's Next Chapter." Oprah traveled to India to interview the cultural leader on a gorgeous open-air countryside balcony.
One of the most striking parts of the interview was the conversation about Mr. Chopra's wife, Rita Chopra. The lifestyle master explained how high his wife's self-esteem had to be to partner with a public figure that people always want to talk to, learn about, and take photos with. Indeed; I actually don't even remember who Mr. Chopra was sitting with when I approached him. I only know that he was with a very gracious group. Could his lovely wife have been one of them?
Deepak gushed to Oprah about his love for his beautiful queen. He said that Rita was an anchor for him and their two adult children. She has been strong and steady with him for over 40 years. His beloved Rita, he explained, helped him to uncover his true self. That is true love.
To quote the one who knows, "Up to the point when they merged, two lovers walked separate paths. Together they create a new path that has no past, where every step moves into the unknown, and no amount of experience can light the way."
Are you watching OWN yet? And if not, what are you waiting for?
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