DAY 293 - INSPIRATIONAL WEDNESDAY - OPRAH WINFREY

Day 293

You may like her, you may not, but no one can deny the fact that Oprah Winfrey has had a tremendous influence on American society and has helped millions of people improve their life.

A little background

Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her parents were never married. During the first 6 years of her life, she lived in a poor farming community with her grandmother. After the age of six, Winfrey split her time between her mother in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and her father, in Nashville, Tennessee. While living in Milwaukee, she was sexually abused by a number of male relatives and friends of her mother. Winfrey moved to Nashville permanently in 1968.  Secretly pregnant at 14, she prematurely gave birth to a baby that died soon after being born.

While living with her strict father, Winfrey struggled with drugs and rebellious behavior.  She eventually began to settle after being awarded a University Scholarship.

"I knew there was a way out. I knew there was another kind of life because I had read about it. I knew there were other places, and there was another way of being." 

Oprah Winfrey

Winfrey studied at the Tennessee State University where she received a BA in Speech and Performing Arts. Her father's high standards would inspire her to aim for and achieve more from life. She ended up graduating as an honors student.

Through time, talent and perseverance, Oprah Winfrey became one of the most influential people in America.

Unlike many other famous people,  Oprah Winfrey is far from being born with a silver spoon in her mouth.  Along the way, she experienced many setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was "unfit for TV." She never got discouraged, didn't let her past determine her future and worked hard to succeed.

But what is more extraordinary about her story is the way she has used her success to help transform the life of countless people.  She is, beyond all doubt, one of the greatest philanthropists in the 21st century, having given away millions of dollars to various charities.  She has been especially dedicated to supporting educational initiatives and raising awareness of issues that affect women and children, both in the United States and around the globe. Her philanthropic efforts have included Oprah's Angel Network, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which opened in 2007.

Oprah Winfrey serves not only as an example of success, but also as an example of generosity and altruism.  She has lead a very inspiring life.

"What material success does is provide you with the ability to concentrate on other things that really matter. And that is being able to make a difference, not only in your own life, but in other people's lives."

"I don't think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good."

"I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear."

Oprah Winfrey

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