Oprah's Super Soul

This is the third and final Build the Life You Want Super Soul Podcast with Oprah and Arthur Brooks, co-authors of the #1 New York Times best-selling book,  Build the Life You Want. Together, they talk with readers around the country about the “Friendship Pillar of Happiness” by uncovering the difference between “deal friends” and “real friends.” They discuss the PANAS test which readers can take to find out their personality profiles. Arthur Brooks asks, “Are you a Judge, a Poet, a Mad Scientist or a Cheerleader?” Then when discussing the “Work that Serves Pillar of Happiness,” Arthur Brooks reveals the two things you need to have for a fulfilling and happy career. Finally, Oprah and Arthur receive a thoughtful question from a reader about the intersection of science and religion in discussing the “Faith Pillar of Happiness” where Oprah says when it comes to happiness, “If you don’t believe in anything, you’ve just got to at least believe there’s something bigger than you.” Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

Oprah sits down with two-time National Book Award winning author Jesmyn Ward to talk about her new novel and Oprah’s Book Club 103rd pick Let Us Descend. The narrative is set in the 19th century during the time of slavery. It follows a teenage girl’s journey across the American South. Announced in October on CBS Mornings, Oprah describes Jesmyn’s latest novel as “a vital work for our culture.” In this moving conversation, Oprah and Jesmyn discuss their upbringings in Mississippi, how the loss of Jesmyn’s partner caused her to take a 6-month writing hiatus and how she wants people to leave the book with a sense of hope. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

In Episode Two of the Build the Life You Want Super Soul Podcast, Oprah and Arthur C. Brooks, co-authors of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Build the Life You Want,” take questions from readers who are curious how to make their own lives happier with the science-based research and actionable practices from the book. Arthur Brooks explains that living a happier life starts with focusing less on yourself by saying, “Your load is lightened when you’re helping another person. You’re going to draw love to yourself when you actually give it.” Oprah and Arthur C. Brooks also talk to readers who are struggling with envy and “the disease to please” as well as the sometimes difficult “Family Pillar of Happiness.” Arthur C. Brooks has advice on how to address what he calls the one-directional “emotional ATM” in families and why one of the hardest challenges with loved ones is forgiveness. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods  You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN   

Original Air Date: May 7, 2018Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddhist monk, author and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, sits down with Oprah to discuss his dedication to mindful meditation and his legacy of nonviolent opposition to the Vietnam War. In 1966, the spiritual leader met with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and urged him to publicly denounce the Vietnam War. After the meeting, Dr. King nominated Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying, "His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity." Nhat Hanh also explains how to practice "compassionate listening," which he believes will help ease suffering, end wars and change the world for the better. Thich Nhat Hanh passed away on January 22, 2022 at the age of 95. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

In Episode One of the Build the Life You Want Super Soul Podcast, Oprah and Arthur Brooks offer listeners a better understanding of the science behind happiness and why Arthur says, “Happiness is not a destination, happiness is a direction.” Together, they take questions from people across the country who have read Build the Life You Want who are curious how to apply topics from the book to their own lives. They discuss the “The Four Pillars of Happiness: Faith, Family, Friends and Work that Serves” as well as the power of metacognition which Oprah calls “one of the biggest contributions to people getting happier.” Arthur Brooks explains how using “emotional caffeine” can lead to greater happiness and how having “a better storage of emotions” can block anxiety and depression. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

Oprah talks to trauma therapist, minister, and author Dr. Anita Phillips about her New York Times bestselling new book, The Garden Within: Where The War with Your Emotions Ends and Your Most Powerful Life Begins. Dr. Anita explains how embracing our emotions rather than suppressing them is the key to living our most powerful life. Blending faith, the latest discoveries in neurobiology, and her own research, Dr. Anita shows us how to reach a state of emotional well-being. She describes this as our internal garden, our heart, that needs cultivating and that starts by letting ourselves be present in how we feel first. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

Global media leader and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey and Harvard professor and New York Times best-selling author Arthur Brooks want you to be happier - so they teamed up to write a book outlining the steps to ‘Build the Life You Want.’ Enjoy this episode of The Happiness Lab from our friends at Pushkin Industries.Over the summer, Dr Laurie Santos readBuild the Life You Want, the Art and Science of Getting Happier and loved it. So, she recorded a conversation with Arthur touching on how his son found meaning in the Marine Corps; why you may want to stop using mirrors and whether happiness experts can ever be happy themselves. 

