Stedman Graham on how to have your own identity when dating Oprah

Stedman Graham on how to have your own identity when dating OprahStedman Graham on how to have your own identity when dating OprahThe concept of identity best defines Stedman Grahams body of work. Asa man that came of age during the 1960s and 1970s, he struggled to find his voice in a society that was eager to reduce him to stigmas and statistics. As the partner of perhaps the most celebrated television personality in the world, for the better part of three decades, he had work to secure a legacy that survives on its own.The New York Times bestselling authors latest, book, Identity Leadership, which ishis twelfth publication, feels very much like an intimate culmination of the ones that came before it. It details all of the things that animated Grahams passion for self-actualization, effectively widdling down his belief system to the key ingredients.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and m oreA foundation for thinking and deloping and improving your lifeIn celebration of the release of Identity Leadership, Graham spoke at Thrive multinational in New York City. While stressing the importance of self-worth, the prolific author recalled the frustration he once felt about how frequently his achievements were condensed in print to the significant other of the beloved talk show host. Graham has never thought meanly of Oprahs notoriety, in fact, the shadow itprovided him with the necessary pressure to motivate him to define himself.If identity is the protagonist of Grahams bibliography, comfort is certainly the villain. Comfort is addictive it lulls into a state of stasis and dims the roads to progress. Graham elaborated on this in a recent interview with Jenny Mccarthy. Being able to walk out the door and be defined as Oprahs man, and losing your identity was necessary for me to be able to figure out how to discover mine, he said.Graham went on to talk about having to use all of his emotional strength to empower himself in Oprahs World, making all of the anxieties that accompany being associated with a high-profile figure work for him as opposed to letting it destroy him.This concept speaks to another theme featured in Grahams book, the idea that people are constantly seeking freedom externally. In his opinion, no one can give you empowerment, authority is achieved through resilience and rumination.Grahams own journey of self-actualization accents the necessity of learning how to define yourself independent from external factors, like the color of your skin or your professional success.When you know who you are, you become immune to limitations. At 68, the educator and businessman enjoys the fruits of his accomplishments and the accomplishments of his partner, without any sort of internal conflict.As Graham explainedonthe Oprah Winfrey show We want each other to succeed. I want her to succeed and be as successful as she possibly can. So, I encourage that. Thats not always an easy thing to do whenyoure a man in a relationship with a very powerful woman.Im not threatened by her fame or her success or her money or all of that. Thats who she is. That doesnt have anything to do with how I define myself.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people