“Beginning when we are girls, most of us are taught to deflect praise. We apologize for our accomplishments. We try to level the field with our family and friends by downplaying our brilliance. We settle for the passenger’s seat when we long to drive. That’s why so many of us have been willing to hide our light as adults. Instead of being filled with all the passion and purpose that enable us to offer our best to the world, we empty ourselves in an effort to silence our critics. The truth is that the naysayers in your life can never be fully satisfied. Whether you hide or shine, they’ll always feel threatened because they don’t believe they are enough. So stop paying attention to them. Every time you suppress some part of yourself or allow others to play you small, you are ignoring the owner’s manual your Creator gave you. What I know for sure is this: You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more. To be more splendid. To be more extraordinary. To use every moment to fill yourself up.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools (in America) that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there. If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“...experienced things that caused you to deemed yourself unworthy. Healing the wounds of the past is one of the biggest and most worthwhile challenges of life. It’s important to know when and how you were programed so you can change the program. In doing so is your responsibility no one else’s.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“Everything happens for a reason, even when we are not wise enough to see it. When there is no struggle, there is no strength.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“One of my greatest lessons has been to fully understand that what looks like a dark patch in the quest for success is the universe pointing you in a new direction. Anything can be a miracle, a blessing, an opportunity if you choose to see it that way.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“As long as other people's opinions matter more than your own, you're owned by them. You're not even free.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“French philosopher-priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“You can either waltz boldly onto the stage of life and live the way you know your spirit is nudging you to, or you can sit quietly by the wall, receding into the shadows of fear and self-doubt.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“Whenever I’m faced with a difficult decision, I ask myself: What would I do if I weren’t afraid of making a mistake, feeling rejected, looking foolish, or being alone? I know for sure that when you remove the fear, the answer you’ve been searching for comes into focus. And as you walk into what you fear, you should know for sure that your deepest struggle can, if you’re willing and open, produce your greatest strength.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“You can only be as happy as your saddest child.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“At different times in our journeys, if we’re paying attention, we get to sing the song we’re meant to sing in the perfect key of life.”
―
Oprah Winfrey
“I want every day to be a fresh start on expanding what is possible.”
―
Oprah Winfrey