Growing up I was exposed to people from all walks of life, it didn’t take long to identify that everyone has their own outlook on luck. Conversations on the steps to achieve success rank at the top of controversies; as stated by Oprah Winfrey: “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” Others have expressed their belief that the results of your life depend on the stars aligning, being in the right place at the right time or being awarded this elusive “luck”. Does luck exist, or it is simply the result of carefully planned actions resulting in successful goal achievement?
Could you happen into a winning lottery ticket? I wondered. Could you merely walk and stumble over the keys to a new home or car? If this is reality, then we should walk around looking at every moment as the potential open door to instant goal achievement. If life is in the hands of the stars we should avoid wasting anytime on ensuring we plan for the future! These thoughts are quickly replaced with the reality of cause and effect. Every reaction requires first and action, the winning lottery ticket has to be purchased. There is no lottery fairy that delivers this ticket to you while you walk to the beach.
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Oprah’s life is a great example, considered modern day talk show royalty she has financial success, fame, and solid family life. After all Oprah’s lucky break came from her producer sending in an audition tape to ABC, or did it? Oprah had survived and persevered past a tormented childhood, she had dedicated herself to achieve top grades in all of her classes, and she devoted herself to her broadcast role for years to catch the eye of her producer. This dedication, preparation, determination is what I feel caused her lucky break. After this she became the top rated daytime talk show host and rose quickly to the top, a great example, of preparation meeting
In his book “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell emphasizes a lot about luck by illustrating the importance of birthdays for Hockey players, by comparing the success of geniuses with super high intelligence, and by showing how successful people got opportunities and support because of their luck. At a glance, every reader can find out luck plays a crucial role in success, but does Gladwell wants us to believe luck is all that matters? Although he emphasizes a lot about luck in his book, I don’t think he believes that successful people are just lucky because every successful people he introduces in his book are not just lucky in their lives, but are great hard workers and risk takers.
Perhaps the most notable triumph of Oprah Winfrey is her job as host of her own television show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show". Because anyone is free to decide what they choose as a career, she had the opportunity to create this show. The viewings and acceptance of the consumers to her show allowed it's prosperity. Keep in mind that Oprah had no control of the success her show would receive, although she had free decision to do what she pleased with it, it was the decision of the consumers
This essay I have decided to write about Oprah Winfrey. This is because Oprah had many serious life events. These life events must have implemented her key development stages or the other.
Many people say that their luck has brought them to where they are right now, but is that REALLY the case? Probably not. To be honest, they’re probably trying to be humble. Although luck takes a big part in success
Her story is amazing and she sheds light on dreams that we all may have, even if we have started off wrong or even fell off. Oprah’s life is proof that, with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. For a child as young as Oprah was, she endured many hardships, yet she didn't let her past stop her from becoming a great woman. There is no one who does not know that Oprah stands for “ reaching out a hand on behalf of others”(Kirkwood).
Winfrey’s early life was filled with arduous hurdles from the beginning, she was raised in a small podunk town in Mississippi that was anything but safe for a young girl, but on top of that she was raised by a single mother who was not around nearly enough. However the most formidable part of her upbringing was, she was sexually abused by ‘family friends’ and relatives on multiple occasions starting from the age of just nine. At twelve she was sent away to middle Tennessee to live with her father, there she realised her passion, she began giving speeches in front of her church and ultimately came to the conclusion that she wanted to speak for a living. Without her parents divorce Winfrey might have never figured out her passion of speaking to people until it was too late, this was a hidden advantage in the making of her success. However all too soon she had to leave the comfort of her father’s home where she could pursue her interest and journey back to her mother, where she was sadly yet again
"The Lottery" is a short story that shows just how disturbing the human mind can be at times. As the story proceeds it builds the reader up till the end where what you thought was going to happen did not turn out that way. But is that not how our lives are portrayed? Do we not build ourselves up to society believing what they say and do until the matter is put into our hands? Mrs. Hutchinson was a follower of society just like we are. Everyday was the same routine and every year she played the lottery just like all of the other town people. But this year would be a very different year for Mrs. Hutchinson because her chance at the lottery was about to happen. Now as a reader in this day, we would think of the lottery to be a great prize to receive but not during the days of these town people.
