“We don't develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and facing adversity. » - Barbara De AngelisSay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayDespite the circumstances and plethora of obstacles faced, one can use them to become even better than before. I'm going to talk about Oprah Winfrey's struggles 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 sensation in three months. A person's circumstances do not define who they are. Oprah Winfrey was born on a modest farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi and was placed in the care of her grandparents after her single parent broke up. She lived a normal life until she was sent to live in a dangerous and poor Milwaukee ghetto with her mother and half-brothers at the age of six. Six years later, she went to live with her father in Nashville, Texas, and for the first time in years, she felt relatively safe. Winfrey's charm for public speaking flourished during her time with her father, but she was quickly called back to Milwaukee. The ghetto lifestyle had a negative effect on Winfrey. The constant dangers of repeated sexual abuse from the age of 9 by trusted male family friends led to a poor outlook on life. Her behavior got worse and her mother sent her back to live with her father. Transition: During the difficult 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 instructions, often not allowing Oprah to eat dinner until she had learned five new vocabulary words. It didn't bother her, in fact she said it saved her; she became a diligent student involved in many clubs and won a full scholarship through her victory in a public speaking competition. She was invited to a White House conference on youth and hired by a local radio station. She then received several job offers from CBS, turned them down several times, but then accepted thanks to the encouragement of a teacher. At nineteen, Oprah Winfrey became Nashville's first-ever black co-anchor. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To graduate, Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland and was recruited to do Good Morning, America which produced better ratings than national talk shows. She was hired at ABC and took over AM Chicago, doing the Oprah Winfrey show. People recognized her talent left and right, she was offered acting jobs and won awards for those acting roles, as well as for all of her accomplishments. Winfrey became a media sensation. Although a competitor's show aired on hundreds of additional channels, Winfrey left them in the dust, conquering her time slot by 31%, attracting twice the audience and ranking in the top ten in the market American..