Oprah Tells Young People to Not Spend Your Life Trying to be Somebody Else

By Staff Blogger

In perhaps one of her most intimate and personal interviews, Oprah Winfrey opens up in an issue of Jet Magazine that hits newsstands on August 12th. As Oprah makes the media rounds preparing for the release of Lee Daniels’ The Butler, the 59 year old graces the cover of the iconic magazine.

In her typical graceful fashion, Oprah radiates with her trademark smile from the cover. But what is most important is what she tells Jet’s editor-in-chief Mitzi Miller. When asked about the tremendous responsibility that she shoulders as one of the most influential African-Americans of this century, Oprah answers candidly and honestly.

Oprah said: “The biggest fallacy on earth is that you can be anything that you want to be. You can only be what you were meant to be.” Oprah’s response can be taken as a lesson for young people everywhere. Too often people go through life trying to be someone who they are not. This, in turn, can lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Even the editor-in-chief was impressed by Oprah’s pragmatic advice. According to the Huffington Post, Miller asserted that,”Interviewing Oprah was an amazing experience. I expected Ms. Winfrey to be insightful but her candor and wit made our conversation that much more fun. She didn’t shy away from my hard questions or pull any punches in return. I continue to be inspired by her.”

This is just a glimpse of what promises to be an interesting issue that should shed even more light on Oprah’s success and failures as CEO and Owner of OWN. In addition, Oprah explains why, after a 15 year hiatus, she decided to return to the big screen to star in Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

Since starting her own magazine, O, it is rare to see Oprah on the cover of another magazine or to share such an intimate portrait of her life. Many African-American readers are glad that she decided to use Jet as the platform to present her kernels of wisdom to a broader African-American audience.