Review: What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey

5 stars for What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey.

This is a book which I have no intention of reading, not at first. But as fate would have it, I ended up seeing it time and again on the library shelf, and before I knew it, this little hardcover book was tucked smugly in my purse on its way home with me.

What I Know for Sure is an uplifting read. It is filled with positivity, contentment and true simplicity. There is so much to learn from Oprah Winfrey on satisfaction, on awareness, on appreciation, on gratitude, on seeing beyond wealth and riches of the dollar sign, on opening our hearts to life, on seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, on spirituality, on living in the moment, on anything and everything about the beauty and majesty of life on earth.

To name but a few of the best words said, let me quote Oprah Winfrey in her own words below:

On satisfaction
"I take my pleasures seriously, I work hard and play well; I believe in the yin and yang of life. It doesn't take a lot to make me happy because I find satisfaction in so much of what I do. Some satisfactions are higher-rated than others, of course. And because I try to practice what I preach - living in the moment - I am consciously attuned most of the time to how much pleasure I am receiving."

On awareness
Being aware of, and creating, four and five-star experiences make you blessed. For me, just waking up "clothed in my right mind", being able to put my feet on the floor, walk to the bathroom, and do what needs to be done there is five stars. I've heard many stories of people who aren't healthy enough to do that."

On Appreciation
"I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your whole world. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you're aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.

I know for sure: If you make time for a little gratitude every day, you'll be amazed by the results."

"Life is full of delightful treasures, if we take a moment to appreciate them. I call them ahhh moments, and I've learned how to create them for myself. Case in point: my 4 p.m. cup of masala chai tea (spicy, hot, with foamed almond milk on top - it's refreshing and gives me a little lift for the rest of the afternoon). Moments like this are powerful, I know for sure. They can be your recharge, your breathing space, your chance to reconnect with you."

On gratitude
"Being grateful all the time isn't easy. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: perspective. Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It's the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to effect change in your life - this I know for sure.

..And the more grateful you become, the more you have to be grateful for."

On seeing beyond wealth and riches of the dollar sign
"The older I get, the less tolerance I have for pettiness and superficial pursuits. There's a wealth that has nothing to do with dollars, that comes from the perspective and wisdom of paying attention to your life. It has everything to teach you. And what I know for sure is that the joy of learning well is the greatest reward.

On opening our hearts to life
"And now I simply want to share what I've been given. I want to continue to encourage as many people as I can to open their hearts to life, because if I know anything for sure, it's that opening my own heart is what has brought me my greatest success and joy.

On seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary
"In the best of times and worst of times, I know for sure, this life is a gift. And I believe that no matter where we live or how we look or what we do for a living, when it comes to what really matters - what makes us laugh and cry, grieve and yearn, delight and rejoice - we share the same heart space. We just fill it with different things."

On spirituality
"Spirituality is not religion. You can be spiritual and not have a religious context. The opposite is true, too: You can be very religious with no spiritual dimension, just doctrine."

On living in the moment
"Balance lives in the present. When you feel the earth moving, bring yourself back to the now. You'll handle whatever shake-up the next moment brings when you get to it. In this moment, you're still breathing. In this moment, you've survived. In this moment, you're finding a way to step onto higher ground."

"Spirit to me is the essence of who we are. It doesn't require any particular belief. It just is. And the key to this essence is simply being aware of the present moment. It's transformative. It redefines what it means to be alive."

On the beauty and majesty of life on earth
"Getting older is the best thing that ever happened to me. ..Whatever age I'm at, I think about all the people who never made it that far. I think about the people who were called before they realized the beauty and majesty of life on earth.

I know for sure that every day holds within the possibility of seeing the world with wonder."

I feel blessed to be given the chance to add this book to my repertoire of literary criticism not that I have anything to criticize but praise. I am grateful that Oprah Winfrey, through her writing, allows us glimpses into her life (without revealing much background), shares her innermost thoughts, reveals that even she can have doubts about herself once, and that being famous does not make one more mysterious or different or better than any of us regular folk. She believes that life is full of delightful treasures if we allow ourselves to take delight in them, that the choice is always ours to make so long as we are not afraid to step out and move forward. And the list goes on.

On the topic of grateful.. I used to list down three things I am grateful for every week, on a Tuesday. Then, I got busy (or so I thought) and I stop. After reading Oprah's sharing on gratitude, I decide to start all over again. This time, however, I determine to write them down every single day. It has been a short two weeks since I restarted this personal challenge and already, I can feel the effect this change has in my life. I start to notice with each passing day how blessed I am on so many counts. I become increasingly aware of all I have and my have-nots fade into the background. Some days, I actually struggled with writing down the three - most memorable - things I am grateful for because I have so many. 'Tis so true - the more grateful we become, the more we have to be grateful for.

I am also pleasantly surprised and at the same time happy to know that Oprah Winfrey and I share a common love to read. To quote her, "Everything I do all day, I do in preparation for my reading time. Give me a great novel or memoir, some tea, and a cozy spot to curl up in, and I'm in heaven. I love to live in another person's thoughts: I marvel at the bonds I feel with people who come alive on the page, regardless of how their circumstances might be from mine. I not only feel I know these people, but I also recognize more of myself. Insight, information, knowledge, inspiration, power: All that and more can come through a good book." Everything that is on my mind about my love to read, Oprah Winfrey sums it up nicely in one passage. Sweet.

Having come to the end of this book, I cannot help but ask myself the same question - what do I know for sure? Well..