Original Air Date: December 25, 2019Oprah talks about the many ways animals teach and inspire us. Oprah shares the lessons she's learned from her own dogs and from other animals featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah says one of her greatest teachers was her beloved dog, Sophie. Oprah was also inspired by one of her most memorable guests, Faith, the dog who overcame severe deformities to learn to walk on two legs. "If that little dog can do that, what can you do?" Oprah asks. Oprah also looks back at a ground-breaking program called Puppies Behind Bars, which teaches prisoners to train puppies to become service dogs for wounded soldiers. Oscar-nominee Glenn Close takes us inside a prison to hear how men with histories of violence are being transformed by this amazing program. Finally, Oprah looks back on a touching moment played out in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as Nate Berkus comes to the aid of a survivor unable to part with his beloved dog, Rafiki. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

Original Air Date: May 6, 2020 Oprah Winfrey talks with Dr. Alan Lightman, an MIT professor of humanities, physicist and best-selling author. Dr. Lightman is one of the rare scientists who also embraces spirituality after having a transcendent experience while on a boat on the ocean. He discusses why he believes the COVID-19 pandemic offered us an opportunity to lead a less hurried life. He shares why stillness is so important to our daily lives and explains how our country now has a chance to nurture what he calls its “inner self.” Dr. Lightman also discusses his article “The Virus Is a Reminder of Something Lost Long Ago,” published in The Atlantic.   Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

Original Air Date: March 28th, 2018Oprah sits down with the Rev. Ed Bacon, a retired priest from the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and the author of the book "8 Habits of Love." Saying that we often obscure our ability to identify grace in our lives, the Rev. Bacon reveals how to recognize grace in your life, especially during the toughest times. He tells Oprah that people operate from a place of either fear or love when it comes to their relationship with God and explains why he believes there is a bit of God in all of us and why we should embrace it. Plus, the Rev. Bacon offers a surprising and enlightening answer to the question of whether religion and spirituality can work together. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

Original Air Date: January 20th, 2021Job loss, addiction, a breakup, the death of a loved one, illness… these are the kinds of struggles that have the potential to break us wide open. Oprah says that before you ask the question, “Why me?” realize that nothing is happening out of order. Your life is always speaking to you. When that wake-up call comes, understand that it’s your life trying to push you in another direction onto the next leg of your journey. Don’t resist. Instead let the truth break you open. No experience is ever wasted. In this episode of Super Soul, Oprah sits down with acclaimed spiritual teachers: Elizabeth Lesser, Gabrielle Bernstein, Father Richard Rohr, Ali McGraw, Sarah Ban Breathnach, Caroline Myss, Lewellyn Vaughn Lee, Reverend Michael Beckwith, Elizabeth Gilbert, Glennon Doyle, Michael Singer, Iyanla Vanzant, Dr. Shefali, Pema Chödrön, Cheryl Strayed, Deepak Chopra and Adyashanti to reveal the true meaning of what it means to be broken open and what to do when those life-challenges arise. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods  You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN   

Original Air Date: April 30th, 2018Former professional basketball player Jay Williams opens up to Oprah about his near-fatal, career-ending motorcycle crash, his regrets and how he's learned to fulfill his destiny despite those who say he threw it all away. Jay was poised to become one of the biggest superstars in the NBA until his devastating accident brought it all to a heartbreaking halt. After Jay's big mistake cost him his career, his dreams and nearly his life, he began to refocus his energies on overcoming not just the physical challenges of his injuries but also the spiritual and mental hurdles he faced in the aftermath. Jay explains why he says that the worst decision he ever made has turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. "I was lost. Basketball had defined me. My accident had defined me. And I had no idea what I wanted to do," Jay tells Oprah. "I don't think it was until later, a couple of years later, until I started going to counseling, started to try to go to church. I put my faith into something bigger." Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods  You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN   

