How to Be Great Like Oprah

How to Be Great Like Oprah!
By Bright Michelle
©November 2010

It seems as if everyone and their brother want to either be on the Oprah show or to be Oprah herself. Have you ever wondered what ii is about her that touches us to our very core?

For me, Oprah embodies “Greatness” and is a shining example of someone who has found and confidently owns her unique place in the land of success. Oprah possesses charisma, character, influence, affluence, and makes a huge contribution to our world by her work and also by simply being herself.

So, what if you could more like Oprah?
It’s possible you know.

It seems everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn't dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our
dreams remain just that ---dreams.
When our aspirations fall to the wayside with life's obligations, we often feel dis-heartened and give up on ourselves.

This is a sad way of living. Instead of experiencing life as an exciting adventure in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.

I have seen from many years as a professional coach that most of us settle for less than our heart's desires. We let the weeds of fear, doubt, and disbelief run our lives.

We human beings have "set points of satisfaction,” that are typically quite low, and so we set goals that they know we can easily achieve. Why go for the A Lifestyle when you can get the B Lifestyle without breaking a sweat.

Most people know Oprah was a "victim" of childhood abuse and certainly had to overcome many challenges in the cut-throat entertainment industry. She went through all that and probably a lot more on her journey to becoming a shining star. And through her example of living an inspired and great life, you can learn a few key lessons.

Here are 8 Keys to Greatness to get you headed in the right direction:
1. CHOICE
Being great is most importantly, a matter of choice.
You can choose to surrender your victim stories and see each life experience as an opportunity for growth. Great people take everything in life in stride and keep on moving forward with even more inner strength and clarity.

2. DESIRE
Without a deep, driving desire, you will fall into the drift of mass consciousness. This desire is like the "eye of the tiger" hunger for greatness---remember the Rocky music theme? That is what I am talking about!

3. HEART
People who are truly great come from their heart. They possess a great deal of passion and gut instinct. The human heart is where our receptivity lives and with an open and compassionate heart, greatness is often a by-product of who they are Being.

4. PURPOSE
Great people give their lives over to something greater than themselves. A definite purpose that aligns who you are with what you do is a sign of someone on a mission from the Divine, and the world makes way for people like that.

5. TRANSFORMED
Great people see personal development as essential to their success and happiness and do things “on purpose” to stretch and grow themselves. They have the courage to look deep within themselves to discover who they really are, decide for themselves what is Truth, and release any dogma or inherited belief systems that are standing in the way of their greatness.

6. SUPPORT
Great people know that success is a team sport and choose to surround themselves with other people who are up to big things in the world. They are not afraid of "cutting away" dead weight in friends or family in service to their greatness. They also happily invest in the guidance of coaches and mentors.

7. Confidence
Great people are confident people. They are "full of themselves" in a good way and realize that shining who they are in all their glory is a great gift to others. They are not afraid of their own light because they know that feeling good about oneself is healing to others.

8. Resilience
The ability to bounce back from disaster and disappointment characterizes great people. When you read biographies of famous people, you quickly realize how much resilience they built up, and how in the end, it served them when they rose to prominence.

Truly, the best thing you can do for the world is to live your greatest life.

So dream on, friend! Don’t let your limited perceptions run your life. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up to the platform of a new and brighter life, you will see that what you want has been waiting for you all along. All you had to do is to get into alignment with it.

So, go forth, and Embody the Greatness that YOU are.