Book: What I Know For Sure - Oprah Winfrey

Oh the darling Oprah. She's like your best friend, sister, mother who guides you every step of the way in times of confusion and unknown. 

I read this book when I first started my job at Barclays. During this time, I felt like a small little innocent rabbit among a sea of sharks that are hungry for money and power. Lost as I was in this new world, I wanted to understand it more and know what is the attraction of it all to people who aspire to the tall grey buildings and hoping that they or their children could also one day end up in the big city. Yes, it was exciting, but I was the newbie and the pressure was high. I knew that this would be my biggest challenge to date, the struggle was real. I came home and would read the comforting words of Oprah and watch her videos – what an inspirational woman! She helped me to carry on. She too, went through rejection, loss, confusion and all the lovely difficulties you get in this thing called life.

So here I share with you the highlights that helped me through some dark days. The book is so easy to digest, full of short anecdotes and reflections, and quotes. It is separated into a few topics of Joy, Resilience, Connection, Gratitude, Possibility, Awe, Clarity and Power. I will not doubt that this book will be a good friend to you.  

“Whenever I’m faced with a difficult decision, I ask myself: What would I do if I weren’t afraid of making a mistake, feeling rejected, looking foolish, or being alone? I know for sure that when you remove the fear, the answer you’ve been searching for comes into focus. And as you walk into what you fear, you should know for sure that your deepest struggle can, if you’re willing and open, produce your greatest strength.”

How ironic, but it is true that in your struggles, will you find beauty and grace in everything around you and also within you. Fear must be removed in order for you to find yourself.

“If you’re blessed enough to grow older, which is what I look at aging (I think often of all the angels of 9/11 who won’t get there), there’s so much wisdom to be gained from people who are celebrating the process with vibrancy, vigour and grace.”

Take a chance to talk to more old people for those who are still celebrating life have so much wisdom to share.

“Then I did the movie Beloved, portraying a former slave who experiences newfound freedom. That role changed the way I looked at my work. How dare I, who’d been given opportunities unimagined by my ancestors, even think of being tired enough to quit? So I renewed my contract for another four years. Then another two.”

I relate to this quote from the book a lot as I know that my family have been through decades of hardship to get to where we are today; where food and shelter is a given and everything seems to be taken for granted. What a great reminder that our ancestors sacrificed so much to give us the opportunities that we have now. Keep going, be thankful and treasure every minute of your struggles.

“…when I’m doing everything I’m meant to do to keep my mind, body, and spirit whole, I constantly marvel at how other experiences fall into place. It’s as though that beautiful line in Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist comes true “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”.”

This is something I truly believe in. Keeping your mind, body and spirit healthy is number one – everything else that is meant to be will fall into place.

“What I know for sure: Having the best things is no substitute for having the best life. When you can let go of the desire to acquire, you know you are really on your way.”

She knows this for sure.

“If you’re sprinting through life as through it’s a race you have to win, you need to slow down and schedule some rest. Because the truth is, you’ve already won. You’re still here, with another chance to get it right, do better and be better – starting now”.

You have already won – so powerful to realise that you have already come so far and that the race that you have with yourself is something you have control of, so take a step back and see that you are a winner.