5 Things Oprah taught me

Oprah Winfrey doesn’t need an introduction.   She is one of the most inspiring and respected business leaders and philanthropists in the world.  At the heart of every thing she does, is the philosophy that her activities, her brand and her decisions must flow from the truth of herself.

12-4-2015 Adelaide-"An Evening With Oprah"

I had the opportunity to meet with Oprah on the 4th of December 2015 in Adelaide, and wanted to share what I learned from her.

Oprah’s true passion lies in education, she believes education is the path to freedom.  She often speaks of the joy she experiences when she gets to be a part of an ‘a-ha moment’ – the moment when someone learns something new and says, “oh, I never thought of it that way”.

Here are my top five Oprah ‘A-ha’ Moments

1. “The only thing keeping me from getting what I want is the story I keep telling myself about why it can’t happen”.

   
   Before I started You Legal, I knew what I wanted.  I wanted balance.  I wanted to be a mother and a corporate lawyer, and I told myself a million reasons why I simply could not have it all; I didn’t have enough time, I have to meet the expectations of the law firm.  Sometimes you simply have to choose.

   But I was telling myself the wrong story, and once I changed that story.  I started telling myself how it could happen.  I dared to imagine, and that is the moment You Legal was born.

2. “Wherever you are in life, whatever space you hold, whatever your status is, you have the power to give back from where you are”.

   
   It is easy to look at Oprah’s infinite resources and convince yourself that you can’t possibly make a difference in the world, and you sell yourself a story.  My income is too small and my mortgage is too big.  I have two children to put through school.  I am time poor.  But the truth is, Oprah is right.

   Oprah’s platform may be a little larger, ok A LOT larger, but as she says, ‘every life has a platform’.  I think we all need to ask ourselves, what is my purpose and how can I give effect to that purpose from my platform.

3. “Luck is preparation meeting the moment of opportunity”.

   
   Luck alone does not bring success.  In order to be truly lucky, you must study, learn, reach out, engage and prepare!  When you are prepared, then you will see moments of opportunity ready for the taking.

4. “I live by the third law of motion in physics: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”.

   
   While we know Newton wasn’t talking philosophy, the law of motion holds true for almost everything we do in life.  When you act out of personal integrity and honesty you will experience an equal and opposite reaction.

   This is not to be confused with the ripple effect, or ‘Oprah Effect’ as it has come to be known.  When a single person creates a positive change in the world, we often see it ripple through the community and to the world at large.

5. “What is the next right move? Don’t look at everything… just look at the next right move. And then the next right move”.

   
   It’s important to hold the big picture in mind and to know where you are going, but it is often overwhelming and you will always have to make difficult choices along the way.

   Oprah often talks about how her very best decisions have been those she made when she was attuned to the next right move.  Listen to what feels right for this decision and take the move.  And then the next.  And then the next.  And before you know you are at the top of the Forbes most influential people list running your own empire.