200+ Oprah Winfrey Quotes About Love, Life, Friendships, and Learning You'll Never Forget

Oprah Gail Winfrey, or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011.

Oprah Winfrey Quotes

1. “It’s only when you make the process your goal that the big dream can follow.” — Oprah Winfrey
2. “Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” — Oprah Winfrey
3. “I don’t want anyone who doesn’t want me.” — Oprah Winfrey
4. “It is confidence in our bodies, minds, and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures.” — Oprah Winfrey
5. “You are worthy because you were born.” — Oprah Winfrey
6. “I’m finally ready to own my own power, to say, “This is who I am.” If you like it, you like it. And if you don’t like it, you don’t. So, watch out; I’m gonna fly.” — Oprah Winfrey
7. “Every day brings a chance to live free of regret and with as much joy, fun, and laughter as you can stand.” — Oprah Winfrey
8. “If you are still breathing, you have a second chance.” — Oprah Winfrey
9. “No matter where you are on your journey, that’s exactly where you need to be. The next road is always ahead.” — Oprah Winfrey
10. “Failing is another stepping-stone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey
11. “Your work speaks for you. Your art defines you.” — Oprah Winfrey
12. “The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake when you don’t know the difference between reality and fantasy when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul that the dream is reality, and it really happened.” — Oprah Winfrey
13. “Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.” — Oprah Winfrey
14. “Meditate. Breathe consciously. Listen. Pay attention. Treasure every moment. Make the connection.” — Oprah Winfrey
15. “Make yourself a priority. Fill yourself up so that you can give more to others.” — Oprah Winfrey
16. “Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.” — Oprah Winfrey
17. “To move forward, you have to give back.” — Oprah Winfrey
18. “Worrying is wasted time. Use the same energy for doing something about whatever worries you.” — Oprah Winfrey
19. “I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become.” — Oprah Winfrey
20. “If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. If he doesn’t want you, nothing can make him stay.” — Oprah Winfrey
21. “Don’t settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
22. “Devote today to something so daring even you can’t believe you’re doing it.” — Oprah Winfrey
23. “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” — Oprah Winfrey
24. “Your soul tells you when it’s time to move on.” — Oprah Winfrey
25. “What I know for sure is that every sunrise is like a new page, a chance to right ourselves and receive each day in all its glory. Each day is a wonder.” — Oprah Winfrey
26. “Ask the right questions, and the answers will always reveal themselves.” — Oprah Winfrey
27. “You look at yourself, and you accept yourself for who you are, and once you accept yourself for who you are, you become a better person.” — Oprah Winfrey
28. “I trust that everything happens for a reason, even if we are not wise enough to see it.” — Oprah Winfrey
29. “Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different, it’s accepting the past for what it was, and using this moment and this time to help yourself move forward.” — Oprah Winfrey
30. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.” — Oprah Winfrey
31. “If it’s not hard, you’re not dreaming big enough!” — Oprah Winfrey
32. “Follow your feelings. If it feels right, move forward. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.” — Oprah Winfrey
33. “Skiing is the next best thing to having wings.” — Oprah Winfrey
34. “This year, I am choosing to live beyond my wildest dreams. I wonder where they’ll take me.” — Oprah Winfrey
35. “I want every day to be a fresh start on expanding what is possible.” — Oprah Winfrey
36. “She is the mother I never had; she is the sister everybody would want. She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don’t know a better person.” — Oprah Winfrey
37. “Everybody has a story. And there’s something to be learned from every experience.” — Oprah Winfrey
38. “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” — Oprah Winfrey
39. “Align your personality with your purpose, and no one can touch you.” — Oprah Winfrey
40. “What God intended for you goes far beyond anything you can imagine.” — Oprah Winfrey
41. “It makes no difference how many peaks you reach if there was no pleasure in the climb.” — Oprah Winfrey
42. “Whatever you fear most has no power. It is your fear that has the power.” — Oprah Winfrey
43. “Your true passion should feel like breathing; it’s that natural.” — Oprah Winfrey
44. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” — Oprah Winfrey
45. “Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.” — Oprah Winfrey
46. “There were no ugly people in Ethiopia.” — Oprah Winfrey
47. “Pray as if it’s up to God, work as if it’s up to you.” — Oprah Winfrey
48. “Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn’t lie.” — Oprah Winfrey
49. “No gesture is too small when done with gratitude.” — Oprah Winfrey
50. “You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.” — Oprah Winfrey
51.  “Taking care of your body, no matter what your age, is an investment.” — Oprah Winfrey
52. “In God, I move and breathe and have my being.” — Oprah Winfrey
53. “Courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway.” — Oprah Winfrey
54. “You can have it all. Just not all at once.” — Oprah Winfrey
55. “Anything you can imagine, you can create.” — Oprah Winfrey
56. “Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” — Oprah Winfrey
57. “With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice. ”— Oprah Winfrey
58. “Lessons often come dressed up as detours and roadblocks.” — Oprah Winfrey
59. “Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.” — Oprah Winfrey
60. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey
61. “You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe.” — Oprah Winfrey
