These are the most inspiring and empowering Oprah Winfrey quotes to ignite your motivation for life, love, success and self-worth
100 Oprah Winfrey Quotes about Life, Love and Self-Worth
Published on Jan. 02, 2025
Media mogul, actress, producer, philanthropist and all-around powerhouse Oprah Winfrey is so much more than her famous “Favorite Things” list! As a global icon, she’s inspired millions with her wisdom and empowering words over the decades.
If you’re seeking inspiration—today, tomorrow or whenever life calls for a boost—we’ve rounded up some of the most motivational Oprah Winfrey quotes to guide you on your journey toward love, success, happiness and self-worth.
Use these life-changing quotes as uplifting captions, thoughtful additions to cards for loved ones—or keep them handy for those moments when you need a little extra encouragement.
Whether you’re celebrating Winfrey’s birthday on Jan. 29 or simply tapping into her timeless advice, these Oprah Winfrey quotes are your go-to for staying inspired.
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Famous Oprah Winfrey quotes
1. “I know where my lane is, and I know how to stay in my lane. My lane is evolving the consciousness of people.”
2. “There’s no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And believe me, it would be one of my favorite things!”
3. “Here’s the gift of gratitude: In order to feel it, your ego has to take a backseat. What shows up in its place is greater compassion and understanding. Instead of being frustrated, you choose appreciation. And the more grateful you become, the more you have to be grateful for.”
4. “If you peel back the layers of your life-the frenzy, the noise-stillness is waiting. That stillness is you.”
5. “When you know who you are and what you stand for, you stand in wisdom.”
6. “Everything passes if you learn to hold things lightly.”
7. “I look for the stillness beneath all the noise of the world, where everything is timeless.”
8. “I refuse to be quiet in the face of injustice.”
9. “All pain is the same; we just choose different ways to release it.”
10. “When you don’t give yourself the time and care you need, your body rebels in the form of sickness and exhaustion.”
11. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
12. “What I’ve learned about being angry with people is that it generally hurts you more than it hurts them.”
13. “I’ve been guilty of misusing TV. It’s a dangerous medium and is misused all the time.”
14. “Whatever you fear most has no power—it is your fear that has the power.”
15. “Let your light shine. Shine within you so that it can shine on someone else. Let your light shine.”
16. “I am grateful for the blessings of wealth, but it hasn’t changed who I am. My feet are still on the ground. I’m just wearing better shoes.”
17. “I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that’s how I operate my life.”
18. “My reaction is that free speech not only lives, it rocks!”
19. “Family should be the place where you can be your most complete self.”
20. “That’s what great books do, especially when shared. They shine a light on the unfolding of our own stories.”
21. “All these years I’ve been feeling like I was growing into myself. Finally, I feel grown.”
22. “If you’re blessed enough to grow older, which is how I look at aging, there’s so much wisdom to be gained from people who are celebrating the process with vibrancy and vigor and grace.”
23. “For me, a miracle is seeing the world with light in your eyes. It’s knowing there’s always hope and possibility where none seems to exist. Many people are so closed to miracles that even when one is boldly staring them in the face, they label it coincidence or serendipity. I call it like I see it.”
24. “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.”
25. “I believe that [everyone] is the keeper of a dream —and by tuning into one another’s secret hopes, we can become better friends, better partners, better parents and better lovers.”
26. “I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.”
27. “Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.”
28. “We have to make the choice—every single day—to exemplify the truth, the respect, and the grace that we wish for this world.”
Oprah Winfrey quotes about life
29. “It’s up to each of us to get very still and say, ‘This is who I am.’ No one else defines your life. Only you do.”
30. “You can either waltz boldly onto the stage of life and live the way you know your spirit is nudging you to, or you can sit quietly by the wall, receding into the shadows of fear and self-doubt.”
31. “I’ve always known that life is better when you share it. I now realize it gets even sweeter when you expand the circle.”
32. “Change is the one constant we can all be sure of.”
33. “The future of life as we know it is being determined by everything we’re doing—and not doing. Now.”
34. “The answers keep unfolding as your life expands, if you’re willing to see things for what they are—and what they can be.”
35. “If you don’t know what your passion is, realize that one reason for your existence on earth is to find it.”
36. “I want every day to be a fresh start on expanding what is possible.”
37. “Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes and dance.”
38. “I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk.”
39. “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.”
40. “Every choice gives you a chance to pave your own road. Keep moving. Full speed ahead.”
41. “What I learned at a very early age was that I was responsible for my life. And as I became more spiritually conscious, I learned that we all are responsible for ourselves, that you create your own reality by the way you think and therefore act. You cannot blame apartheid, your parents, your circumstances, because you are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.”
42. “There’s a wealth that has nothing to do with dollars, that comes from the perspective and wisdom of paying attention to your life.”
43. “Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a different way to stand.”
44. “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.”
45. “Use what you have to run toward your best, that’s how I now live my life.”
46. “Your journey begins with a choice to get up, step out and live fully.”
47. “Whatever your reason for holding on to resentments, I know this for sure: There is none worth the price you pay in lost time.”
48. “You can take from every experience what it has to offer you. And you cannot be defeated if you just keep taking one breath followed by another.”
49. “Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.”
50. “Be more splendid, more extraordinary. Use every moment to fill yourself up.”
