Image Source: AARP
Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist who has inspired millions of people with her wisdom and knowledge. Oprah’s journey to being Oprah Winfrey was not easy but she has made it through a lot to be where she is today and she is very grateful for everything.
Oprah Winfrey became the voice of the people who did not have the privilege to voice out their opinions. Her dedication and passion towards what she does are unmatched and as someone who has seen hardships while growing up, Oprah does whatever she can for the young girls in Africa and across the globe especially for their education. She is described as a beacon of hope by thousands of people who look up to her. Oprah Winfrey said once, “The reason I’ve been able to be so financially successful is my focus has never, ever for one minute been money.”
The host launched the Oprah Winfrey Show as a nationally syndicated program in 1986 that went on to become successful and impactful. In 2009, she announced that she would be ended her program as her contract with ABC ended in 2011. Oprah Winfrey moved ahead to her network the Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture with Discovery Communications.
Here are some of the famous life lessons by Oprah Winfrey that could help someone to get through with their life.
In her book, ‘What I Know For Sure’, the author writes, “What I know for sure is that every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and step out and dance – to live free of regret and filled with as much joy, fun, and laughter as you can stand. You can either waltz boldly onto the stage of life and live the way you know your spirit is nudging you to, or you can sit quietly by the wall, receding into the shadows of fear and self-doubt.”
After her exceptional and impactful speech at the 75th Golden Globes, Oprah was asked about the greatest lesson she had learned throughout her life and career and she replied, “The greatest lesson I’ve learned throughout my career came from Maya Angelou, actually, when I was first meeting her. And after I’d known her for a while, she said, "Baby, you know, you need to know that when people show you who they are, you believe them the first time. Oh, you know that lesson, too, now? Yes, I do. The first time. And your problem is it takes you 29 times. This is the same lesson coming in a different skirt wearing a different pair of pants. So I think that has been one of my greatest wisdom teachings, is to assess from people’s behavior their actions, not just towards me, but towards other people, who they are and how they behave. Because if people talk about other people, they’ll talk about you. So I think in business and personal relationships, that’s always been my greatest lesson. Also staying grounded, you know, has been really great for me.”
In 2014, Oprah wrote for O Magazine column where she wrote on how as an individual we should all be cautious about taking care of ourselves before taking care of someone else. "The best way I know for sure to stay in steady makeover mode is to take care of yourself. To feed yourself with love and loving thoughts. To eat food that's delicious to you and to your body. To engage in loving practices, like giving yourself the gift of stillness at least five minutes a day. To surround yourself with people who bring you light, and to banish all forms of negative energy."
Oprah Winfrey is not afraid to tell everyone that it’s okay to surround ourselves with people and ask for support when needed. In one of her Oprah Daily Video, she said, "Surround yourself with someone who is as happy for your happiness as you are for your happiness. You need friends that are happy in their own lives so that they can actually be authentically happy for you."
Oprah Winfrey's lessons and experiences have helped a lot of people. Image Source: Global Citizen
The host who is one of the people very easy to open up has had her share of ups and downs but what she never did was ever give up on herself whether it was about work or physical appearance. In 2018 during her interview with BBC Radio 2 she said, "When I first started my own show in Chicago, I was talking to a bunch of models. They were all these skinny, pretty girls and they were talking about their cellulite. I was like, girl, I can show you some cellulite! I think that moment and then the rest of the audience relating to that moment, I started to realize that being yourself, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, embracing your faults, that everybody has them, that's what gives you power."
Oprah in ‘What I know For Sure’ reminded every woman to know their worth by saying, "Stop waiting for your husband to say 'I appreciate you,' your kids to tell you what a great mother you are, a man to whisk you away and marry you, or your best friend to assure you that you're worth a darn. LOOK inward—the loving begins with you."
The philanthropist reminded everyone that love exists wherever you want it to exist as she wrote in her O Magazine column, "The chance to love and be loved exists no matter where you are. Most of us can't see it because we have our own preconceived ideas about what it is (it's supposed to knock you off your feet and make you swoon) and how it should appear (in a tall, slim, witty, charming package). So if love doesn't show up wrapped in our personal fantasy, we fail to recognize it. I know this for sure: Love is."