What I know for sure is this book, organised in parts of eight, each with a number of chapters, some as short as one, others two or three, but never more than four pages, is very reader-friendly. I like that I can stop easily at the end of any chapter to pick it up again later where I leave off when time permits me to.

What I know for sure is I keep reading the same passage again and again and again. Because what Oprah shares in her book is so beautiful that it warrants reading and rereading.

What I know for sure is this book small on the outside but big on the inside, is a book worth putting aside my time to peruse.

What I know for sure is this book reminds me of the Chinese saying "小时候,幸福很简单;长大后,简单很幸福". Translated, it means when we were small, happiness was a simple thing; after we have grown up, simplicity is a very happy thing.

What I know for sure is I want to live life in the moment, in contentment. Be appreciative. Be grateful. Be simple.


Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publication date: 2 Sep 2014

*** Favourite quote 1 ***

It doesn't take a lot to make me happy because I find satisfaction in so much of what I do.

*** Favourite quote 2 ***

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.

*** Favourite quote 3 ***

Your journey begins with a choice to get up, step out and live fully.

***Favourite quote 4 ***

Everything I do all day, I do in preparation for my reading time. Give me a great novel or memoir, some tea, and a cozy spot to curl up in, and I'm in heaven. I love to live in another person's thoughts: I marvel at the bonds I feel with people who come alive on the page, regardless of how their circumstances might be from mine. I not only feel I know these people, but I also recognize more of myself. Insight, information, knowledge, inspiration, power: All that and more can come through a good book.

*** Favourite quote 5 ***

I know for sure that healing the wounds of the past is one of the biggest and most worthwhile challenges of life. It's important to know when and how you were programmed, so you can change the program. And doing so is your responsibility, no one else's. There is one irrefutable law of the universe: We are each responsible for our own life.

*** Favourite quote 6 ***

Balance lives in the present. When you feel the earth moving, bring yourself back to the now. You'll handle whatever shake-up the next moment brings when you get to it. In this moment, you're still breathing. In this moment, you've survived. In this moment, you're finding a way to step onto higher ground.

*** Favourite quote 7 ***

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.... we are all the artists of our own lives - and that we can use as many colors and brushstrokes as we like.

*** Favourite quote 8 ***

Who you're meant to be evolves from where you are right now. So learning to appreciate your lessons, mistakes, and setbacks as stepping-stones to the future is a clear sign you're moving in the right direction.

*** Favourite quote 9 ***

I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your whole world. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you're aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.

I know for sure: If you make time for a little gratitude every day, you'll be amazed by the results.

*** Favourite quote 10 ***

Being grateful all the time isn't easy. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: perspective. Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It's the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to effect change in your life - this I know for sure.

...And the more grateful you become, the more you have to be grateful for.

*** Favourite quote 11 ***

In the best of times and worst of times, I know for sure, this life is a gift. And I believe that no matter where we live or how we look or what we do for a living, when it comes to what really matters - what makes us laugh and cry, grieve and yearn, delight and rejoice - we share the same heart space. We just fill it with different things.

*** Favourite quote 12 ***

The older I get, the less tolerance I have for pettiness and superficial pursuits. There's a wealth that has nothing to do with dollars, that comes from the perspective and wisdom of paying attention to your life. It has everything to teach you. And what I know for sure is that the joy of learning well is the greatest reward.

*** Favourite quote 13 ***

Spirit to me is the essence of who we are. It doesn't require any particular belief. It just is. And the key to this essence is simply being aware of the present moment. It's transformative. It redefines what it means to be alive.

*** Favourite quote 14 ***

Spirituality is not religion. You can be spiritual and not have a religious context. The opposite is true, too: You can be very religious with no spiritual dimension, just doctrine.

*** Favourite quote 15 ***

Every action, thought and feeling is motivated by an intention, and that intention is a cause that exists as one with an effect. If we participate in the cause, it is not possible for us not to participate in the effect. In this most profound way, we are held responsible for our every action, thought and feeling, which is to say, for our every intention.

— Gary Zukav

*** Favourite quote 16 ***

What I know for sure is that giving yourself time to just be is essential to fulfilling your mission as a human being.

*** Favourite quote 17 ***

What I know for sure: Having the best things is no substitute for having the best life. When you can let go of the desire to acquire, you know you are really on your way.

*** Favourite quote 18 ***

Ask yourself if the people in your life give you energy and encourage your personal growth, or block that growth with dysfunctional dynamics and outdated scripts. If they don't support you as a loving, open, free, and spontaneous being, good-bye!

Put a stop to the stagnant patterns that no longer serve you.

~ What I Know for Sure
Oprah Winfrey

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As a creative force, student of the human heart and soul, and champion of living the life you want, Oprah Winfrey stands alone. Over the years, she has made history with a legendary talk show - the highest-rated program of its kind, launched her own television network, become the nation's only African-American billionaire, and been awarded both an honorary degree by Harvard University and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. From all her experiences, she has gleaned life lessons—which, for fourteen years, she's shared in O, The Oprah Magazine's widely popular "What I Know For Sure" column, a monthly source of inspiration and revelation.

Now, for the first time, these thoughtful gems have been revised, updated, and collected in What I Know For Sure, a beautiful cloth bound book with a ribbon marker, packed with insight and revelation from Oprah Winfrey. Organized by theme—joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power—these essays offer a rare, powerful and intimate glimpse into the heart and mind of one of the world's most extraordinary women—while providing readers a guide to becoming their best selves. Candid, moving, exhilarating, uplifting, and frequently humorous, the words Oprah shares in What I Know For Sure shimmer with the sort of truth that readers will turn to again and again.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

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