5 Lessons From Oprah on Living a More Meaningful Life

Since the debut of the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986, Oprah has captured our attention and our hearts.

More than just a talk show host or savvy businesswoman, Oprah is someone who seeks to make an impact on the world ,and she continuously judges the quality of her life based on that impact.

She serves not only as an example of a great human being who has given the world far more than we can ever give her in return, but also as a gateway to other incredible human beings -- the stories, lessons, and examples that we can use to learn and grow further.

Over the years, she’s shared countless invaluable insights that anyone can use to live a better and more meaningful life. I’ve personally used these lessons in my own life.

Check out the 5 most important ones below.

The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.

– Oprah Winfrey (read more Oprah quotes)

1. Never stop learning

Something that has always been extraordinary to me about Oprah is that she always seems to be doing something new connected with self-development of some kind.

Whether it’s interviewing experts and notable people on her OWN show, Super Soul Sunday, or working with authorities such as Deepak Chopra on self-improvement programs and special events, she always seems to have something new going on that provides great value for her viewers and followers, and also helps her level up her own game.

I am a woman in process. I'm just trying like everybody else. I try to take every conflict, every experience, and learn from it. Life is never dull.

2. Passion is energy

Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.

I’ve written many times before that passion is a form of energy that moves us forward. It has a sort of power to make things that otherwise wouldn’t be possible happen.

With it, we can push through difficult times that otherwise would cause us to fall off track. Passion also gives us the power to create solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.

Once you find your passion, the world opens up to you in an incredible way. So, take it from Oprah, find what fuels you, then follow it to the ends of Earth.

3. We all feel unworthy

Decades before Brene Brown would publish her groundbreaking research on self-worth and shame, Oprah spotted a trend that echoed Brown's findings in the many people she interviewed through the years:

"The show has taught me there is a common thread that runs through all of our pain and all of our suffering, and that is unworthiness. Not feeling worthy enough to own the life you were created for."

4. You need to truly love what you do

Clearly, most of us need to find a way to make a living. But whether you’d be hypothetically willing to do your work without getting paid for it is another question entirely. And that’s the question that really matters.

Ask yourself: Would you do what you do if you weren’t being paid for it? If your answer is yes, then you’re on the right path.

Oprah said it herself:

You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job, and not be paid for it.

Doing something we truly love is one of the primary ways to gain that passionate energy we talked about earlier. And it’s when we pursue the things we love that we can make incredible things happen in the world and realize success.

5. Use your own platform to create change

During the final episode of the Oprah Winfrey show, Oprah served one of her most valuable lessons of all, foreshadowing the future of the internet and digital platforms:

"Maybe it's 20 people, maybe it's 30 people, 40 people, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your classmates, your classroom, your co-workers. Wherever you are, that is your platform, your stage, your circle of influence. That is your talk show and that is where your power lies. In every way, in every day, you are showing people exactly who you are. You're letting your life speak for you. And when you do that, you will receive in direct proportion to how you give in whatever platform you have.

My great wish for all of you who have allowed me to honor my calling through this show is that you carry whatever you're supposed to be doing, carry that forward and don't waste any more time. Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world."