Few people know as well as Oprah Winfrey, also known as the “Queen of Media”, what it means to overcome adversity. Before she became a billionaire with her own television network and the host of one of the most influential shows in the United States, Oprah was once an ordinary journalist who was fired for not having the ideal profile for television.
In other words, there was no place for a Black woman who did not fit the standard physical prototype of a female presenter. Her way of dealing with this setback was to create her own show and go on to own her own network.
It was not an easy road, and later on she had serious trouble getting her project off the ground. But her fighting spirit, her courage and her “never give up” philosophy turned all those setbacks into valuable lessons on how to overcome adversity when it comes. Here are five of her thoughts on the subject, in free translation.
1. On the inevitability of failure
However far you get and however high you climb, at some point you are bound to stumble. If you keep pushing further and further forward, the law of averages says that sooner or later you will trip. And when that happens, I want you to remember this: there is no such thing as failure. Failure is simply life trying to steer us in another direction.
Source: Harvard Gazette
2. On failing more than once
Do the thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. The only people who never fall are the ones who never get up on the tightrope.
A word of caution: do not take this quote out of context, because, as we have said before, some battles, struggles and dreams are lost from the start.
3. On facing hard times
When you are down there at the bottom of the hole, it looks like failure. When that moment comes, it is fine to feel bad for a while. Give yourself time to grieve for what you think you have lost. But then the key is to learn from every mistake, because every experience, and especially your mistakes, is there to teach you and push you to be better than you are.
Source: Harvard Gazette
4. On failure as a blessing in disguise
Challenges are like gifts that force us to find a new centre of gravity. Do not fight them. Just look for a new way to stay on your feet.
Source: Evancarmichael.com
5. The power starts with you
Even if there is tragedy in your life, there is always a chance to triumph. It does not matter who you are or where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you; the power is in you. Always.
Source: Achievement.org (via Evancarmichael.com)
Further reading
- 8 simple keys to business success, from an Olympic athlete turned entrepreneur
- 7 things to keep in mind to make your first million
- 5 things you should do differently if you want to succeed
Featured image: US Embassy South Africa, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
