“We don't develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and defying adversity.” - Barbara De Angelis Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Despite the circumstances and plethora of obstacles faced, it is possible to use them to become even better than before. I will talk about the difficulties that Oprah Winfrey encountered throughout her life and how she was able to overcome them. From living in a poor, dangerous neighborhood to turning a low-rated talk show into a national phenomenon in the space of three months. Circumstances do not define who I am. Oprah Winfrey was born on a modest farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi and was left in the care of her grandparents following the breakup of her unmarried parents. She lived a normal life until she was sent to live in a dangerous, poor Milwaukee ghetto with her mother and half-siblings at the age of six. Six years later he went to live with his father in Nashville, Texas, and for the first time in years he felt relatively safe. Winfrey's fascination with public speaking flourished during her time with her father, but she was soon called back to Milwaukee. The ghetto lifestyle had a negative effect on Winfrey. The constant dangers accumulated with repetitive sexual abuse from the young age of 9 by trusted male family friends created a poor outlook on life. Her behavior worsened and her mother sent her back to live with her father. Transition: Throughout her struggling years, Oprah continued to cultivate her love of public speaking, and it turned out to be the best thing she could have done for herself. Hard work and dedication lead to success. Winfrey's father was strict with his directions, often not allowing Oprah to eat dinner until she learned five new vocabulary words. This didn't bother her, in fact she said it had saved her; she became a diligent student involved in many clubs and won a full scholarship by winning a speaking competition. She was invited to a White House conference on youth and was hired by a local radio station. He continued to receive numerous job offers from CBS, rejected them several times but then accepted thanks to the encouragement of a teacher. At the age of nineteen, Oprah Winfrey became Nashville's first black female co-host. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Proceed to Graduation Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland and was recruited to do Good Morning, America, which churned out better ratings than national talk shows. She was hired at ABC and took over AM Chicago, turning it into the Oprah Winfrey show. People have been recognizing her talent left and right, she has been offered acting jobs, and has won awards for said acting roles, as well as all of her accomplishments. Winfrey made a splash in the media. Despite a competitor's show airing on hundreds of other channels, Winfrey left them in the dust, taking over her time slot with a whopping 31%, attracting double the audience and entering the top ten of the American market.