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In a commencement speech to the graduating student, former anchor, TV show host, and actor Oprah Winfrey urged the students to understand, appreciate, and execute their will to become ‘successful’ in life.
While the speech was tailored to inspire the fresh batch of graduates, looking to enter the world of adults and make their marks, certain aspects of Oprah’s  speech hold value for all of us.

  1. Alignment between who you are and what you do

“It is understanding that there is an alignment between who you are and what you do, is what authentic empowerment is.” it is imperative that your work becomes an extended version of who you are—it will push you to do what you do- all the better.

2. Fulfilment, the major definition of success

“…How to be used in the greater service to life. Ask this question and the answer will be returned and rewarded to you with fulfilment, which is the major definition of success, to me.”
To Oprah, fulfilment is directly synonymous with her idea of success. Citing her own experience, she states that one can only understand fulfilment, if they don’t have to approach another for the answer to their questions. It is only when they can fend for themselves, when they become self-reliant, they begin to emerge as the winner in their own stories. While seeking help and recommendations, we often forget that we are our greatest support-system. Next time you need help, look inwards. More often than not, you’ll find that you had the solution all along.

3. Listen to your inner-self

“Everybody has what I call this instinct, this inner voice. Every decision I’ve ever made that led me to the right space and place in my life, I got there because I relied on that inner voice.”
When Oprah made the decision of leaving the network to go launch her own show, she knew that she was taking a huge risk. She knew that she might fall flat on her face. However, as she said in her speech, she had this inner-voice urging her on, telling her that this was the right thing to do. And so she listened to it, and as a result, she is now one of the richest women in the world. All of us wrestle with making the ‘correct decisions’, no matter how big or small. There is always the possibility that we could make a huge mistake. However, we all have that voice in our head, telling us what we need to do. And more often than not, it helps us make some of the best decisions of our lives.

4. What is your intention?
“I decided that the notion of intention, knowing why you want to do something, not just doing it but understanding the why behind the doing, could also change the paradigm for every show.” Adding to this in a different speech, she said: “The reason we were number one for 25 solid years is because we intended to be.”
Inspired by the works of Gary Zukav, one of the greatest influences in her life, Oprah says that without intention, life never picks up and success becomes a far-off dream. However, when you intend to make something of your work, your ambitions, and your dreams, it pays off and you get where you need to be.
Oprah passionately believes that listening to her own desires and acting upon them with great intention got her where she is today. Maybe it’s time, you try the same.

Susan Kelechi Watson 37, is a Jamaican American actress best known for her character “Beth Pearson” in the NBC drama series “This is Us”. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frame. What is particularly fascinating about the series is Susan’s sterling interpretation of her character which is arguably the ‘star’ of the series. Speaking on life before getting the role in the series, Susan says:

 “A month before I booked This Is Us, I was like, ‘Maybe I should move to Montreal and work in a coffee shop. I had friends who were praying for me. I was leaning on a support system to believe for me when I was finding it difficult to still believe the dream for myself. All of the sudden I just believed again, like, I didn’t come this far for it not to happen. I’m going to enjoy this again. It’s the best thing I have to give. So I had to get my personal joy back, and then things started to change.”

Speaking on the reception, audacity of hope and belief her character has given to the black community, she says:

With my representation of a black woman in the world today, there’s such a powerful response from my community about what it means to have black representation on television. That response is so overwhelming and so strong that I just have to express my own gratitude for it, because I understand the necessity for it. I grew up with that need. I still have that need. I’m thankful that I get to fulfil that need for so many.

Then there’s the aspect of me as a woman and the camaraderie. They just feel like I’m their best friend; this character’s their best friend, and so many women say, “I’m just like you.” Or the goal is to sort of be similar to Beth; it gives them a way to kind of strategize, and helps them to move through their life.

Also, we talked about adoption on the show, and now to be able to talk about fostering, it’s really just such a great opportunity to open that door to that conversation as well. So many people have been through fostering, they understand the complications that come along with that, and so appreciate this story line, and I’m so thankful I get to be a person who represents that.

So I feel really good about what she’s offering people, whether it be a representation of being an African-American woman in this world, her representation as a woman, of being a woman that other women can identify with, and also of being an advocate for fostering, and for kids who think that maybe they won’t have a chance later in life.

Susan is a Bachelor’s degree graduate of Fine Arts degree from Howard University and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program.

Culled from Deadline Hollywood

Winfrey’s latest investment is in True Food Kitchen, a healthy restaurant chain backed by celebrity doctor Andrew Weil. Specific terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the Phoenix-based chain said she’s also joining the restaurant’s board of directors and will “collaborate and consult” with True Food Kitchen’s leadership team.

“When I first dined at True Food Kitchen, I was so impressed with the team’s passion for healthy eating and, of course, the delicious food, that I knew I wanted to be part of the company’s future,” Winfrey said in a release. She was introduced to the restaurant by her trainer and a regular on her former talk show, Bob Greene.
Related: How Oprah built Oprah Inc.

True Food Kitchen has grown to 23 locations in 10 states since its founding in 2008. It plans to double its store count in the next three years with a focus on an East Coast expansion. The chain’s eclectic menu is based off Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory food pyramid and features dishes like quinoa burgers, a spaghetti squash casserole and kale-infused drinks.

The investment in True Food is the latest example of Winfrey expanding her business beyond media and into food.
In 2015, she bought a 10% stake in Weight Watchers and received a seat on the board. She recently offloaded some of her shares, but her investment is still worth more than $400 million. She also has a partnership with Kraft Heinz Company for line of soups and frozen side dishes sold at grocery stores.