Success Story of Oprah Winfrey

How many times people were told that they could not achieve their goal of their circumstances, social or ethical position. Besides, 20’s century was that exact place where people were victims by this unacceptable phrase. However, for Oprah Winfrey these words meant nothing. She changed the world for a better place at that time, and changes it now. She says, “… I learned that we all are responsible for ourselves, that you create your own reality by the way you think and therefore act. You cannot blame apartheid, your parents, your circumstances, because you are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.”

To start with, most of the people know her by her syndicated talk show “Oprah Winfrey Show”. However, only least know what trials of life she had to go through to achieve what she has now. In fact, why do people still admire her? Moreover, what are the qualities people look for in role model today?

First of all, she constantly encourages people to not give up and keep dreaming even in the bad times. Obviously, she did not became at once the person she is now. After several defeats, she became only stronger by seeking her dreams. Her life dream was to be a journalist. Although, being a person of colour, it did not prevent her to stop seeking her goal. According to Business Insider, she entered Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville. Certainly, she was criticised, and fired by being “emotionally” invested in her stories, and it been reportedly told her that she was “unfit for television news”. Unquestionably, it did not break her; otherwise, it moved her to greater things. What did she achieve at that time people may ask? Subsequently, she started her own show “Oprah Winfrey Show” and, after several episodes, her ratings were better than Phil Donahue’s were. As Winfrey says, “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” That leads us to the conclusion that “she has been an important role model for black American women, breaking down many invisible barriers”.

Secondly, she taught people that money should be considered by giving them away than receiving them. According to her words, “The reason I’ve been able to be so financially successful is my focus has never, ever for one minute been money.” She is a self-made woman who had humble beginnings and worked her way up. She proved to the world that success is possible with love, determination and hard work. Starting from the beginning, she was born in the poverty, and for the next years, she was living with her grandmother because her mother left her. In addition, starting from the age of nine, a number of male relatives and friends of her mother sexually abused her. Eventually, that left a big mark on her life.

No one as she knows how it is to live in poverty and how hard it was to earn money. Today we can see, that Oprah instead of keeping this huge amount of money for herself that earned from projects such as the OWN Network, O magazine, Oprah Radio, Angel Network, Harpo Films, The Oprah Winfrey book club, she is donating them to people that need them the most. She has helped for girls’ education from South Africa, not to count that she raised a big amount of money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Furthermore, she donates at least ten percent of her massive income to good causes. Emphatically, the most important thing is that she is doing that mostly anonymously.

Taking everything into consideration, I may say that today’s people will follow that person that has moral values and beliefs. Individuality that possess only good things to the world, which has power to change our planet to a better place.