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I don’t know if it was because 2024 was the hottest year yet, as the World Meteorological Organisation recorded it to be about 1.55°C above the pre-industrial level. Still, something about the year changed my usual genres. I started leaning more into mindful books, and they were indeed an experience.
From the deep serenity of Ikigai to the profoundly spiritual, soul-nourishing book that The Wisdom of Sundays is… I was slowing down, listening more, and questioning things I'd long ignored. And perhaps for the first time in a very long time, I felt a sense of inner peace.
The Wisdom of Sundays
A Book That’s More Than a Book
The Wisdom of Sundays is not a book you read through in a sitting, or at least, it wasn't for me. It was more like a conversation. A gentle, introspective conversation between Oprah Winfrey and a few of the most balanced spiritual thinkers of our era. There was no urgency.
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No need to finish. Just the gentle nudging of perspectives, philosophies, and personal stories that made me reflect on my own life in ways I never had before.
As a Nigerian navigating the day-to-day chaos, from traffic to power inconsistencies and the demands of adulthood, it's easy to get lost. You move from task to task, transaction to transaction, goal to goal. This book forced me to pause.
Inner Peace Wasn’t Loud
One of the best things about this book was that it didn’t try to fix me. It didn’t sermonise, it didn’t overpromise. It just gave me reflections. On presence. On intention. On relationships. And suddenly, I understand why people say inner peace isn’t a massive, flashy transformation. It is a quiet knowing.
Reading it became part of my Sunday routine. A soothing cup of tea, no technology, and a few pages that always seemed to say just what I needed in that moment. Sometimes I’d read the same paragraph over again, not because I wasn’t understanding it, but because it felt like medicine to my soul.
It Felt Personal, Yet Universal
Even though the writers were international thought leaders, Eckhart Tolle, Brené Brown, Michael Singer, Elizabeth Gilbert, their words didn't feel alien. Maybe because spirituality is not alien to us. We grow up hearing of God, destiny, and energy. But how those voices portray it? Less religious, and more aligning.
I started writing in my journal more. Asking things like: What am I here to offer? What is peace to me? What am I trying to control? And in that soft place, I found clarity.
The Quotes That Found Me
There were many beautiful passages in The Wisdom of Sundays, but a few stood out so clearly that they felt like they were written for me. These are the ones I’ve carried with me ever since:
“The most valuable gift you can give yourself is the time to nurture the unique spirit that is you.” – Oprah Winfrey
In a world that constantly demands more, this reminded me that rest and reflection are also forms of productivity.
“When you give someone attention, it’s somehow a marrying of your presence with their presence, and also within that presence, there’s love.” – Jack Kornfield
We’re often so distracted, always on our phones. This quote changed how I show up for people, even during the most casual conversations.
“Spirituality is that yearning for something more, that desire that is seeking something higher than your mind and your body.” – Oprah Winfrey
“An intention is the quality of consciousness that you bring to a deed or words. It’s an energy. It’s your reason for speaking.” – Gary Zukav
Every time I tweet, reply, speak to someone, or even post on Instagram now, I think about intention. What energy am I adding?
“Who am I today? What do I stand for? What am I here to give? What am I here to grow?” – Tony Robbins
A powerful daily check-in that I now use in my journal.
“To dare greatly means the courage to be vulnerable. It means to show up and be seen.” – Brené Brown
This one hit deep. Especially in a society that rewards perfection and composure. Vulnerability felt risky. Now it feels necessary.
“If you are not in control of the development of your life… then really it’s sort of like being the walking dead.” – Devon Franklin
The Nigerian grind can be numbing. This quote was a wake-up call to stop operating on autopilot.
“The truth will set you free, but you have to endure the labour pains of birthing it.” – Iyanla Vanzant
Growth isn’t always elegant. And sometimes, facing the truth about your past or your patterns can be painful—but freeing.
“There is an energy and a frequency to everything. Your goal in life is to line up with the one that allows you to flow.” – Michael Bernard Beckwith
This helped me redefine success, not as hustle, but as flow.
“Every experience we have reveals to us a word in the language of our own wisdom.” – Mark Nepo
This made me pay closer attention to my own experiences. Every disappointment, every small joy—it all means something.
Reading This Book Changed How I Move
I can’t say I’ve become a brand-new person, but I’ve become a more present one. I now sit more quietly in the mornings. I don’t just react to life, I respond. I take longer pauses before replying to messages. I forgive myself faster.
And when things get overwhelming, which, as you know, they often do, I stay calm, understanding that chaos is part of life, but what I do with the matters is more important than what is happening.
Why Every Nigerian Needs to Have a Copy
In a country where the noise is usually deafening and the pace exhausting, a book like The Wisdom of Sundays is a blessing. It is not sensational or flashy. It is quiet wisdom. It is that friend who refuses to give you answers but remains with you in quiet until you find your own.
Whether you are religious, spiritual, agnostic, or simply tired of feeling overwhelmed, there is something here for you.
It teaches you how to be still in your own life. And for me, stillness was where the peace was.
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