Oprah Winfrey: "God Use Me"

Summary

The speaker expresses gratitude for the influence of Barbara Walters and the support of colleagues, emphasizing their journey from a marginalized childhood to a successful career in television. They convey a deep desire to use their platform to inspire and uplift others, aiming to be a beacon of hope and understanding in a polarized world. The speaker thanks everyone involved and acknowledges the award as encouragement to continue their mission.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Gratitude: The speaker expresses deep gratitude towards Barbara Walters, the Harpo family, and the King World family for their support and nurturing.
• 💞 Personal Tribute: A special thank you is given to Steadman for his integrity and support in helping the speaker become who they are.
• 🙏 Lifelong Prayer: From childhood, the speaker has prayed to be used by God, showing a strong spiritual foundation.
• 📺 Television as a Medium: The speaker sees television as a powerful tool to enter homes and touch lives, similar to how Barbara Walters inspired them.
• 🔦 Beacon of Hope: The speaker aspires to be a beacon of hope and understanding, illuminating people's lives and helping them understand themselves better.
• 🌐 Polarization Awareness: There's an acknowledgment of societal polarization and a commitment to use television to counteract this by promoting better lives.
• 🏆 Award Significance: The award received is seen as an encouragement and a validation of the speaker's goals and efforts.
• 🌱 Vision for Life: The speaker has always had a vision for their life that transcends their imagination, indicating a belief in a higher purpose.
• 🌟 Continuing the Legacy: There's a desire to continue using television to make a positive impact, even as the medium evolves.
• 🙌 Community Impact: The speaker's work aims to help people reach their highest potential and lead better lives.

Q & A

Who does the speaker express gratitude towards at the beginning of the transcript?

The speaker expresses gratitude towards Barbara Walters, the Harpo family, and the King World family.

What does the speaker appreciate about Steadman?

The speaker appreciates Steadman for being the sweetest man with the greatest integrity and for helping her become everything she is and all that is to come.

Who are Gail and Maya, and why does the speaker thank them?

Gail and Maya are not explicitly identified in the transcript, but the speaker thanks them for their contributions to her life and career.

What was the speaker's prayer during her childhood in Mississippi?

The speaker's prayer was for God to use her and her life for a purpose greater than what she could imagine.

How does the speaker describe the impact of television on her life?

The speaker describes television as a tremendous vehicle that allows her to enter people's homes and touch their lives, similar to how Barbara Walters was a beacon of light for her.

What role does the speaker see for herself in television?

The speaker sees herself as a light of hope and understanding, someone who can illuminate people's lives and help them understand themselves better.

What is the speaker's goal in using television as a medium?

The speaker's goal is to use television to help people lead better lives and reach their highest vision for themselves.

Why does the speaker express gratitude for the award mentioned in the transcript?

The speaker is grateful for the award because it encourages her and helps her see what the end goal is.

How does the speaker feel about the polarization in the medium of television?

The speaker expresses a desire to use television in a way that can bridge polarization and improve people's lives.

What is the overall message the speaker conveys in the transcript?

The overall message is one of gratitude, the desire to make a positive impact through television, and the pursuit of helping others achieve their highest potential.

How does the speaker's early life experiences influence her current work and aspirations?

The speaker's early life experiences, growing up as an African-American child in Mississippi, have shaped her aspirations to use her platform to uplift and inspire others.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Gratitude and Light

The speaker expresses gratitude for the influence of Barbara Walters, who served as a beacon of light, inspiring them to achieve their potential. They also thank the Harpo and King World families for their support. The speaker acknowledges their partner, Steadman, for his integrity and support in their journey. The speaker reflects on their upbringing as an African-American in Mississippi and their lifelong prayer to be used by God. They recount their dream of using television as a means to touch people's lives, mirroring the impact Barbara had on them. The speaker aspires to continue using television to help people lead better lives and achieve their highest potential, viewing this as a divine blessing. They conclude by expressing appreciation for an award that encourages them to continue their mission.

Keywords

💡Beacon of light

A 'beacon of light' is a metaphor for a guiding or inspiring force that helps others find direction or hope. In the video, the speaker expresses gratitude to Barbara Walters for being such a beacon, inspiring her to achieve her potential. The phrase encapsulates the idea of positive influence and mentorship, which is central to the speaker's journey and message of inspiration and hope.

💡Full-circle moment

A 'full-circle moment' refers to a point in time when something comes back to its starting point, often with a sense of completion or fulfillment. The speaker reflects on her career, indicating that acknowledging Barbara Walters is a moment of reflection and gratitude, as it brings her journey full circle.

