I just unearthed this commencement speech media mogul Oprah Winfrey made to the class of 2012 at Howard University and my oh my, what a powerful speech! If this doesn’t cement Oprah’s position as queen of inspiration, then I don’t know what will. Every word, sentence that she uttered just basically dripped inspiration. I was left in awe. These are some of the take homes I got from the video, please watch it and get all these nuggets of wisdom from this amazing lady.
- Know who you are and what you want
You are not your job, you are not your relations but you are a child of God and understanding that because you are connected to the source of all that is, all that is possible, is possible for you. You can have and be whatever you ask for. As for what you want, Oprah encourages the students not to just strive to be great and leave a legacy, but rather to fulfill the promise that the creator dreamed when HE created them. How do they do that? By simply living to the highest and truest expression of themselves as human beings. Also have a vision because according to Oprah, you have to be in the driver’s seat of your life or else life will drive you.
- Find a way to serve
Fame fades fast but service and significance that you bring to your service is what lasts. Oprah encouraged the graduands to use their knowledge in their respective fields to serve humanity. All successful people in the world have one thing in common which is their service. - Always do the right thing
Excel in whatever you do, people notice. Let excellence be your brand. When you are excellent people remember you and you become unforgettable. Doing the right thing will always bring the right thing to you, such is the third law of life. Whatever you give out comes back to you.
However the most important thing about success that she knows is that people don’t always like you and are not happy for you. They become fearful of you because you are reflecting to them something that they don’t recognize. They won’t admit to their fear but instead they will question with cynicism “Who does she think she is?” People who want the best for you want you to be your best, so surround yourself with people that will fill your cup.
