Epiphanies are like gigantic shocks of genius that are delivered in small forms. They appear for one to build upon, and manifest great success from. They are like tiny little petals ready to blossom into lovely belles. And when they blossom, they blossom with a burst. A burst that winks at life.

On Oprah’s Next Chapter, Oprah Winfrey interviewed Rihanna about everything the public has been dying to know: the status between Rihanna and Chris Brown, whether or not Rihanna still loves Brown, who exactly is Rihanna, and so forth. I cried watching the Rihanna interview.

I watched Rihanna tear while she reminisced about her Gran Gran Dolly. I watched Rihanna tear as she discussed her hurt from and love for Chris Brown. I watched Rihanna converse with smiles and humbleness with the locals in her Barbados neighborhood. I watched Rihanna gift her mother with a grand home. After all of this, I paused the show, and I cried.

I did not tear. I did not sniffle. I cried. Heaves of empty air exuded from my vocal chords and my face made the grimace that happens when one sobs. I covered my face and let my eyes close. I cried. I wiped my tears and cried some more. I giggled in between cries partially because I was overjoyed and partially because I did not know what else to do. The interview sent waves of mixed emotions through my body, and all of them were positive. I cried and cried because I truly felt optimistic about life. I cried because seeing such humble and relatable vibes emanate from someone as revered as Rihanna felt as if positive energy from the universe reached out it’s powerful hand and blessed me with the fruitful thought and feeling of knowing that one day I will achieve all that I set out to achieve. That “it” can and will happen for me too. That I must not worry. That I can be my normal self and make my normal, hideous and even marvelous mistakes and learn from it, for one day I will be sharing my story with the world as well. It is a powerful thing when one feels so strongly about something, that the brain cannot even process the information; the only message it can send to your body is: Cry.“Activate tear gland. Powerful emotions that cannot be easily described are in progress.”

Sometimes epiphanies come from the simplest of things. Sometimes epiphanies come from lessons you were once taught before. This time, the lesson that I once learned before fully registered in my mind, and I let the universe’s positive energy consume me. It registered so much that I did not know what else to do but weep. In the moment of my tear shedding and epiphany filled soul, I appreciated life probably more than I ever appreciated life before. I know this sounds ludicrous but I’m serious. It felt as if I realized for the first time that all things are possible.

Great things come from humble beginnings. Seeing the normality of Rihanna’s character made her shine with regality. It forced me to realize that achieving my dreams is not far fetched. Time magazine listed Rihanna as one of the most influential people in the world. This highly recognized female came from a simple single family home in Barbados. She herself said that her journey on the path of fame brought her treasures far beyond what she has ever dreamed of. The relatable-ness of her story is too much to take in. It makes me overjoyed.

One thing that I noticed during the interview is that Rihanna is not a pessimistic being. She went through some negative emotions, but the most important part is: she let them go. At one point she thought that she loathed Brown. The domestic violence incident between them made her dark and angry. Now she only loves him and wants him to be happy. She’s forgiven him and is progressing with her life—beautiful.

It’s important not to harbor negative feelings. When you release positive vibes into the universe, the universe will return positive vibes onto you. Thanks Rihanna. I love you for revealing your true self to the public. I’m sure your only intent was to have a real and authentic conversation with the wonderful Oprah, and distance yourself from the invisible yet popular celebrity pedestal. However people usually have no idea how much what they do and say can affect people. You have affected me with nothing but positivity and love. Cheers to that.