What I Know for Sure

by Oprah Winfrey

When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.

What I know for sure is that pleasure is energy reciprocated: What you put out comes back.

Your base level of pleasure is determined by how you view your whole life.

if your life ended tomorrow, what would you regret not doing?

“He who dies with the most toys is still dead.”

The gift of deciding to face your mortality without turning away or flinching is the gift of recognizing that because you will die, you must live now.

you are the single biggest influence in your life.

I don’t have to consume the whole thing just because it’s there.

Eat foods that make you thrive.

better food is the foundation for a better life.

She has taught me the joy of having, and being, a true friend.

I don’t want to live a shut-down life—desensitized to feeling and seeing. I want every day to be a fresh start on expanding what is possible. On experiencing joy on every level.

What I love most about reading: It gives you the ability to reach higher ground. And keep climbing.

my number-one spiritual practice is trying to live in the present moment . . . to resist projecting into the future, or lamenting past mistakes . . . to feel the real power of now. That, my friends, is the secret to a joyful life.

healing the wounds of the past is one of the biggest and most worthwhile challenges of life.

We are each responsible for our own life.

when you remove the fear, the answer you’ve been searching for comes into focus.

we are all the artists of our own lives—and that we can use as many colors and brushstrokes as we like.

every experience is a valuable teacher.

changing the way you think about your situation is the key to improving it.

Anything can be a miracle, a blessing, an opportunity if you choose to see it that way.

Who you’re meant to be evolves from where you are right now.

lack of intimacy is not distance from someone else; it is disregard for yourself.

Look inward—the loving begins with you.

I’ve always known that life is better when you share it. But I now realize it gets even sweeter when you expand the circle.

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is ‘Thank you,’ it will be enough.” —Meister Eckhart

appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your whole world. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you’re aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.

Being grateful all the time isn’t easy. But it’s when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: perspective.

I stopped taking my heart for granted and began thanking it for every beat it had ever given me.

You’re not the same woman you were a decade ago;

In the best of times and worst of times, I know for sure, this life is a gift.

the true meaning of courage is to be afraid,

Whatever you fear most has no power—it is your fear that has the power.

you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.

“So long as you’re still worried about what others think of you, you are owned by them. Only when you require no approval from outside yourself can you own yourself.”

With every experience, you build your life, thought by thought, choice by choice.

what happens when you work hard at something unfulfilling? It drains your spirit. It robs you of your life force. You end up depleted, depressed, and angry.

You can’t accomplish anything worthwhile if you inhibit yourself.

The goal for all of us is to keep growing out of ourselves,

I know that the big miracles we’re waiting on are happening right in front of us, at every moment, with every breath.

Getting older is the best thing that ever happened to me.

There’s a wealth that has nothing to do with dollars, that comes from the perspective and wisdom of paying attention to your life.

the joy of learning well is the greatest reward.

what I’m most proud of is that I remain open to evolving.

I hope to do my part, within myself and within the world, to bring about a shift that lets us live more authentically, more lovingly, more intuitively, more creatively, and more collaboratively.

if we’re really committed to growth, we never stop discovering new dimensions of self and self-expression.

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” —Epictetus

you can’t give what you don’t have.

education is the door to freedom,