May 6. 2014
Day 6 of 30 Days of Greatness. Today Oprah Winfrey
Billionaire Oprah Winfrey is best known for hosting her own internationally popular talk show from 1986 to 2011. She is also an actress, philanthropist, publisher and producer.
30 Lessons from Oprah Winfrey
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Her success was built on the fact that she understood where the broad section of her market was.
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Be consistently brilliant- Time Magazines 100 Most influential list from 1994-2007
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We are all beacons of light for each other- light it up!
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Have Faith- Daily prayer “God use me, use me until I am used up”
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Every human being that comes, comes called!
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Inspire people around you to lead better lives, to reach for their highest vision possible.
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I know what it feels like to be Poor, I know what it feels like to be abounded, I know what it feels like to not be wanted, I know what it feels like to not be loved, and yet possess yearning, a passion, a desire and a hope for something better.
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Stike the vision- She always knew that she was destined for something greater
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In 1980 Oprah was earning $22,000 and her male co-anchor was earning $53,000 for the same role. When we asked her boss for equal pay his response was “Why should you get paid the same as he does. Her response “I’ll show ya’”
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When she launched the Oprah Winfrey show in 1985 her team of “women” were being paid so little that she approached her new boss and asked for more money for the team. His response “No, they’re all women”. This was a turning point in Winfrey’s life where she decided to launch Harpo enterprises and in 1997 took ownership of the show.
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The Power of Intention! On day one of the Oprah Winfrey show, she set an intention to “Validate women, to say you matter, if you’ve been divorced, if you’ve been abused you are not just circumstances that happen to you, you are the full potential of what’s possible.”
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Be a beacon of hope- When you see other people who have gone through the worst and survived it lets you know you can!
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Know what you want and be willing to work as hard as anybody who’s ever lived to get it.
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Friendship: Being a good friend for me is staying open to giving as well as receiving
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You gota’ know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away and know when to run
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Never Call In Sick! You have a responsibility, obligation and reverence for the people relying on you!
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Model Excellence- She modelled Barbara Walters when she started in the business and puts her success down to watching her idol and modelling her behaviour
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Use your gift- When you use your voice to connect with people there is no greater gift
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Secret to discovering talent: Find the thread of authenticity
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Everything has to make sense to you, if it doesn’t say STOP and ask is this who I really am?
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Diet: Overeating for Oprah was a reflection of unbalanced lifestyle and a comfort for stress.
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I am seeking the fullest expression of my self as a human being
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Intention is everything- “Do not bring me a show unless you have clearly thought about the intension of the action show. The Intension will impact on the outcome, reaction and result.”
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Fear- “I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.”
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Work = Fun “You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it. When you’re doing the work you’re meant to do, it feels right and every day is a bonus, regardless of what you’re getting paid… What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come.”
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How to define success? “Let me tell you, money’s pretty nice. But having a lot of money does not automatically make you a successful person. What you want is money and meaning. You want your work to be meaningful, because meaning is what brings the real richness to your life.”
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The Secret to her success…Oprah remained the most watched daytime television host for over two decades. One of the reasons she was able to maintain and grow her media empire over such an extended period was her ability to maintain an emotional and personal connection with her audience, despite her tremendous wealth and power. As she said on numerous occasions, “I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.”
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One night Oprah woke up gasping for air gripped by “fear” about whether to launch her OWN Network. She asked herself a very powerful question “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”- She launched OWN!
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Compassion. Understanding and Connection! People need to see themselves in you.
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Raise Your Greatness: “I come as one but I stand as 10,000!”
Calvin “Authentic” Coyles