20 Quotes from Oprah Winfrey to Inspire You
The American media queen, multi-faceted powerhouse and world’s richest black woman Oprah Winfrey turns 62 today. Born January 29, 1954, is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist, she is best known for her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Winfrey has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history; not only is she North America’s only black billionaire, she is also regarded as the most influential woman in the world.
Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother and later raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. She experienced considerable hardship during her childhood, she was raped at age nine and became pregnant at 14; her son died in infancy.
While still in high school in Tennessee, she landed a job in radio and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19, before being transferred to the daytime-talk-show arena. After boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, Winfrey launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated.
Her rags to riches story is an inspiration to many. “I don’t think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.” Winfrey once said – proof of her positive mental attitude and inspirational wisdom, which doubtless paved the way to her success today.
So what better way to celebrate her wisdom than a selection of our favourite words of wisdom from the lady herself?
On gratitude
“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.”
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
On positive attitude
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”
“I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become.”
On friendship
“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.”
“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”
On failure
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.”
On success
“The key to realising a dream is to focus not on success but significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”
“Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.”
On excellence
“The choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself.”
On integrity
“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
On Purpose
“The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.”
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”
On life
“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
“With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice.”
“I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk.”
“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.”
“Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.”