“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.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“You get to know who you really are in a crisis.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“Think back for a moment on your own history -- not just where you were born or where you grew up, but the circumstances that contributed to your being right here, right now. What were the moments along the way that wounded or scared you? Chances are, you've had a few. But here's what's remarkable: You are still here, still standing.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“The big secret in life is there is no secret. Whatever your goal. You can get there if you're willing to work.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“There is one irrefutable law of the universe: We are each responsible for our own life.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“As long as other people's opinions matter more than your own, you're owned by them. You're not even free.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“Your calling isn’t something that somebody can tell you about. It’s what you feel. It is the thing that gives you juice. The thing that you are supposed to do. And nobody can tell you what that is. You know it inside yourself.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“I’ve learned not to worry about what might come next.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“You did the best you could, the best you knew how at the time." It was something like that. From Oprah on an Oprah show. Then I believe my quote above was from Maya Angelou on the Oprah show, not Oprah herself. I had heard it before but it was on Oprah's show again 1-7-09 and she said Maya had said it.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“Don't worry about becoming successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“What you believe has more power than what you dream or wish or hope for. You become what you believe.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance. What I know for sure is that every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and step out and dance—to live free of regret and filled with as much joy, fun, and laughter as you can stand. 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.”
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Oprah Winfrey
“You face the biggest challenge of all: to have the courage to seek your big dream regardless of what anyone says. You are the only person alive who can see your big picture and even you can't see it all.”
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Oprah Winfrey