What Oprah knows for sure...

From her book -

"I take my pleasures seriously. I work hard and play well; I believe in the yin and yang of life. "

"Being aware of, and creating, four-and five-star experiences makes you blessed. For me , just waking up "clothed in my right mind" being able to put my feet the floor, walk to the bathroom and do what needs to be done - there is five stars."

"He who dies with the most toys is still dead."

"Barn's burnt down / Now I can see the moon" - Mizuta Masahide

"Every challenge we take on has the power to knock us to our kness."

"What would I do if I weren't afraid of making a mistake, felling rejected, looking foolish or being alone?"

"Because I know this for sure. Who you're meant to be evolves from where you are right now. So learning to appreciate your lessons, mistakes and setbacks as stepping-stones to the future is a clear sign you are moving in the right direction"

"What do you do when you've done all you can, and it seems like it's never enough? What do you give when you've given your all, and it seems like you can't make it through?" "You just stand."

"What I know for sure is that there is no strength without challenge, resistance and often pain."

"The problems that make you throw up your hands and holler "Mercy" will build your tenacity, courage , discipline and determination." (My comment is sometimes I just get to the mercy part...)

"I've learned to rely on the strength I inherited from all those who came before me - the grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and broters who were tested with unimaginable hardships and still survived. I go forth alone, andstand as ten thousand " Maya Angelou - Our Grandmothers

What were the moments along the way that wounded or scared you? Chances are , you've had a few. But here is what is remarkable: You are still here, still standing.

"There wasn't anything special about her. But she listened, was interested and made me feel special."  A person who had been married 18 years and thought he had a strong moral code.

"I thought I could makepeople approve of me by becoming an achiever. "

"I've seen so many women (myself included) dazed by the idea of romance, believing they're not complete unless they find someone to make their lives whole. When you a think about it, isn't that a crazy notion? You, alone, make a a whole person.And if you feel incomplete, you alone must fill all your empty, shattered spaces with love. "

"And when patience wore thin, I bought earplugs."

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is 'Thank you' it will be enough" Meister eckhart

"Being grateful all the time isn't easy. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: perspective. Gratitude can transform any situation. " In all honestly, this is an aspiration more than anything else, in the face of real hard problems the first words that come to mind are not thank you - yet.

"Dr. Phil often says you can't change what you don't acknowledge. Before I could challenge my fear and begin changing what I believed about myself, I had to admit that, yes, I had always been afraid - and that my fear was a form of slavery. "

"If life teaches you nothing else, know this: When you get the chance, go for it."

"Until one day I got it. While I ws waiting on God, God was waiting on me."

"The truth is that as much as you plan and ream and move forward in your life, you must remember you are always acting in conjunction with the flow and energy of the universe."

"The older I get, the less tolerance I have for pettiness and superficial pursuits. "

"When you choose to see the world as a classroom, you understand that all experiences are here to teach you something about yourself. And that your life's journey is about becoming more of who you are. Another miracle: We all get to shared in the journey. "

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." - Gary Zukav

"Never again will I do do anything for anyone that I do not feel directly from my heart. I will not attend a meeting .... make a phone call....sponsor or participate in any activity in which every fiber of my being does not resound yes. I will act with the intent to be true to myself."

"In buying what we want, we hope to acquire the life we desire... but chasing the life you want by accumulating more stuff is a dead-end street."

"I'd wake up in the morning and decide for myself what to do with the day" as if thinking: imagine, me decide.

"What you do today, creates every tomorrow."

"I've been an overachiever since I was 3. For years I felt the need to show that I belonged here- the need to prove my worth. I worked hard. ...... Whatever your challenge, overeating, indulging in any substance or activity, the losss of a relationship, money, position - let it be an open door to yur holiest revelations about yourself, an invitation to your best life."