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Check out the New Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/getouttheboxinc
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Last night I had the privilege to watch Oprah Winfrey present her master class on her (OWN) Oprah Winfrey Network.
What made Oprah Winfrey’s rise from where she was to where she is now so spectacular is the fact that she was born at a time when people of her race had huge odds stacked against them.
As she herself pointed out, she was born in Mississippi, which was regarded as the most racist state in the United States of America.
Not only was Winfrey black, but she was also a female which counted against her. But she made it in spite of that, and in her master class she laid out the pointers… the principles that helped her to change her life.
She took us through her life and documented key moments and the lessons she learned from each.
The following is what stood out the most for me and that I wish to share it with you.
1. A Bigger Force
Recognize that there is a force, so much bigger than you that want the best for you. Recognize that you’re part of a master design and that you are here for a reason.
By figuring out your purpose here on earth and tapping into it you begin to flow with the bigger design of the Universe, rather than against it. When you do this, even your so-called mistakes turn out to be the best move you could have made.
“What God intended for you goes far beyond anything you can imagine.”
Oprah Winfrey
2. Become Excellent
When you do the absolute best you can, people notice and this puts you in the best possible place for the next step. Oprah gave an example of how when she was given an assignment to complete, which she completed in half the time given. This surprised her superiors who went and told others about it.
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
Oprah Winfrey
3. Be yourself
When she started as a journalist Oprah looked up at Barbara Walters who was already an accomplished journalist at the time. And as so many of us often do, she tried to imitate Barbara but felt like a fake. When she tried to be herself, she found that she felt good and the viewers appreciated her better. That’s when she decided, “I can be a better Oprah Winfrey than a pretend Barbara Walters.”
4. Learn from your experiences
Oprah says, every life has a story. Not only does every life have a story, but there is something to be learned from every story and experience. Oprah firmly believes, as do I, that everything that happened in your life is, including your failures are preparing you for your future.
“Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success.”
~ Napoleon Hill
5. Be prepared
Oprah firmly believes that “luck is preparedness meeting opportunity.” However you cannot be prepared until you proactively take steps to better yourself in every area of your life. Only when you’re prepared can you be strong, confident and assertive.
6. Stand up for yourself
Oprah recounted how the radio station she worked for wanted her to first change her name, because they claimed it didn’t fit in with their promotional campaign. Of course she refused. Thereafter they claimed her hair were too big and wanted her to cut it, and again she refused.
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“Get busy today folks! If you’re a gardener and you’re clothes aint dirty by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life!!” -Rev Run
“Do what you love, and the money will follow” -Rev Run
“Be alive! see what u want! DO NOT lose your fascination! What your fascinated with becomes fastened to you!” -Rev Run
“You can not change the past (BUT) your future is spotless!” -Rev Run
“Envy is the ulcer of the soul.” -Rev Run
“Never come down off your chariot to fight those who are throwing tomatoes” -Rev Run
“Hope hard!!! Sadness, disappointment and despair HAVE TO FLEE in the presence of HOPE!” -Rev Run
“Striving 4 success without hard work is like looking for fruit in places that you didnt plant seeds! Useless!” -Rev Run
“Going solo can leave you SO LOW! With team there are no little i’s or big U’s, with Team T-ogether E-veryone A-chieves M-ore!” -Rev Run
“STAY FOCUSED! Do not become distracted! (A distraction is a fascination to an inappropriate attraction!” -Rev Run
“Take control of ur day now! (Manage your emotions or THEY WILL manage you!)” -Rev Run
“Who said nice guys finish last? Nice guys finish before the race even gets started.” -Rev Run
When you doubt your power you give power to doubt. -Rev Run
“It’s not lonely at the top,, IF YOU HELP SOMEBODY GET THERE ” -Rev Run
“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life..” -Rev Run
“we dont stop playin becuz we grow old.. we grow old becuz we stop playin”.. go play! -Rev Run
“a wise man once said “Puttin small things off gives u chance to turn a small issue into a full blow crises. ” -Rev Run
“whatever responsibilities you put behind you, will be waiting for you down the road” -Rev Run
“Patience is the ART of hoping” -Rev Run
“In my house we have two choices, be happy or be happy” -Rev Run
“Swing 2 knock the ball out da park!!! U should be sayin (“Shoot! After my spectacular failures ORDINARY SUCCESS WILL NOT DO!!)” -Rev Run
“Dont be to quick to judge… Praise people LOUDLY but blame them softly” -Rev Run
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and the end of human existence” -Rev Run
“A wise man said “Its not a lack of love that ruins a marriage relationship its a lack of friendship” -Rev RUn
“Its nice to be important but its more important to be nice.” -Rev Run
“Good morn. Get up! Rock da house!!!! Once you’ve lost confidence “YOU’VE LOST!” -Rev Run
“Everybody carries a burden, how you carry it is what counts” -Rev Run
Yea I get drama sumtimes but I'm not IMPRESSED!!!! Neva let difficulties impress u then they won't oppress u or depress u!-Rev Run
Stop telling God how big ur problems are & start telling ur problems how BIG ur God is!