62. “Your journey begins with a choice to get up, step out, and live fully.” — Oprah Winfrey
63. “Helping others is the way we help ourselves.” — Oprah Winfrey
64. “Let passion drive your profession.” — Oprah Winfrey
65. “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
66. “You are responsible for your life. You can’t keep blaming somebody else for your dysfunction. Life is really about moving on.” — Oprah Winfrey
67. “Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.” — Oprah Winfrey
68. “If you peel back the layers of your life-the frenzy, the noise-stillness is waiting. That stillness is you.” — Oprah Winfrey
69. “The greatest lesson of life is that you are responsible for your life.” — Oprah Winfrey
70. “Committing to a lifetime of wellness is not a luxury-it’s a necessity. You’ll never have enough time; you have to make the time.” — Oprah Winfrey
71. “I trust in the ebb and flow of the universe. I trust that life’s bigger than what I can see. I trust that there is a divine order beyond my control. And I trust that no matter what happens, I will be all right.” — Oprah Winfrey
72. “When ordinary people decide to do extraordinary things, they transform their lives and the lives of others around them.” — Oprah Winfrey
73. “Everybody has a calling. And your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you were meant to be, and to begin to honor that in the best way possible for yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
74. “You have a gift that only you can give the world – that’s the whole reason you’re on the planet. Use your precious energy to build a magnificent life that really is attainable. The miracle of your existence calls for celebration every day.” — Oprah Winfrey
75. “You become what you believe. You are where you are today in your life based on everything you have believed.” — Oprah Winfrey
76. “Your intention rules your life and determines the outcome.” — Oprah Winfrey
77. “When you give up on life, never give up on yourself, because there is so much for you to keep on giving!” — Oprah Winfrey
78. “Your life’s work is to find your life’s work and then to exercise the discipline, tenacity, and hard work it takes to pursue it.” — Oprah Winfrey
79. “You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.” — Oprah Winfrey
80. “The big secret in life is that there is no secret. Whatever is your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work.” — Oprah Winfrey
81. “Nobody but you is responsible for your life. You are responsible for your life. What is your life? What is all life? What is every flower, every rock, every tree? Energy. And you’re responsible for the energy you create for yourself, and you’re responsible for the energy that you bring to others.” — Oprah Winfrey
82. “Everybody’s life matters.” — Oprah Winfrey
83. “If you’re sitting around waiting on somebody to save you, to fix you, to even help you, you are wasting your time because only you have the power to take responsibility to move your life forward.” — Oprah Winfrey
84. “One of the hardest things in life to learn are which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn.” — Oprah Winfrey
85. “Every time a child is saved from the dark side of life, every time one of us makes the effort to make a difference in a child’s life, we add light and healing to our own lives.” — Oprah Winfrey
86. “Dream the biggest dream for yourself. Hold the highest vision of life for yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
87. “Nothing happens until you decide. Make a decision and watch your life move forward.” — Oprah Winfrey
88. “Appreciating what shows up in your life changes your personal vibration. Gratitude elevates your life to a higher frequency.” — Oprah Winfrey
89. “You want to be in the driver’s seat of your own life because if you are not, life will drive you.” — Oprah Winfrey
90. “Running is the greatest metaphor for life because you get out of it what you put into it.” — Oprah Winfrey
91. “Don’t live your life to please other people.” — Oprah Winfrey
92. “Move with the flow. Don’t fight the current. Resist nothing. Let life carry you. Don’t try to carry it.” — Oprah Winfrey
93. “If you want your life to be more rewarding, you have to change the way you think.” — Oprah Winfrey
94. “What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it.” — Oprah Winfrey
95. “Whatever your secret, live your own truth; life is too short.” — Oprah Winfrey
96. “The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be.” — Oprah Winfrey
97. “No experience is wasted. Everything in life is happening to grow you up, to fill you up, to help you become more of who you were created to be.” — Oprah Winfrey
98. “Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.” — Oprah Winfrey
99.  “Live your best life!” — Oprah Winfrey
100. “The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now. And the more grateful you are, the more you get.” — Oprah Winfrey
101. “I am a person who lives my life based on intention. I don’t do anything without intention because intention determines the outcome of your life. It’s like cause and effect.” — Oprah Winfrey
102. “The smallest change in perspective can transform a life. What tiny attitude adjustment might turn your world around?” — Oprah Winfrey
103. “You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” — Oprah Winfrey
104. “Purpose is the thread that connects the dots to everything you do that leads you to an extraordinary life.” — Oprah Winfrey
105. “The more you praise and celebrate your life; the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
106. “Living your best life is your most important journey in life.” — Oprah Winfrey
107. “Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.” — Oprah Winfrey
108. “Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.” — Oprah Winfrey
109. “A world of possibilities awaits you. Keep turning the page.” — Oprah Winfrey
110. “Think like a queen. A queen if not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey
111. “Failure is a great teacher and, if you are open to it, every mistake has a lesson to offer.” — Oprah Winfrey