Original Air Date: December 27th, 2017He’s the creator of some of the most groundbreaking shows in television history. Legendary producer, writer and director Norman Lear talks about changing the landscape of TV, his life as a spiritual seeker and his political activism.  Norman shares behind-the-scenes stories from his socially conscious shows “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Good Times.” Norman explains why he believes there may be no greater unifying spiritual expression than when we laugh together. He also discusses his documentary film "Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You," and his first-ever book, the memoir "Even This I Get to Experience." Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: August 1st, 2018Oprah sits down with contemporary thought leader and spiritual teacher Panache Desai, who discusses the transformative power of energy, offering step-by-step advice on how we can change our lives by shifting our energy. Panache reveals what he believes are the keys to overcoming anger, rage, fear and insecurity. The young luminary shares his best advice for how we can achieve what he describes as our "infinite potential," the key to unlocking who we are and how to identify what he refers to as our "soul signature." In this interactive conversation, Panache answers compelling questions from listeners, including how to be thankful for the difficulties in our lives, how to experience deeper personal fulfillment at work, and how to maintain self-care while caring for an ailing loved one. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: November 7th, 2018New York Times best-selling author, public speaker and writing teacher Anne Lamott discusses what she says are the three types of prayers that can help anyone through challenging times. Anne says it's easy to thank God when life is going well, but when times get tough, she says feelings of anger or complete silence can also act as prayer. Anne believes as long you’re telling the truth of your heart, prayer can take on many forms. Anne talks about her book "Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair." The book is a humorous and profoundly moving meditation on the search for meaning and how we can make the wounded parts of ourselves whole again, stitch by stitch. Anne also opens up about her own recovery from addiction and her ongoing commitment to appreciate the sacred in everyday life. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: November 12th, 2018Dr. BJ Miller is a hospice and palliative care specialist who treats patients with life-altering and terminal illnesses at the University of California in San Francisco. Dr. Miller shares his revelations about a subject that is often taboo in our culture: the experience of death. He describes the moment after a person's death and explains why it is both sacred and unknowable. While a sophomore in college, Dr. Miller suffered a devastating electrical shock throughout his body. He lost half his arm and both his legs below the knee. He talks about how this earth-shattering experience proved to be a spiritual wake-up call and how it left him with an extraordinary sense of what it means to confront death. Dr. Miller discusses why he thinks it’s time for us to rethink the idea that “death is inherently horrible.” He also reveals what he's learned about regret by experiencing “vicarious deathbed moments” in his practice. Dr. Miller’s  book is titled “A Beginner’s Guide to the End.” Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: August 15th, 2018Author and psychic Ainslie MacLeod says your soul may hold the secrets to your path in life. Ainslie came to this conclusion more than a decade ago after a great epiphany took him from successful illustrator to renowned psychic and investigator of the soul. He believes that each person's soul holds a life plan that was created before that person was born. In his book, "The Instruction: Living the Life Your Soul Intended," Ainslie explains how you can decode your soul to help understand your own personal destiny.Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: November 1, 2017In 1994, iconic actress and author Ali MacGraw left Los Angeles and moved to Santa Fe to live her spiritual journey more fully. In a frank conversation, Ali discusses what she's come to know about aging with grace, shares the real-life lessons in love she learned from her marriages to legendary actor Steve McQueen and famed film producer Robert Evans and opens up about how sobriety allowed her to feel more connected to her soul. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: October 3rd, 2018Hip-hop legend, Grammy winner, TV and film star, devoted husband and father, LL Cool J has accomplished it all. Nevertheless, it's easy to see a scenario where it never would have happened. As a kid growing up in Queens, LL almost lost his mother and grandfather when they were shot by his father during a fit of rage. Incredibly, once his father turned his life around, LL's mother grew to forgive him and allowed him back into LL's life. LL says this powerful lesson taught him how forgiveness is a key to happiness. Now, after decades in a loving marriage to his wife, Simone, LL explains how she and their four children keep him grounded and balanced. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: April 8th, 2020 As a part of “Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus,” Oscar-, Grammy-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning rapper, actor, writer, philanthropist and activist Common talks in front of a live audience in Denver. In a spoken essay from his New York Times best-selling memoir, Let Love Have the Last Word, Common shares his journey in discovering love, where he failed in love, and the three components that helped him discover self-love. He punctuates his talk with spurts of rhythmic, poetic flow about healing relationships and about using love as a true action. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: July 18th, 2018Rapper, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur and hip-hop mogul Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter charts his unlikely rise from the Brooklyn projects to superstardom, sharing what he's learned along the way. Since 1996, the 21-time Grammy winner has dominated an evolution in popular culture, with more than 35 million records sold and 14 number one Billboard hits (second only to the Beatles). Candid, raw and real, Jay-Z offers personal revelations about integrity, failure and why knowing your truth is everything. He reflects on the challenges of growing up without a father and how they made their peace before his father's death. The entertainer offers his thoughts on the healing power of hip-hop and why we all must search for our own truth. Jay-Z says, "Belief in oneself and knowing who you are, I mean, that's the foundation of everything great."  Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Original Air Date: May 22nd, 2019In a live appearance at UCLA’s Royce Hall, author, entrepreneur and award-winning web host Marie Forleo explains why she believes everything in life is what she calls “figureoutable.” Marie wonders, “Why do some people struggle while others find a way to thrive, often despite the most challenging circumstances?” In exploring the answer, Marie shares the valuable life lessons her mother taught her about how to handle life’s inevitable problems. Marie also believes our attitude, spirit and tenacity can affect the outcome of any challenge that comes our way. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Oprah sits down with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese for a compelling six-part conversation on his latest book, The Covenant of Water. In this episode, everything comes together for the remarkable and soul-stirring conclusion to parts 9 and 10. Plus, Oprah describes how this story has changed her and makes a book-club first announcement.Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Oprah sits down with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese for a compelling six-part conversation on his latest book, The Covenant of Water. In this episode, Abraham describes what it was like working during COVID and answers questions about caste, inequity and death in parts 7 and 8. Also, Oprah asks Abraham about one of the most moving and difficult scenes he wrote. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Oprah sits down with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese for a compelling six-part conversation on his latest book, The Covenant of Water. In this episode on parts 5 and 6, Abraham shares how his experiences influenced his characters and explains the origin of the ten sketches. The two also have a spirited discussion about one of the more difficult scenes written in the book.Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Oprah sits down with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese for a compelling six-part conversation on his latest book, The Covenant of Water. In this episode, they discuss parts 3 and 4 and how the unlikely meeting of two characters in part 4 signals a major turning point. They also talk about why Abraham decided to make leprosy the centerpiece of the story. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPods You can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Oprah sits down with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese for a compelling six-part conversation on his latest book, The Covenant of Water. In this episode, Oprah and Abraham discuss parts 1 and 2, including the first of many tragedies and why the story transitions from one country to another. Abraham also reveals how the women in his family served as inspiration for the tale. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN 