💡Nurtured

To 'nurtured' means to provide care, support, and encouragement for the growth and development of someone or something. In the context of the video, the speaker thanks those who have nurtured her, implying that their support was instrumental in her personal and professional growth, which aligns with the theme of gratitude and the impact of support on one's life.

💡Stood in the gap

'Stood in the gap' is a phrase that suggests someone has filled a void or provided support when it was most needed. The speaker uses this phrase to express deep gratitude to those who have been there for her in challenging times, emphasizing the importance of support networks in overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

💡Integrity

Integrity refers to the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. The speaker praises Steadman for his integrity, indicating that his moral character has been a significant factor in her life, reflecting the value of ethical behavior and its role in personal relationships.

💡Prayer

A 'prayer' is a solemn request or expression of thanks to a deity or an object of worship. The speaker mentions her childhood prayer, asking to be used by God, which sets the tone for her life's purpose and her dedication to a higher vision. This highlights the role of faith and spirituality in guiding one's life path and aspirations.

💡Vision

A 'vision' in this context refers to a clear idea or image of the future, often involving aspirations or goals. The speaker talks about a vision for her life that is beyond her imagination, indicating the importance of having a guiding vision that drives personal growth and achievement.

💡Television

Television, as mentioned in the script, is the medium through which the speaker has been able to reach and influence people's lives. It is portrayed as a powerful tool that allows her to be a beacon of hope and understanding, emphasizing the role of media in shaping public perception and providing a platform for positive influence.

💡Polarized

To be 'polarized' means to be divided into opposing factions or groups. The speaker acknowledges the polarization in society and chooses to use television as a medium to bridge divides and improve lives, highlighting the potential of media to foster unity and understanding amidst social divisions.

💡Award

An 'award' is something given as a recognition of excellence or achievement. The speaker thanks for the award, which serves as encouragement and validation of her work. It signifies the importance of recognition in motivating individuals to continue their efforts and pursue their goals.

💡Highest vision

The 'highest vision' refers to the most noble or ambitious aspirations one can have for themselves or others. The speaker aims to help people reach their highest vision, indicating a commitment to empowerment and the belief in the potential for individuals to achieve great things.

Highlights

Acknowledgment of being a beacon of light for each other

Gratitude towards Barbara Walters for being a role model

Thanking the Harpo and King World families for support

Appreciation for Steadman's integrity and support

Recognition of Gail and Maya's contributions

Reflection on the journey from being a child in Mississippi to television

Desire to be used by God to fulfill a greater vision

Dream of using television as a tool to touch lives

Aspiration to be a light of hope and understanding

Wish to help people lead better lives through television

Commitment to use television to promote personal growth

Expression of gratitude for the award and its encouragement

Desire to continue using television as a force for good

Acknowledgment of the polarized state of the medium

Choice to use television to bring out the best in people

Thanking the audience for the recognition

Closing with a musical note

Transcripts

[Music]

thank you hey this is uh this is

certainly one of life's full-circle

moments for me because it's it's so true

we are all beacons of light for each

other and I'm grateful that Barbara

Walters was there for me to see that

beacon of light to become all that I

could be today thank you

miss Barbara thank you I want to thank

the Harpo family and I want to thank the

King world family I want to thank

everybody who has nurtured me who stood

in the gap for me Steadman you're the

sweetest man with the greatest integrity

thank you for helping me to be

everything that I am and all that is to

come

Thank You Gail Thank You Maya thank you

all you know when I from the beginning

from the beginning being a colored than

Negro than black than an

african-american child

growing up in Mississippi my prayer was

for as long as I can remember God use me

use me use this life I don't know what

the future holds for me but I know that

there is a vision for my life that is

greater than my imagination can hold use

me use me what would you have me to do

and that dream that desire that prayer

brought me somehow to television and to

be able to use this tremendous vehicle

of television to go into people's homes

and somehow be able to touch their lives

and to be the beacon that Barbara was

for me to be a light of hope and

understanding to share some sense of

illumination that maybe sometimes

reflects people's lives and sometimes

opens them up to themselves is the

greatest blessing God could have given

me and I want to continue to use

television as we become more polarized

in this medium I choose to use it in

whatever way I can we can to make people

lead better lives to lead them to the

highest vision possible for themselves

that is the goal I thank you for this

award because it encourages me

and see what the end

thank you

[Music]