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Lesson #5: Find Your Passion

Oprah Winfrey Articles
Lesson #5: Find Your Passion

“Passion is energy,” says Oprah Winfrey. “Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

Since she first discovered her passion for communication while preaching Bible passages at her grandmother’s church at the young age of 3, Oprah has dedicated herself to fulfilling her passion. Overcoming numerous obstacles, Oprah focused all her abilities and activities on achieving her dream. She now regularly spends time on The Oprah Winfrey Show encouraging her audience to discover their passions and live the life of their dreams.

For Oprah, passion did not necessarily mean she always knew what she was doing. Reflecting on her early days as a broadcaster, Oprah claims, “I said I knew how to edit when I didn’t. I said I knew how to report on stories. When I went to my first city council meeting, I wasn’t quite sure of what to do, but I told the news director that I did.” Her passion and willingness to learn were what enabled Oprah to stick her foot in the door.

“What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and work that fulfills you, the rest will come,” she says. “And, I truly believe, that the reason I’ve been able to be so financially successful is because my focus has never, ever for one minute been money.”

While Oprah’s passion had been obvious since she was a young girl, she recognizes that it is not that easy for everyone to discover his or her true passion. In order to find yours, Oprah says you need to “pay attention to your feelings. The path to discovering why you are here is through your feelings.” The most important thing, she cautions, is to not let others prescribe your path for you. “You can be pursuing a profession because your parents say it’s the best thing. You can be pursuing a profession because you think you will make a lot of money. You can be pursuing a profession because you think you are going to get a lot of attention.” But, she warns, “None of that will do you any good if you are not being honest with yourself.”

Oprah proposes one way to test if you are truly following your passion is to ask yourself, “Would you do your job and not be paid for it?” In asking this question herself, Oprah replies, “I would do this job, and take on a second job just to make ends meet if nobody paid me. That’s how you know you are doing the right thing.”

It is only by finding your passion and establishing goals towards that end, that you will be able to discover true happiness. For Oprah, talking to people is like breathing; she had no choice but to follow her dreams. Whether she is expanding her media empire or focusing on philanthropic activities, she pursues every activity with the same fervent passion she embraced on her rise up. It was this passion that allowed a dirt-poor girl from Mississippi to transform herself into becoming the world’s first African-American female billionaire.





Lesson 5 Find Your Passion

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Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website

Anne Barr
Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

Cheryl Matthynssens

Cheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur.  Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well.  A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles.  She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide-  to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being.  Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com

- Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website


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