What Are Some Inspirational Sayings from Oprah Winfrey?

By
Updated January 15, 2021

One of Oprah Winfrey’s most inspirational sayings shows what she thinks about attitudes:

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”

Many of the quotes from Oprah Winfrey can help you learn a bit about her life.

Inspiration from Oprah Winfrey

The following quotes from Oprah Winfrey show what she feels about a variety of topics:

Our Individual Selves

  • 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 never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.
  • It isn't until you come to a spiritual understanding of who you are - not necessarily a religious feeling, but deep down, the spirit within - that you can begin to take control.
  • Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.
  • Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.

Striving for Excellence/Importance of Integrity

  • Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.
  • I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that's how I operate my life.
  • Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.

Life in General/Living it to the Fullest

  • I believe that every single event in life happens as an opportunity to choose love over fear.
  • Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
  • Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.
  • The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.
  • The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
  • When I look into the future, it's so bright it burns my eyes.
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Biography of Oprah Winfrey

Here is one more of Oprah Winfrey’s inspirational sayings that shows what she thinks about being an African American:

"I'm black, I don't feel burdened by it and I don't think it's a huge responsibility. It's part of who I am. It does not define me.”

So what does define her? Read about Oprah's life to find out more:

  • Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi on January 29, 1954 to a poor, unwed, young mother.
  • Her grandmother raised her and taught her to read at the age of three.
  • She went to live in Milwaukee where it was even rougher for her and she ran away at the age of 13.
  • She was sent to a detention home; but, she was released when there was not enough room, so she found the man she believed to be her biological father in Nashville and had a home again at the age of 14.
  • In her father's home she had discipline, a good home structure and high values placed on education.
  • She graduated from high school and from Tennessee State University.
  • She got a job reading the news part-time for WVOL.
  • When she was 19, she was the first black female news anchor in Nashville. She had a talk show, “People Are Talking” in Baltimore and then moved to Chicago in 1984 to host “A.M. Chicago” at Channel 7.
  • Soon the name was changed to “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Not to be limited by only being a talk show host, she played the role of Sophia in the film The Color Purple which earned her several nominations.
  • Oprah formed Harpo Productions in 1986, later started the Oprah Book Club, and launched O, the Oprah Magazine.
  • She is a philanthropist and fighter for civil rights. She won the Freedom Award in 2005 from the National Civil Rights Museum.
  • In 2010, she received the Kennedy Center Honors for being one of the individuals who “have spent their lives enriching, inspiring and elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world" - Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein.

So, now you know what some inspirational sayings from Oprah Winfrey are, as well as more about Oprah's life.