It’s no secret that we draw a lot of inspiration from Oprah’s struggles and success. We love that she’s openly shared her journey with the world and is always so dedicated to helping others grow. If there’s one thing we know we all struggle with, it’s failure and so why not get advice from someone who’s experienced and overcome it so spectacularly? Here’s what we can learn from Oprah about failing forward.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.”
Oprah definitely hasn’t had an easy life. Being born into poverty, experiencing sexual abuse as a child, falling pregnant at 14 years old and losing her child shortly after giving birth are some of the many traumatic experiences that Oprah has encountered in her life. Despite all these hardships, she didn’t allow anything to stand in her way or to determine the outcome of her future. She soldiered on and triumphed. Today, she tries to inspire
the same level of determination and mindset in everyone she meets. The lesson here is that no matter who you are, you can create a better future for yourself and you will if you put your mind to it. Your circumstances don’t define your or determine your future.
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.”
Oprah has taken risks in her career that she didn’t know would pay off at the time. Her self-belief and determination to succeed allowed her to take the risk and put in the work. This has often come with criticism and failure, but she’s always believed in her ability to stand up and keep going after a failure.
“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.”
Oprah started doing big things at the age of 17 when she won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant, which was the steppingstone to multiple deals and a fruitful career in media. At an age where it’s normal to be finding yourself, Oprah was thrust into the spotlight and expected to make it work. How did she not stumble? She did. She was demoted, but she didn’t stay down. She knew what she had to offer, so she stayed on the show and continued to work hard to create the level of success she deserved.
Oprah is exactly what many of us aspire to be: successful, inspirational, confident, fearless and wealthy. While there’s nothing wrong with aspiring to be these things, it’s important to know that failure is unavoidable on the way to success. That’s why we encourage you to use examples like Oprah to keep you motivated and remind you to not give up when the going gets tough.
