As the first black woman to have her talk show, Oprah is an icon of female empowerment. Her influence on society has helped countless people find inner strength and self-empowerment through sharing their stories with others – lessons we can all learn!
A few words from Oprah’s recent speech at Harvard University sum up why she means so much: “It takes guts…to face your fears.” It may be difficult sometimes, but it will make us stronger if we try new things, even if they seem scary or risky.
So, the following are life-changing lessons from Oprah Winfrey to make you successful in your own life.
1. Don’t be afraid to fail.
At the end of her Harvard speech, Oprah talks about a quote she says is by a French writer: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” It’s only through failure that we learn how to succeed.”
Her life story itself is a testament to this. While you may have heard many tales of Oprah’s success, her road to it was riddled with failures. First, she was fired from her first television reporting job because she looked “too emotional” on camera. Then, she revamped her talk show, which resulted in its lowest ratings ever. Afterwards, she lost 40 pounds on the liquid protein diet known as Optifast – a diet she kept going for two decades!
Oprah’s biggest failure, though, was an incident that happened when her talk show transitioned to become more popular and successful. In the process of growing, she lost touch with some of the people who had helped her get there. Her now-famous quote is about this time in her life: “You get in life what you dare to ask for.” Unfortunately, Oprah did not make the mistake of abandoning her roots again.
2. Believe in yourself.
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities – brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” Oprah Winfrey
This is one of the most famous quotes by Oprah Winfrey, and it’s on point. All of the struggles mentioned above and failures made Oprah who she is today. They were all great opportunities for her to learn from and better herself. Her advice? Believe in yourself!
Buckminster Fuller said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”
Oprah understands this, so she takes the time to teach people about themselves. “If you are listening to this show, chances are very good that you’re at a pivotal moment in your life. You may have had a loss or something that happened that has made you sit down and say, ‘What is my life all about? What am I going to do with it?'”
By not fighting the existing reality, Oprah has made changes. Her show is a model of how people can make a difference in others’ lives, and she encourages everyone to be a part of it. She did not let her fear of failure stop her from pursuing that dream.
3. You are powerful beyond measure.
Oprah says this: “I’m a black woman, and I am so clear that our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
This may sound like a complex idea, but it’s very simple – we all have the same amount of power inside us as Oprah. We can use this power to make a change, even if it’s only in our own lives. Oprah has taken this lesson and used it to impact millions of people globally, mostly women and girls, who feel powerless and disenfranchised. “I will not spend my life-fighting battles that I know I’m going to lose.”
This is the quote that best demonstrates why Oprah has done so much. She won’t waste her time-fighting fights. She knows she’ll lose, like the one against racism. So instead, she chooses to move forward and make a difference in ways that she can.
4. Stand up for what you believe in; others will do the same for you someday.
“Nothing is more expensive than standing aside, doing nothing, while others make mistakes.” Oprah Winfrey
Here Oprah talks about the times in her life when she was made to feel inferior. Racism and sexism are real, but they can’t stop you if you refuse to give them that power. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”
Stand up for yourself, stand up for what you believe in. Because even if Oprah didn’t, somebody else one day will. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
This is another quote that Oprah is famous for. Its message is simple yet profound: always be grateful for what you have in your life. Easier said than done? Maybe, but it’s the truth. Nothing will ever be enough when you constantly want more and focus on what you don’t have.
5. Fake it till you make it.
Oprah is famous for her “favourite things” giveaways on her show. Her guests always give Oprah expensive gifts, like cars or even islands (hello Amazing Race!). But Oprah doesn’t need these things; she has more than enough money of her own to buy them. She explains this by saying: “It’s not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”
Oprah believes in the law of attraction; it will when you act as something exists. So she acts like she has these “favourite things” and appreciates them when she receives them. This is why she’s made to seem so gracious on her show. She doesn’t need any material things because she’s happy with who she is. She believes in the power of happiness and will go to great lengths to achieve it.
6. Always be open to learning something new.
“I never wanted to be a millionaire; I only wanted to be a billionaire so that I could find out how many houses I had.” Oprah Winfrey
Oprah’s brain is always firing on all cylinders. She’s constantly learning new things and acquiring knowledge. This is evident through her long-running show, introducing countless new ideas, people, and cultures. “When you know better, you do better.”
This famous Oprah quote comes from the very end of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, and it’s a reminder that we’re always learning and growing as people. As long as you learn from your mistakes, you’ll be able to do better next time.
7. It’s okay to follow your passion, but only if the timing is right.
Oprah says this: “I can feed your mind, I can heal your body, I can encourage your spirit. If you let me, I can touch your life in such a way that you can’t do anything but say, ‘God, she’s the real deal.'”
Oprah is an inspiration because her passion for what she does never wavers. She has loved hosting her show and sharing new opportunities with us all. She loves to touch lives in a real way; however, she’s also keen to know when it’s not right for her anymore. “When you can focus on your blessings instead of what you lack, life becomes limitless.”
This is another Oprah quote that perfectly demonstrates how grateful she is for everything she has. There are certainly times when Oprah focuses on the reasons she could be lacking, but when she can tap into her deepest gratitude for what she has, life becomes so much easier.
Life is a journey and one that everyone will travel at different speeds. What’s important is always to remember to appreciate the challenges you face along the way. When you become grateful for little things, life will start to look a little more beautiful.
8. Know your values and stick with them!
“When you know what’s important, it helps you manage the material things that are not.” Oprah Winfrey
Oprah went through some tough times in her younger years where money was very tight. She knew what she wanted to accomplish with her life, though, and this kept her going. When she was asked how she overcomes challenges, Oprah responded: “By staying focused on what I want to accomplish.”
It’s okay to have dreams of the future, but it’s even more important to be grateful for the things you already have in your life. You can’t control what happens to you every day, but you can always control how it makes you feel.
9. Know that you don’t have to be perfect to complete your goals.
“There is no such thing as failure; only things that are not yet finished.” Oprah Winfrey
This is another one of Oprah’s quotes about how anything can be achieved if we keep trying. She had a tough upbringing and always vowed to be a millionaire by 30. However, she’s built her career on being persistent and knowing that she could achieve any goal if she had the right attitude towards it.
“To succeed, you must fail so that you know what not to do the next time.”
This is another one of Oprah’s quotes about learning from mistakes and trying again. We often face challenges where we make the same mistake over and over. Instead of giving up, you should learn to tweak your approach and try something new. There will be times when you’re sure that you’ll fail, but it doesn’t matter as long as you remember what not to do next time.