Image from Sacred Source
My babysitter used to religiously watch Oprah’s afternoon talk show. When she still had kids at her house, she would record it so that she could watch the VHS tape later in the evening.
She’d learn recipes, fads, fashions, and everything in between. Celebrities, gossip, health trends. But as it turns out, Oprah also knows about many other aspects of life for which I hadn’t given her due credit.
While many might think that Oprah leads a life of privilege (and they’d certainly be right), she also comes from a background not many know. She’s worked very hard for what she has, and this book offers insight into not only where she’s been but what she now knows for sure.
Born after her parents had a one-time tryst, raised in various locations, suffering abuse and a pregnancy at age 14—among all of the other ravages that life has to offer—Oprah actually knows some very relevant and relatable aspects of life for all audiences, both on TV and world-wide.
For more on Winfrey’s What I Know For Sure, published by Flatiron Books in 2014, please continue.
One of my favorite sections (pg. 39) that students all noted as relating to 7 Habits.
A compilation of items Oprah knows for sure, this novel is a collection of writings once published in her magazine, O. Once asked what she knows for sure during an interview, she was stumped; this collection is all the answers she’s generated since that interview left her speechless. (As one who’s been asked many questions I knew not the answer to only to go home and have the PERFECT RESPONSE, I empathize with this concept.)
Sectioned into aspects of life, such as—joy, connection, and gratitude—Oprah explores all that life has to offer if we let it. Inspiring, witty, and very brief, these readings are great for before-bed reflections, daily meditation, or personal inspiration to write one’s own collection of “what I know for sure.”
I recommend it as a quick but worthy read. It is not as deep as NPR’s This I Believe syndication, nor is it intended to be, but it offers similar insight into her life and beliefs.
Let your life awaken in you. Whatever your challenge—overeating, overindulging in any substance or activity, the loss of a relationship, money, position—let it be an open door to your holiest revelations about yourself, an invitation to your best life.
Teacher note: I brought certain excerpts of this into my 9th grade ELA course to compare to The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey. It related well and it met CCSS for informational texts by allowing students to “analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums…, determining which details are emphasized in each account.” I asked students to read her excerpts and see how 7 Habits‘ information was present in her writings. It worked fantastically!
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