Review: Oprah Winfrey's What I Know For Sure

by Oprah Winfrey
Published by Macmillan Genres: Body, Mind & Spirit, General, Inspiration & Personal Growth, Motivational & Inspirational, Personal Growth, Self-Help

A few months ago, I wrote about Oprah’s newest book: What I Know For Sure. At the time I had plans to move it to the very top of my reading list but time and some other books that I was patiently waiting on got in the way and I just got around to it. And honestly, it was not a moment too soon!

As stated before, this book is a collection of updated and revised gems from her monthly “What I know For Sure” column that she has shared in O, The Oprah Magazine. While I have read a number of her monthly columns, after reading this book I realized that I had missed out on a lot of good ones. Organized by theme – joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power – these essays provide a great guide to those determined to “be” better.

Here are a few of my favorite passages:

JOY

“What I know for sure is that pleasure is energy reciprocated: What you put out comes back. Your base level of pleasure is determined by how you view your whole life.”

RESILIENCE

“If you’re holding anyone else accountable for your happiness, you’re wasting your time. You must be fearless enough to give yourself the love you didn’t receive.”

“No matter what challenge you may be facing, you must remember that while the canvas of your life is painted with daily experiences, behaviors, reactions, and emotions, you’re the one controlling the brush.”

GRATITUDE

“Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It is the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to effect change in your life – this I know for sure.”

POSSIBILITY

“Making a bold move is the only way to advance toward the grandest vision the universe has for you.”

CLARITY

“I know for sure that you cannot give to everybody else and not give back to yourself. You will end up empty, or at best, less than what you can be for yourself and your family and your work. Replenish the well of yourself, for yourself.”

“Protect your time. It is your life.”

POWER

“When you define yourself by the things you can acquire rather than see what you really need to be happy and fulfilled, you’re not just living beyond your means or overextending yourself. You’re living a lie.”

Honestly, I highlighted just about every other page in this book and it has been added to my nightstand along with my Our Daily Bread and It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done. Regardless of the fact that I am a huge Oprah Winfrey fan, I honestly think this is a book that we all need to have and keep nearby for daily inspiration and pick me ups.

Author
Recent Posts

Natalya

Natalya is an Account Manager by day and an editor and author's assistant to passionate creatives by night. When she is not adding to her enormous book collection or stationery supply, she is catching up on her favorite television shows.

Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.

You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.