If you've been under attack,,,Get ready for a blessing attack! (Its Inevitable)
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Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leave you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing, and listen as heaven whispers, “Do you like it? I did it just for you.” – Max Lucado
To lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back on the crowd. – Max Lucado
Find joy in the ordinary. – Max Lucado
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning… Face it, friend. He is crazy about you! – Max Lucado
No one can pray and worry at the same time. – Max Lucado
Just when the truth about life sinks in, His truth starts to surface. He takes us by the hand and dares us not to sweep the facts under the rug but to confront them with him at our side. – Max Lucado
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. – Max Lucado
Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional. – Max Lucado
Want to snatch a day from the manacles of boredom? Do overgenerous deeds, acts beyond reimbursement. Kindness without compensation. Do a deed for which you cannot be repaid. – Max Lucado
The next time you find yourself alone in a dark alley facing the undeniables of life, don’t cover them with a blanket, or ignore them with a nervous grin. Don’t turn up the TV and pretend they aren’t there. Instead, stand still, whisper his name, and listen. He is nearer than you think. – Max Lucado
God is able to accomplish, provide, help, save, keep, subdue… He is able to do what you can’t. He already has a plan. God’s not bewildered. Go to Him. – Max Lucado
Our Saviour kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, ‘I can clean that if you want.’ And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin. – Max Lucado
Two types of voices command your attention today. Negative ones fill your mind with doubt, bitterness, and fear. Positive ones purvey hope and strength. Which one will you choose to heed? – Max Lucado
Jesus gives us hope because He keeps us company, has a vision and knows the way we should go. – Max Lucado
Though the Bible was written over sixteen centuries by at least forty authors, it has one central theme–salvation through faith in Christ. – Max Lucado
If today were your last, would you do what you’re doing? Or would you love more, give more, forgive more? Then do so! Forgive and give as if it were your last opportunity. Love like there’s no tomorrow, and if tomorrow comes, love again. – Max Lucado
What you and I might rate as an absolute disaster, God may rate as a pimple-level problem that will pass. He views your life the way you view a movie after you’ve read the book. When something bad happens, you feel the air sucked out of the theater. Everyone else gasps at the crisis on the screen. Not you. Why? You’ve read the book. You know how the good guy gets out of the tight spot. God views your life with the same confidence. He’s not only read your story…he wrote it. – Max Lucado
When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want? Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in rereading your financial statement? Of course not. What will matter then will be people. If relationships will matter most then, shouldn’t they matter most now? – Max Lucado
Meet your fears with faith. – Max Lucado
To call yourself a child of God is one thing. To be called a child of God by those who watch your life is another thing altogether. – Max Lucado
For you who wonder if you’ve played too long to change, take courage from Jacob’s legacy. No man is too bad for God. To transform a riverboat gambler into a man of faith would be no easy task. But for God, it was all in a night’s work. – Max Lucado
The presence of fear does not mean you have no faith. Fear visits everyone. But make your fear a visitor and not a resident. – Max Lucado
Mark it down. You will never go where God is not. – Max Lucado
People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say. – Max Lucado
Here’s what you need to keep in mind. You no longer have yesterday. You do not yet have tomorrow. You have only today. This is the day the Lord has made. Live in it. – Max Lucado
Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realising you were the prisoner! – Max Lucado
A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her. – Max Lucado
If you knew that only a few would care that you came, would you still come? If you knew that those you loved would laugh in your face, would you still care? If you knew that the tongues you made would mock you, the mouths you made would spit at you, the hands you made would crucify you, would you still make them? Christ did. – Max Lucado
Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right. – Max Lucado
You are the only you God made… God made you and broke the mold. – Max Lucado
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Like King George, we all have problems. You may have a particular problem right now that looms in front of you like one of Ebenezer Scrooge’s ghostly visitors. The first step in overcoming a problem is to admit it exists. King George acknowledged his problem. He didn’t hide from it, blame others, or try to make excuses.
