Tyler Perry took to Instagram on June 21 to recount how his good friend Oprah Winfrey pushed him to dream bigger.
The mogul revealed the particular instance occurred in 2005 after Winfrey invited him to the Legends Ball. Others high-profile guests included Barack Obama, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Maya Angelou, Coretta Scott King, Sidney Poitier, and many others.
In the upload, Perry included a clip of the event and expressed in a lengthy caption that although at the time he wasn’t well acquainted with Winfrey, that experience set him on the path to make a way for others to accomplish their dreams.
The 52-year-old wrote, “When I was in my early 30s I didn’t know Oprah very well, but she gave me an experience that changed my life and set me on a path that has allowed me to try and do the same for many others.” Perry continued the post by saying that the ball forced to shift his mindset when being at an event with renowned individuals.
Perry said, “Being there in that moment, something happened that changed my life’s path. You see, at that age I struggled with feeling worthy of good things. I often felt small, like I didn’t belong. But what I now know, looking back from my 52 years of living in this body, is that that feeling comes from the abuse I endured, the things that were said and done to me as a child.”
He added, “But hear me clearly, I had to do away with that feeling because that is a dangerous mindset. Feeling unworthy can cause you to miss your greatest blessing. And trust me, I know how hard it is to feel worthy, especially when you grow up in an abusive household. Thank God I got past it.”
Further in the caption, Perry also shared that the ball helped him heal through the trauma he endured growing up and the feeling of unworthiness.
While recalling a moment when gospel singer Yolanda Adams told him that he deserved to be at the event, he stated, “One of the things that helped me heal was being in that room. When I was sitting at a table with Yolanda Adams I said out loud, “What am I doing in this room?” She turned to me and said, “YOU BELONG IN THIS ROOM!” And I never forgot it.”
Towards the end of the post, Perry explained that the ball pushed him to up the ante regarding his goals and aspirations.
“In that very moment, I decided to UP MY DREAMING!! And God met me at the level that I started to dream on. On the last day of the ball, there at the gospel brunch, I was asked what I thought, and my response is in this short clip. I really did start to dream bigger and by doing that, God has blown my mind.”
Perry wrapped it up by advising his followers to listen to those people encouraging them to “dream bigger.”
Following Perry’s message, many thanked the star for sharing an inspirational post.
“Thank you for this message.”
“This was the word I needed thank you.”
“I needed to see and especially read this. Thank you @tylerperry sir, Thank You!!”
“Wow @tylerperry that spoke to my heart thank you.”
