Oprah Winfrey is one of the most recognizable female faces in the world. She is hugely successful and let's be honest, filthy rich. But this is a driven, focused lady who has worked and earned her success. It hasn't all been plain sailing and Oprah has led a life with many ups but many downs. We can learn a lot from this incredible role model on how we can still have a successful life despite obstacles.
1 Gain from Pain
Oprah had a terrible start in life if we are to believe the stories. Maybe this is one of her quotes that we may take as a fact, since she seems to have turned her wounds into wisdom. Another apt saying is that we learn from our mistakes. It has a similar theme to her saying. We should learn from experience, even if those experiences are bad ones.
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2 Celebrate Life
There are some people that pray to god and never ask for things. These people pray and give thanks, and that is all. These people are the happiest people because they are grateful for what they have. Celebrate the things you have, and you take this principle to a completely new level.
3 You Have to Work for It
If something is easy to attain, then it is usually not worth having. This is something you should tell your daughters because some women think they can get what they want by giving themselves to men, and yet men know that if something is easy to attain then it has very little value. Oprah’s thoughts on struggling also match well with her thoughts on luck. She said that luck was the result of opportunity meeting preparation, which explains how some people are able to make their own luck. You can assume that the preparation itself often involves a struggle.
4 Choose Your Friends/colleagues Wisely
This is especially true in her profession. Finding a group of people that make you a better person is essential if you want to achieve success. On the contrary, surround yourself with negative people, or people you have to maintain and they will drag you down. Napoleon Hill wrote a similar thing almost on hundred years ago when he talked of a mastermind alliance. He suggested that if you surround yourself with people that want to get where you want to get, then you may all get there together a lot faster.
5 Take Control
This has many interpretations that go from sexuality to spirituality. Rites of passage used to help a person figure out who he or she is. These days, you are just going to have to figure it out yourself. You will be unable to achieve real success until you know who you are.
6 Act Now
You can make your life and your success a little easier, and you can do it by acting now. Do a good job today, and you put yourself in the right place tomorrow. This idea works for any type of business or personal endeavor. It is a very good frame of mind to be in, and it may also eliminate problems before they happen.
7 Integrity is Doing the Right Thing and Knowing Nobody Will Ever Know if You Did It or Not
This is dangerously close to the Futurama quote that says, “If you do the right thing, then nobody will know you ever did anything at all.” The Futurama one is catchier, but both of the quotes mean the same thing. Appreciation from other people is nice, but it shouldn’t be your motivation.
8 SuccEss Comes Second
Oprah shows us that we shouldn't make our main focus being successful. It's not about the money you make or the fame you have, but rather, about being someone that people care to know about. That significance in life will bring with it great success hopefully.
9 You Are Here for a Reason
We all have that point in life where we're struggling to find our purpose. Just remember these wise words by Oprah and you'll be okay. You may not know what you want to do, but you'll find it just by being here on this planet.
10 Always Be True to Yourself
Its always important to be yourself. Don't ever try to fit in to please others. The more you can accept your true self, the better you'll be at deciding what you want from life, what people you allow in your life, and what is best for you. You won't need to make mistakes because you'll be confident in your decisions and first instinct.
I'm sure there are still more words of wisdom to come from Oprah. Do you think she is a fitting role model for business success or do you look up to someone else?
