Oprah Winfrey ended her show this week after 22 years of being on air. This is a major milestone for a woman who grew up poor in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She didn't have a privileged childhood by any stretch of the means, yet she finished college at Tennessee State University, where she began her career in broadcasting. Later she changed the way we view the world through The Oprah Winfrey Show. She brought us Dr. Phil and audience give aways. She committed every show to trying to help people and make the world a better place. She was able to accomplish through her career the contribution that most of us want to make to society, helping other people. 

Oprah is an amazing example of someone who could have held herself back with negative self-talk because her childhood environment wasn't perfect. She didn't. Instead she followed her heart and the good within her to impact the world in a positive way. She resisted temptation to take her show in the direction of the Jerry Springer Show with people fighting on stage. She kept her content rich and meaningful to her audience, which set her apart over the years.

Forbes recently named Oprah the 9th most powerful women in the world and  one of the wealthiest black Americans, and has achieved an Oscar nomination in 1985 for her performance in The Color Purple. 

I wrote about Oprah in my book, Views from the 13th Floor: Conversations with My Mentor, because I find her story so inspirational and encouraging.  She affirms that life isn't easy, but that it is possible to persevere.

Thank you for your example and constant affirmation, Oprah. You help us all to know that we can!