As expected, Oprah Winfrey shut it down at her 2018 commencement speech for the USC Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism. Here are our favorite bits of advice from her powerful speech.
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“If you can capture the humanity of people, you can then get that much closer to your own humanity.”
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“Make the choice every day to exemplify honesty, because the truth exonerates and it convicts. It disinfects, and it galvanizes. The truth has always been and will always be our shield against corruption. The truth is our saving grace.”
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“Eat a good breakfast. Pay your bills on time. Recycle. Make your bed. Aim high. Say thank you to people, and really mean it. Ask for help when you need. And put your phone away at the dinner table.”
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“Be nice to people. Know that it’s better to be interested than interesting. Invest in a quality mattress. Don’t cheap out on your shoes. And if you’re fighting with someone you really love, find your way back to them because life is short even on our longest days.”
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“Your job is not always going to fulfill you. There will be some days that you just will be bored. Other days, you might not feel like going to work at all. Go anyway. Remember your job is not who you are, it’s just what you’re doing on the way to who you will become.”
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“Look for the lessons, because lessons are already there. My number one lesson is this: Become so skilled, so vigilant, so flat out fantastic at what you do that your talent cannot be dismissed.”
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“Stop comparing yourself to other people.”
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“You will rise.”