Oprah talks to graduates about feelings, failure and finding happiness (Stanford Commencement edited transcript; Stanford Report, 15 June 2008)

Oprah Winfrey · 15 Jun 2008

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Our reading
Feelings are a guidance system for life: right decisions come from the gut, wrong ones from not listening to it

Their wordsWhat I know now is that feelings are really your GPS system for life. When you're supposed to do something or not supposed to do something, your emotional guidance system lets you know. The trick is to learn to check your ego at the door and start checking your gut instead. Every right decision I've made—every right decision I've ever made—has come from my gut. And every wrong decision I've ever made was a result of me not listening to the greater voice of myself.
Our reading
Money alone does not make a person successful; what you want is money and meaning

Their wordsBut having a lot of money does not automatically make you a successful person. What you want is money and meaning. You want your work to be meaningful.
Our reading
Difficulties come from ignoring life's early warnings: life whispers first, then screams

Their wordsAnd what I've found is that difficulties come when you don't pay attention to life's whisper, because life always whispers to you first. And if you ignore the whisper, sooner or later you'll get a scream.
Our reading
To be truly happy you have to stand for something larger than yourself and give back

Their wordsThis is what I know for sure: In order to be truly happy, you must live along with and you have to stand for something larger than yourself. Because life is a reciprocal exchange. To move forward you have to give back.

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