Oprah sits down with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese for a compelling six-part conversation on his latest book, The Covenant of Water. In this episode, Oprah and Abraham discuss his journey into medicine and how he crafted this epic tale. Abraham answers questions from readers about the title's meaning while Oprah shares why this is her 101st Oprah Book Club pick. Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN  

The Covenant of Water is a six-part Super Soul podcast series hosted by Oprah Winfrey in conversation with bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese. The series explores all 10 parts of his acclaimed novel: family secrets, romance, spirituality, medical mysteries and the resilience of the human spirit. Oprah and Dr. Verghese share their own experiences to offer insights into the book. Launches June 21st. New Episodes Every Wednesday. Learn more here: https://www.oprah.com/sp/the-covenant-of-water-companion-podcast.html

Original Air Date: February 13th, 2019Award-winning actor and producer Michael B. Jordan discusses his skyrocketing career and why he says his life has already "exceeded his dreams.” Michael’s breakout performance came in 2013’s “Fruitvale Station,” directed by visionary Ryan Coogler. The duo teamed up again for the “Rocky” sequel, “Creed,” and then for the mega-blockbuster “Black Panther,” which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Michael says after playing superhero villain Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther,” he went to therapy. “As a man, I think we get a lot of slack for … what it is to be masculine,” he says. “I don’t really subscribe to that because I feel like everybody needs to unpack and talk, whether it’s with a therapist or a close friend or family member.” Want more podcasts from OWN? Visit https://bit.ly/OWNPodsYou can also watch Oprah’s Super Soul, The Oprah Winfrey Show and more of your favorite OWN shows on your TV! Visit https://bit.ly/find_OWN