Oprah Winfrey lived a very rough early life until Vernon Winfrey took her into good hands. She lived in Kosciusko, Missippi for the first 6 years of her life, and then she moved to Milwaukee to live with her mother who was a housemaid. When Oprah lived with her mother she was sexually molested during the daytime when her mother would work the long days. This abuse went on everyday possible for 4 years until she was out on her own at age 14. Oprah had given birth to a baby, which had unexpectedly died during infancy. After the baby had died she moved in with her Father who lived in Tennessee. “Vernon Winfrey was a strict parent, but he gave his daughter the secure home that Oprah needed. He saw to it that she met a curfew, and he required her to read a book and write a book report as well. “As strict s he was,” says Oprah, “ he had some concerns about me making the best of my ...
In paragraph 16 the article states “’Luck is not a magical ability or gift from the gods’ Wisen writes. ‘Instead, it is a state of mind, a way of thinking and behaving.’” Some people may try and find out if they're
Life choices make everyone rethink how things are done. The change of anything always paves the way for the future. Shirley Jackson wrote a wonderful short story called “The Lottery”. The story holds many themes, one being about blind obedience. The story is one for caution, showing the dangers of no growth or change for the sake of what has become a custom.
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954. (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah had a rough childhood (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). She constantly moved from her mother’s house to her father’s house (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). When Oprah lived with her mother she was raped (Lies, 2011). When Oprah lived with her father, she excelled (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah’s rough childhood and thriving high school and college years definitely influenced her contributions to the world later showing ethical leadership (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”).
Winfrey has brought so much change to the world that one cannot just write a simple paragraph about. She has used her platform to discuss topics that are truly life changing such as Weight Issues, Reading, Give Big, and Taboo. Topics about weight have always interested the public, and Oprah was one individual who discussed it for the world to put their input in. She has talked about her own weight and made it clear how diet and exercise is important for the body. She strived to put the message in people’s ear’s that being healthy is what’s right. The next topic is reading, and this came from her “Oprah 's Book Club”. Oprah has always believed that reading is a fundamental skill and she wanted others to hop on the bandwagon and expand their knowledge. She started this book club for many reasons and it surely brought change to society. Give Big is the next topic of discussion and this changed society in a positive way. In 1997, Oprah wanted her viewers to make a difference in other people’s lives by donating their spare change. Shortly after that, she transformed that into the charity known as “Oprah 's Angel Network”. This charity was a huge success and has helped a lot of individuals in need. The final topics that will be discussed are taboo topics such as abuse, infidelity and addiction. These types of topics are what made Oprah Winfrey’s show such a success. She was so open about her childhood and other obstacles she had to face in her life that people began to trust
Oprah Winfrey is a role model to thousands of people out there. She has made people understand the purpose of life and how to live it in a way that you are happy. She wants people to help and care for unprivileged people. Oprah thinks that education is a right and not a privilege. She wants everybody to have a good education no matter who they are. Oprah has an amazing story. She went through so many failures in her life but yet still carried on. She had such a tough childhood that actually mad her stronger as a person, that shows us today that just because you had rough parts in life where you didn’t want to carry on you can still get through it and get to where you want to be. Failure determs the level of success you are on and that’s what
Oprah did not have such a great upbringing, but despite the odds, she rose up and became who she had wanted to be. Oprah had dealt with many accounts of sexual abuse, the lack of attention from her mother, and moving from place-to-place for most of her early years (Fry, web). Not only did Oprah face sexual abuse, but she also became pregnant in one of the instances (Fry, web). This made things even more difficult for the young Oprah. Despite all of her troubles, Oprah is now very successful.
We are all guided by the things that happen to us and what we think about them. If one were to think that everything happens for a reason, or if they thought everything is mere chance, this could influence the way they see it and in what