51. “When you’re open to receiving them, the possibilities just keep on coming.”
52. “Life is reciprocal: The energy you expand always comes back.”
53. “When you don’t know what to do, do nothing. Get quiet so you can hear the still, small voice—your inner GPS guiding you to true north.”
Oprah Winfrey quotes about self-worth
54. “Become the change you want to see—those are words I live by.”
55. “Only by owning who and what you are can you step into the fullness of life.”
56. “Good riddance to decisions that don’t support self-worth.”
57. “It’s the greatest discovery of life: to recognize that you’re more than your body and your mind.”
58. “Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own.”
59. “Every time you suppress some part of yourself or allow others to play you small, you are in essence ignoring the owner’s manual your creator gave you and destroying your design.”
60. “Allowing the truth of who you are-your spiritual self-to rule your life means you stop the struggle and learn to move with the flow of your life.”
61. “You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.”
62. “When you know who you are and what you stand for, you stand in wisdom.”
63. “I know for sure that what we dwell on is who we become.”
64. “You can either waltz boldly onto the stage of life and live the way you know your spirit is nudging you to, or you can sit quietly by the wall, receding into the shadows of fear and self-doubt.”
65. “I was once afraid of people saying, ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.“‘
66. “Often we don’t even realize who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.”
67. “Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself.”
68. “No matter how far away from yourself you may have strayed, there is always a path back. You already know who you are and how to fulfill your destiny. And your ruby slippers are ready to carry you home.”
Oprah Winfrey quotes about strength
69. “Whenever I’m faced with a difficult decision, I ask myself, ‘What would I do if I weren’t afraid of making a mistake? Feeling rejected? looking foolish? Or being alone?’ I know for sure that when you remove the fear, the answer that you’ve been searching for comes into focus and as you walk into your fear, you should know for sure that your deepest struggle can, if you’re willing and open, produce your greatest strength.”
70. “I’ve learned to rely on the strength I inherited from all those who came before me-the grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and brothers who were tested with unimaginable hardships and still survived.”
71. “It is confidence in our bodies, minds and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures, new directions to grow in and new lessons to learn, which is what life is all about.”
72. “The true meaning of courage is to be afraid, and then, with your knees knocking and your heart racing, to step out anyway—even when that step makes sense to nobody but you. I know that’s not easy. But making a bold move is the only way to truly advance toward the grandest vision the universe has for you.”
73. “What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I am especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories.”
74. “The only courage you ever need is the courage to fulfill the dreams of your own life.”
Oprah Winfrey quotes about success
75. “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.”
76. “You can’t accomplish anything worthwhile if you inhibit yourself.”
77. “Failure is just a way for our lives to show us we’re moving in the wrong direction.”
78. “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. This is your moment. Own it.”
79. “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.”
80. “I believe the choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself.”
81. “You face the biggest challenge of all: to have the courage to seek your big dream regardless of what anyone says. You are the only person alive who can see your big picture and even you can’t see it all.”
82. “Passion is the log that keeps the fire of purpose blazing.”
Oprah Winfrey quotes about love
83. “I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.”
84. “Look inward—the loving begins with you.”
85. “The roses, the lovely notes, the dining and dancing are all welcome and splendid. But when the Godiva is gone, the gift of real love is having someone who’ll go the distance with you. Someone who, when the wedding day limo breaks down, is willing to share a seat on the bus.”
86. “The chance to love and be loved exists no matter where you are.”
87. “You can love someone and still choose to say goodbye to them.”
88. “If you’re fighting with someone you really love … find your way back to them because life is short even on our longest days.”
89. “You can’t give what you don’t have. You can’t love if you haven’t been loved. You don’t even know how to begin to do that. So I think it begins with fundamentally understanding that you are worthy enough, you are valuable enough, you matter enough, to give yourself the love that you deserve.”
90. “Dating is not love. Talking to someone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is not love. Staying awake all night for someone is not love. Love is someone who sees your tough side and still chooses to love you.”
91. “People who love you don’t treat you badly. Love doesn’t hurt. It’s supposed to feel good.”
Oprah Winfrey quotes about gratitude and sharing
92. “True philanthropy comes from living from the heart of yourself, and giving what you have been given.”
93. “I never think about what I want. It’s about what you want to give to other people.”
94. “What I know for sure is that what you give comes back to you.”
95. “The best gift anyone can give, I believe, is the gift of sharing themselves.”
96. “Our goal must be decency and respect for every human we encounter.”
97. “I started out giving thanks for small things, and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased.”
98. “As long as I’ve got a voice and a vote, I can use them to help lift up humankind and human consciousness.”
99.The word gratitude is one of those words that’s overused, but when practiced it can change everything about how you move through this world.”
100. “I journal when things are going really well. It has the most power when you can sit and be grateful in the sorrow, when you can be grateful in the crisis—when the biggest challenge of your life has showed up and you still can find something within yourself to be grateful for. That’s when it becomes the real deal.”
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite quotes for over 100 years. The sayings and quips that appear in the magazine’s “Quotable Quotes” (formerly “Remarkable Remarks”) are curated from interviews and essays originally published in the magazine, reprints from trusted titles and other verified sources. For this piece on Oprah Winfrey quotes, Associate Editor Mariah Thomas tapped her experiences as a writer and editor of more than 5+ years to ensure that all information is accurate. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
