Motivational
Story of the Week: Oprah Winfrey from Zero to Hero
Sexually abused at 9;
Ran away from home at 13; pregnant at 14; Beauty queen at 17; abused drugs in
her 20s; first black American woman on National T.V in America and Millionaire
at 32. Sounds strange but true.
Zero to Hero: Oprah
Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey one of
the most respected Black American women in the world started out a deprived
black American girl in the poor city of Kosciusko, Mississippi to unmarried
lovers. She started her early education in the kitchen of grandmother because
her maid mother could not afford formal education. Her grandmother, Hattie Mae
Lee, was so poor that Oprah often wore dresses made of potato sacks, for which
the local children made fun of her.
At 14 after the death of her son shortly after his birth; Oprah was shipped off to her father Nashville Tennessee; who was strict and made education her priority. She went on to high school and became the teachers’ pet but that did not stop her falling into some tumultuous relationships. That introduced her back to hardship.
Determined to make her life work, at 17 she entered a local beauty pageant and won Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant; becoming the most popular girl in school. She also attracted the attention of the local black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do the news part-time. She worked there during her senior year of high school, and again while in her first two years of college.
In 1983, Winfrey relocated to Chicago to host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago. The first episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took over, the show went from last place in the ratings to overtaking all talk-shows as the highest rated talk show in Chicago. It was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show, expanded to a full hour, and broadcast nationally beginning September 8, 1986. (Lesson Learned: you are only a failure if you fail to try)
Today 26 years later; Winfrey is "arguably the world's most powerful woman" by CNN and Time.com, "arguably the most influential woman in the world" by the American Spectator, "one of the 100 people who most influenced the 20th Century" and "one of the most influential people" of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 by Time.
So now you know it is not how highly placed your birth is but, what you decide to make of your life. If you sit down and wallow in self pity you would amount to nothing and life would move on without you. Remember, it is not over until you say so…
At 14 after the death of her son shortly after his birth; Oprah was shipped off to her father Nashville Tennessee; who was strict and made education her priority. She went on to high school and became the teachers’ pet but that did not stop her falling into some tumultuous relationships. That introduced her back to hardship.
Determined to make her life work, at 17 she entered a local beauty pageant and won Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant; becoming the most popular girl in school. She also attracted the attention of the local black radio station, WVOL, which hired her to do the news part-time. She worked there during her senior year of high school, and again while in her first two years of college.
In 1983, Winfrey relocated to Chicago to host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago. The first episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took over, the show went from last place in the ratings to overtaking all talk-shows as the highest rated talk show in Chicago. It was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show, expanded to a full hour, and broadcast nationally beginning September 8, 1986. (Lesson Learned: you are only a failure if you fail to try)
Today 26 years later; Winfrey is "arguably the world's most powerful woman" by CNN and Time.com, "arguably the most influential woman in the world" by the American Spectator, "one of the 100 people who most influenced the 20th Century" and "one of the most influential people" of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 by Time.
So now you know it is not how highly placed your birth is but, what you decide to make of your life. If you sit down and wallow in self pity you would amount to nothing and life would move on without you. Remember, it is not over until you say so…
MY OPINION
I think it’s really
inspiring how someone can be so strong like her. I mean, it’s not like everyone
could when through what she when through, and become one of the most valuable
host the world ever has. So, her life teach us that no matter how hard and
tough life could be, you just have to face it and become stronger.