When we face problems in our own lives, we have to look them in the eye, take ownership of them, and set out to find the solution. Pointing fingers never accomplishes a darn thing. Even if King George had a specific person in his life who he felt caused his problem – what good would pointing the finger at him or her do? What good would come from unleashing hate and revenge? Wouldn’t the speech problem still exist?
Why waste that kind of energy?
If you have a particular problem in your life, stop concerning yourself with the Why’s, Who’s, and How Come’s. In the time some people spend chastising and belittling others for not “measuring up,” they could create a masterpiece in their own life.
Shouldn’t that be the plan?
Don’t find blame. Find answers. Acknowledge your problem and accept it as that: YOUR problem.
Was the heat ever on poor King George?! He had the speech of his life coming up! George had a lifetime of struggles with this cursed problem, and each time he’d squared off against the enemy (his speech problem), it had won. It had the last laugh – each time. How could he DARE hope this time would be any different? His people, and the country he dearly loved, needed him now more than ever before and he was up to his crown in a pressure cooker.
Most of us know the feeling, whether a crown is or isn’t on top of our head. Finances, relationships, careers, education, mortgages, health, challenges…. We all feel pressure. Sometimes we put it on ourselves, and other times someone else has the honor.
This the intersection where most people jump off the road.
When she was around 3 or 4, our daughter Brittany was sick with one of those lovely wintertime viruses. The kind that aren’t serious but make you feel seriously sick. For this little live wire, being sick was a complete and utter inconvenience and seeing her so lifeless broke all of our hearts! I remember the entire scene just like it was yesterday. She had on a little yellow gown with Snow White (with her elves in tow) on the front. I had made a comfortable place for her in the den with pillows behind her, orange juice nearby, and cartoons on the tv. I’d given her her favorite coloring books and crayons but she didn’t even have the energy to color.
My dad, who knew one of his little angels was sick, came by on his lunch break. He’d brought something special for her (and her sisters) but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was. The gown I’m all over, but what the loving grandfather brought isn’t clear. (Just like a female to remember the clothes!) He sat on the floor beside her and said, “How do you feel baby?”
Brittany weakly said, “A little bit good and a whole bunch bad.” I laughed. My dad melted.
Anyway, Pressure feels a little good and a whole bunch bad. On second thought, maybe it doesn’t feel good at all. Which is why so many bail when it hits.
As I said earlier, who knows what would have happened if King George had been a quitter instead of a fighter.
This one’s obvious. We have to have a purpose in life! If we have a problem that stands between us and our purpose – the answer’s pretty clear, the problem has to go. King George’s purpose was great: He had to be the king his nation needed him to be. In the face of war, his people needed someone they could count on, someone with conviction in his voice. King George purposed in his heart to become that person.
He didn’t look at the circumstances and didn’t allow the problem or the pressure to keep him down. He decided that his PURPOSE carried more weight than either his PROBLEM or his PRESSURE.
That’s exactly what we all must determine. Purpose > Problem and Purpose > Pressure. Not Purpose = Problem or Purpose = Pressure and darn sure not Purpose < Problem or Purpose < Pressure.
Every now and then I just like to prove to my math teachers that, contrary to popular belief, sometimes I actually did pay attention.
There are many sources of power – and there’s no way on earth (or off) I’d ever try to lessen any of them. Whether it’s the single greatest power on earth (from God, Himself), the power that can change the world (Love), or the power that defies all reason (the power of family and friends) – power is all around us. When we want to do great things or overcome great obstacles, we’d be smart to call upon all the power we can. It’s always my first course of action!
King George had a very powerful team in Lionel and Elizabeth. Without them, I’m not 100 percent sure the speech would have gone as well as it did. However, for the purpose of this post, I want to address the power that, had it been absent, I AM 100 percent sure the speech would have failed…
The power from within. King George would not have… could not have…. achieved anything great solely on the power from Lionel or Elizabeth. You and I can not… will not… achieve anything great solely on the power from those around us.
