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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