Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) is an American media personality and philanthropist. She is one of the richest and most influential women in the United States.
Born into poverty, Winfrey ran away from home at age 13 after being subjected to domestic abuse. At 14, she had a son who was born prematurely and died shortly after birth. Winfrey then made education her top priority, worked as a radio reporter while in high school, and studied broadcasting at Tennessee State University.
At age 22, Winfrey co-anchored the evening news in Baltimore. Two years later, she started co-hosting a talk show called People Are Talking. In 1983, she moved to Chicago to host a 30-minute morning talk show called AM Chicago which was later renamed the Oprah Winfrey Show after her ratings skyrocketed. In 1986, her TV show became nationally syndicated and was broadcast in 138 cities. It became the most popular daytime talk show of all time and ended in 2011. In 1996, Winfrey started her televised book club; each book she selected for her club sold more than 500,000 copies.
Besides being a media mogul, Winfrey is also a prominent philanthropist and has donated to various educational and racial causes. She is the primary benefactor of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.
Winfrey publishes O, The Oprah Magazine and has co-authored five books. Her memoir, The Life You Want, was due in 2017.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Oprah Winfrey
Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: How to Live, Letting Go
Unless you choose to do great things with it, it makes no difference how much you are rewarded, or how much power you have.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Risk, Success
I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that’s how I operate my life.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Racism, Xenophobia, Excellence, Dreams
You’ve got to follow your passion. You’ve got to figure out what it is you love—who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams.
—Oprah Winfrey
I want to use television not only to entertain, but to help people lead better lives.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Vision, Prophecy
The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.
—Oprah Winfrey
You can have it all. Just not all at once.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Fun
What we’re all striving for is authenticity, a spirit-to-spirit connection.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Identity, Individuality
All these years I’ve been feeling like I was growing into myself. Finally, I feel grown.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Individuality, Identity
Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.
—Oprah Winfrey
I believe that everyone is the keeper of a dream—and by tuning into one another’s secret hopes, we can become better friends, better partners, better parents, and better lovers.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Dreams
I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Success
What I’ve learned about being angry with people is that it generally hurts you more than it hurts them.
—Oprah Winfrey
I’m black; I don’t feel burdened by it and I don’t think it is a huge responsibility. It’s part of who I am. It does not define me.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Individuality, Identity
Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Opportunity
I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Individuality, Identity
I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Fear, Failure
Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody is going to know whether you did it or not.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Integrity, Choice
The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Praise, Giving, Celebration, Party, Gratitude
Whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. Only you give it power.
—Oprah Winfrey
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Relationships
There is no paycheck that can equal the feeling of contentment that comes from being the person you are meant to be.
—Oprah Winfrey
Right now you are one choice away from a new beginning—one that leads you toward becoming the fullest human being you can be.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Choice
Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who ever mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Fear, Failure
Every one of us gets through the tough times because somebody is there, standing in the gap to close it for us.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Failure, Fear
You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.
—Oprah Winfrey
In every aspect of our lives, we are always asking ourselves, How am I of value? What is my worth? Yet I believe that worthiness is our birthright.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Identity, Individuality
The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Dreams, Living Well
The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Failure, Fear
You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.
—Oprah Winfrey
Topics: Growth
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