The kind of power it takes to move obstacles and jump over hurdles comes from deep inside. Sometimes you have to dig deep. Sometimes, like King George, years and years of disappointment and pain build up a wall of resistance. Our defenses are up, so to speak. Renovations often have to take place inside before we can take the first step. King George had to dig deep – PAST pain, humiliation, disappointment, embarrassment, and shame.
What he found on the other side of all THAT was THIS – power to overcome and power to have the last laugh.
The power is inside all of us, we simply have to dig deep and find it. Once we have acknowledged our problem, have gone toe to toe and nose to nose with pressure, determined our purpose, and gotten in touch with our power… it’s time to lay it all on the line!
That’s right, it’s time to plan. You know the saying, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Whatever it is you want to accomplish, don’t sit on the sidelines, waiting for it to happen. Remember the little girl on the couch a few paragraphs ago? Let’s just say she doesn’t wear Snow White gowns anymore. She is still beautiful, hilarious, full of life though. It still breaks my heart to see her sick and… yes, she is still my baby. Always will be. A few days ago we were talking about something in particular and I basically asked her if she was planning for it. She laughed and said that she guessed she just thought it’d happen.
As someone who all too often operates the exact same way, I had to laugh too.
Whatever it is you want in life, or from life, requires a plan. If you do nothing else today – I hope you’ll think about one particular goal and literally write out a plan to make it happen. I want you to have that goal – unless, of course, your goal includes defeating my beloved St. Louis Cardinals – then I’d have to lovingly say I hope you come up short!
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I don’t guess any of us can hear that often enough.
The first part of any journey can be the toughest – whether it’s a journey to lose weight, launch a business, overcome a destructive habit, or conquer stuttering in order to deliver the speech of a lifetime. Setting out on the course takes a great deal of courage. Standing up to pressure without batting an eye takes conviction. Digging deep for power and purpose takes strength. Making a plan takes boldness.
Wouldn’t it be a shame of epic proportions to achieve all of THAT just to throw it all away. Whew, fortunately that never happens, right? No one ever loses weight just to gain it back. No one ever quits smoking just to pick the habit up all over again. No one ever squanders a fortune they worked years for or throws away a good name they spent a lifetime earning…
Right??!?! Right? Oh. That’s right, it happens all the time.
A lot of people excel at planning, some are even wonderful at addressing problems and dreaming up solutions. There are even some people who could light up a major city with the power they generate. However, few… precious few… have what it takes to really make it to the finish line because they start strong and finish weak. They have the boldness to begin but lack the conviction to follow through and the courage to finish.
Make no mistake about it, perseverance is the most important mile marker of the six. Why? Simple – she has the power to undo ALL of the others. Years of overcoming obstacles, powering through pressure, silencing critics, and achieving your wildest dreams can all be wiped out by this one mile marker. She can make it as though none of it ever happened – sending you right back to the start.
Don’t let this happen to you. Think of it this way: By perseverance, the snails reached the ark. Can’t you picture the diminutive couple as the sky began to turn dark? As other larger, decidedly faster animals gracefully made their way to safety, it would have been easy for the speed-challenged snails to pucker up and kiss their tails goodbye. They could’ve thought, “Well, life’s been sweet but this is where we check out.”
Not an option.
They set out – slow and steady – for their destination. That journey must have gotten tedious fast! Watching hundreds of legs sprint past couldn’t have been fun, but they kept on keeping on. The snails knew the right time and the right place to quit.
How about you? Do you know the right time and the right place to quit? Think about that for a second.
If you answered, “When you get to your goal… when you have success… that’s the right time and place to quit,” you may be surprised to hear that you’re not just wrong, you’re dead wrong.
The right answer is NEVER. It is NEVER the right time or the right place to quit. The minute you think you can sit back, put your feet up, and bask in your victory is the minute you begin sliding back to the start line. Keep digging deep, keep finding the power inside, keep your purpose in front of you, and use pressure to work FOR you. Let it propel you further down the road than you’d be able to go on your own.
Look pressure in the eye and say, “Thanks! I needed that push.” That ought to catch him off guard.
When you need answers, find them. When you need a plan, make it. When action is called for, take it. Most importantly, remember the right time and the right place to quit. NEVER!
Article written by Joi
selfhelpdaily.com
