How to Be Successful, According to Oprah Winfrey - The Muse

How to Be Successful, According to Oprah Winfrey - The MuseHow to Be Successful, According to Oprah WinfreyYesterday, Oprah Winfrey delivered the commencement address at Smith College. And when Winfrey, who rose from humble beginnings to become a media trailblazer and billionaire, said ...that truly is the secret to my success, its fair to say we all wanted to know what exactly she was referring to.The secret, she explained, is the power of service. But you have to hear her out or risk believing she thinks success equals serving others.Rather, she goes on to recall how, when she asserted that shed only do shows that were in alignment with her truth, she became truly successful. She references best-selling author Gary Zukav, who believes that you have to be aware of what youre good at and what youre therefore meant to do- thats what youre in service of.In other words, shes not making a point about selflessness Shes talking about self-discovery. The question that Winfrey would have eac h of us ask ourselves is How can I be used?Translation What are the unique talents I have to offer? What am I specifically meant to be doing?In many ways, her speech is the roadmap to follow the age-old advice to do what you love. Step 1 Believe in the why behind whatever it is you do. You have to believe youre doing something meaningful. Step 2 Find your unique talents and invest your whole self in service of your goals. You shouldnt feel like you could do your work mindlessly You should be actively using your gifts. Step 3 Prioritize self-care. If you put yourself last and burn out, you wont have anything left for others, let alone the goals youre striving to achieve. Thats how, according to Oprah Winfrey, you too will find fulfillment- which is how she defines success.If youre now in the mood to watch even more inspirational speeches, check outWill Ferrell on why you cant let fear stand in your way in the 2017 address delivered to USCs graduating class.Howard Schultz on three que stions to ask to get ahead in his 2017 speech at Arizona State University.Sheryl Sandberg at UC Berkeley in 2016 discussing the power of resilience.