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 profi...

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...

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 li...

Original Air Date: May 7, 2018

Thich 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, "...

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 Fo...

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 t...

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,...

Original Air Date: December 25, 2019

Oprah 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 littl...

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 o...

Original Air Date: March 28th, 2018

Oprah 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 come...

Original Air Date: January 20th, 2021

Job 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 n...

Original Air Date: April 30th, 2018

Former 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 car...

Original Air Date: December 27th, 2017

He’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 ...

Original Air Date: August 1st, 2018

Oprah 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 ...

Original Air Date: November 7th, 2018

New 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 he...

Original Air Date: November 12th, 2018

Dr. 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 ...

Original Air Date: August 15th, 2018

Author 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...

Original Air Date: November 1, 2017

In 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 ...

Original Air Date: October 3rd, 2018

Hip-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 ...