Pregnancy, often viewed as a wonderful and special time, can actually be difficult for women. A prime example is Oprah's mother, who kept her pregnancy a secret due to being unmarried. This caused feelings of shame and regret for the woman, who wished she had not become pregnant in the first place.

A great start to life, isn’t it? Yet, Oprah would recall her young years as something that made her stronger, not broke her spirit like you could assume.

In her childhood years, Oprah felt lonely. In an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the early 1990s, she said that she faced abuse and loss, growing up with inattentive grandparents.

Things got even harder when she reached her teenage years. Oprah was sexually abused for four years, eventually getting pregnant at the age of fourteen. She mirrored her mother’s life, also concealing her pregnancy. Sadly, the baby couldn't survive beyond a few weeks following birth.

Oprah believes that even though her life was incredibly hard, it still provided a wealth of experience for her future self. And that was the key to her success. In her opinion, she learned the importance of being independent through reflecting on her feelings of loneliness and acknowledging the need to be self-sufficient. Oprah claimed that in order to be happy, she had to take full responsibility for her actions.

In the end, Oprah believes that an open mind and determination can help you to get through the toughest struggles, turning them into the source of your greatest strengths.