112. “The key is not to worry about being successful, but to instead to work toward being significant – and the success will naturally follow…” — Oprah Winfrey
113. “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.” — Oprah Winfrey
114.  “Dream big – dream very big. Work hard – work very hard. And after you’ve done all, you can, you stand, wait and fully surrender.” — Oprah Winfrey
115. “If you can see it, and believe it, it is a LOT easier to achieve it.” — Oprah Winfrey
116. “There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.” — Oprah Winfrey
117. “You know you are on the road to success if you would do your job and not be paid for it.” — Oprah Winfrey
118. “You’ve got to follow your passion. You’ve got to figure out what it is you love – who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
119. “Follow your passion. Do what you love, and the money will follow. Most people don’t believe it, but it’s true.” — Oprah Winfrey
120. “I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.” — Oprah Winfrey
121. “To love yourself is a never-ending journey.” — Oprah Winfrey
122. “Find a way to get paid for doing what you love. Then every paycheck will be a bonus.” — Oprah Winfrey
123. “Your life is a journey of learning to love yourself first and then extending that love to others in every encounter.” — Oprah Winfrey
124. “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.” — Oprah Winfrey
125. “Your greatest power is to show love, to receive love, and to be love.” — Oprah Winfrey
126. “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey
127. “Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.” — Oprah Winfrey
128. “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” — Oprah Winfrey
129. “The way through the challenge is to get still and ask yourself, ‘What is the next right move? What is the next right move?’ and then, from that space, make the next right move and the next right move.” — Oprah Winfrey
130. “Self-esteem comes from being able to define the world in your own terms and refusing to abide by the judgments of others.” — Oprah Winfrey
131. “Follow your passion. It will lead you to your purpose.” — Oprah Winfrey
132. “Surround yourself only with people who are going to take you higher.” — Oprah Winfrey
133. “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” — Oprah Winfrey
134. “No experience is ever wasted. Everything has meaning.” — Oprah Winfrey
135. “Can you see me? Can you hear me? Does anything I say mean anything to you?” — Oprah Winfrey
136. “Only make decisions that support your self-image, self-esteem, and self-worth.” — Oprah Winfrey
137. “Great communication begins with connection.” — Oprah Winfrey
138. “You are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.” — Oprah Winfrey
139. “I believe the choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
140. “God can dream a bigger dream for you than you can dream for yourself, and your role on Earth is to attach yourself to that divine force and let yourself be released to it.” — Oprah Winfrey
141. “You have the RIGHT to change your mind.” — Oprah Winfrey
142. “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” — Oprah Winfrey
143. “You become what you believe. And to believe that you are created by the power that’s greater than yourself means anything is possible.” — Oprah Winfrey
144. “Even the wildest dreams have to start somewhere. Allow yourself the time and space to let your mind wander, and your imagination fly.” — Oprah Winfrey
145. “If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race.” — Oprah Winfrey
146.  “As you become clearer about who you really are, you’ll be better able to decide what is best for you – the first time around.” — Oprah Winfrey
147. “Always listen to your inner voice.” — Oprah Winfrey
148. “Don’t waste your time in the race looking back to see what the other guy is doing. It’s not about the other guy. It’s about what can you do. You just need to run that race as hard as you can. You need to give it everything you’ve got, all the time, for yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
149. “Let your light shine. Shine within you so that it can shine on someone else. Let your light shine.” — Oprah Winfrey
150. Just being born makes you worthy enough to be here.” — Oprah Winfrey
151. “True forgiveness is when you can say, “Thank you for that experience.” — Oprah Winfrey
152. “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” — Oprah Winfrey
153. “Don’t get confused with what people say you are, with who you know you are.” — Oprah Winfrey
154. “Your calling isn’t something that somebody can tell you about. It’s what you feel. It is the thing that gives you juice. The thing that you are supposed to do. Nobody can tell you what that is. You know it inside yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
155. “Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.” — Oprah Winfrey
156. “Everybody looks at their poop.” — Oprah Winfrey
157. “In the end, all you have is your reputation.” — Oprah Winfrey
158. “Once you clarify your purpose for doing something, the way to do it becomes clear.” — Oprah Winfrey
159. “If friends disappoint you over and over, that’s in large part your own fault. Once someone has shown a tendency to be self-centered, you need to recognize that and take care of yourself; people aren’t going to change simply because you want them to.” — Oprah Winfrey
160. “Tune out the naysayers, tune into your own courage, and take a bold step toward the passion-filled life you really want.” — Oprah Winfrey
161. “You cannot wait for someone to save you, to help you, to complete you. No one can complete you. You complete yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
162. “We are held accountable for every intention, which is why you are sitting where you are right now.” — Oprah Winfrey
163. “Never give up your power to another person.” — Oprah Winfrey
164. “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” — Oprah Winfrey
165. “You get to know who you really are in a crisis.”
