Today, I’m going to share a very inspiring story with you. I believe that this real-life story can motivates you and inspires you to take even more actions in your life. After I read this story, I felt that I’m not using my full potential in life, and I’m so motivated after reading it.
Have you ever heard of this woman, maybe you have but you didn’t know of her background. This woman was born to an unwed 13 year old mother. Alright, with no father, because her mother was raped and she was the result of the rape. Now if you think of a woman like that would you think that she would have a bright future? Probably not.
So when she was born she was abandoned by her mother. She had no family and she was adopted. But to her misfortune when she was adopted the people who adopted her were irresponsible, were very cruel, they sexually and physically abused her over a period of 15 years. She was forced to take drugs, she was sent to a juvenile home for delinquency.
She went in and out of rehabilitation for cocaine abuse. She was forced to steal. But the sad and ironic thing is this. At 13 year old herself, she was also raped. She got pregnant and she gave birth to a still born child. Now as I told you the story of this woman, would you feel sorry for her? A lot of us would. And let’s say today this woman is a complete wreck, totally depressed, on drugs, would you blame her? A lot of people won’t blame her, they will say it’s not her fault it is the environment.
But what if I tell you what happened to this woman today, she is one of the most successful respected and wealthiest women in the world today. Oprah Winfrey. Have you ever heard of Oprah Winfrey. How many of you have watched her show Oprah Prime Time? Is it inspiring? And on the show she talks about things that inspire people. She talks about social issues; she interviews celebrities like Bill Clinton, Tom Cruise etc.
But that was not how she started. When she started her talk show ten years ago she was a nobody, and being a black woman there was a lot of racism. And when she first started her talk shows, do you know who she interviewed? She interviewed people who had been raped, people who went through emotional trauma. People, who are divorced, people who have attempted suicide. And during her 1 hour talk show, she would inspire and counsel them. And people who have attended her talk show, they would say, “My life is better after talking to her and I will conquer the world”.
And when people saw her show on TV that’s how they became inspired and that’s how she also became as famous as Oprah. The woman can change lives. And recently someone interviewed her. And they asked her, Oprah, what gave you the ability to do what you do today? You know what she said?
It’s because of what happened to me last time. She says it’s because of my tough childhood because of the pain that I went through that it has made me a very strong woman. And today nothing can shake my foundation.
And she said when I look at the difficult issues at society, when I look at people suffering, I can talk about it, and I can connect with all these people, why? Because I can empathize, I was there before. And I can use my life as a role model to change their lives. That’s why I am Oprah Winfrey. So successful people they all believe one thing, it’s not what happens to us that defines who we become. It’s what we choose to do about it. And she also said one thing that really inspired me.
“Whatever happens to us, it happened for a reason.”
Do you believe that things happen for a reason? I don’t know about you, but I believe that everything in life happens for a reason. The worst things that happen to us happen for a reason. But the question is what the reason we want to give ourselves. Do we say for ourselves it is a curse? Or do we say to ourselves that it is a test? (“Why” Is More Important Than “How”)
I will leave this inspiring story for you to digest the meaning in it now. You have to find out the reason for yourself, only you will know why. I hope that this story inspires you as well. So if you were born ‘luckier’ than Oprah today, then make sure that you use your full potential to achieve amazing results in your life.
For more info, visit http://www.oprah.com/