166. “So go ahead. Fall down. The world looks different from the ground.”
167. “This is your moment. Own it.” — Oprah Winfrey
168. “Become the change you want to see – those are words I live by.” — Oprah Winfrey
169. “Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own.” — Oprah Winfrey
170. “You get from the world what you give to the world.” — Oprah Winfrey
171. “Take five minutes to center yourself in the morning – set your intention every day.” — Oprah Winfrey
172. “Dare to be different. Be a pioneer. Be a leader. Be the kind of woman who in the face of adversity will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly toward the challenge.” — Oprah Winfrey
173. “When I look at the future, it’s so bright it burns my eyes.” — Oprah Winfrey
174. “Truth allows you to live with integrity. Everything you do and say shows the world who you really are. Let it be the truth.” — Oprah Winfrey
175. “Learn from every mistake, because every experience, particularly your mistakes, are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are.” — Oprah Winfrey
176. “You have to be responsible for the energy you’re putting out into the world.” — Oprah Winfrey
177. “Women of South Africa are some of the most powerful people on earth. Change what you believe is possible for yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
178. “If you take care of your body, it’ll take care of you.” — Oprah Winfrey
179. “Always take a stand for yourself, your values. You’re defined by what you stand for.” — Oprah Winfrey
180. “You can’t do it all yourself. Don’t be afraid to rely on others to help you accomplish your goals.” — Oprah Winfrey
181. “Self-esteem means knowing you are the dream.” — Oprah Winfrey
182. “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” — Oprah Winfrey
183. “The great courageous act that we must all do is to have the courage to step out of our history and past so that we can live our dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
184. “When you choose the paradigm of service, it turns everything you do from a job into a gift.” — Oprah Winfrey
185. “I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.” — Oprah Winfrey
186. “What you do today creates every tomorrow.” — Oprah Winfrey
187. “Leadership is about empathy.” — Oprah Winfrey
188. “Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.” — Oprah Winfrey
189. “Reading gave me hope.” — Oprah Winfrey
190. “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. A mentor is someone who allows you to know that no matter how dark the night, in the morning, joy will come. A mentor is someone who allows you to see the higher part of yourself when sometimes it becomes hidden to your own view.” — Oprah Winfrey
191. “You must feed your mind with reading material, thoughts, and ideas that open you to new possibilities.” — Oprah Winfrey
192. “I think mentors are important, and I don’t think anybody makes it in the world without some form of mentorship. Nobody makes it alone. Nobody has made it alone. And we are all mentors to people even when we don’t know it.” — Oprah Winfrey
193. “Some women have a weakness for shoes. I can go barefoot if necessary. I have a weakness for books.” — Oprah Winfrey
194. “If you’re going to binge, literature is definitely the way to do it.” — Oprah Winfrey
195. “Education is the way to move mountains, to build bridges, to change the world. Education is the path to the future. I believe that education is indeed freedom.” — Oprah Winfrey
196. “There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It’s why you were born. And how you become most truly alive.” — Oprah Winfrey
197. “There’s a difference between thinking you deserve to be happy and knowing that you are worthy of being happy. Your being alive makes worthiness your birthright. You alone are enough.” — Oprah Winfrey
198. “The way to choose happiness is to follow what is right and real and the truth for you. You can never be happy living someone else’s dream. Live your own. And you will for sure know the meaning of happiness.” — Oprah Winfrey
199. “What I know for sure is that you feel real joy in direct proportion to how connected you are to living your truth.” — Oprah Winfrey
200. “When you live with an open heart, unexpected, joyful things happen.” — Oprah Winfrey