The Oprah Podcast

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'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' by Maya Angelou
In a special episode of The Oprah Podcast Oprah looks back on some of the most profound lessons she learned and has continued to share from one of her greatest mentors - mother-sister-friend, Dr. Maya Angelou. It’s been 12 years since Maya Angelou passed, however Oprah says she taught her more than any other single human being and those lessons continue to help guide her and so many people in their lives. A victim of severe trauma as a child, Maya Angelou was raised by her grandmother and spent five years of her childhood as a mute. She would go on to become one of the world's most respected poets and authors writing more than 30 books. Her seminal autobiography series began with I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings considered one of the best non-fiction books of all time. Oprah revisits the moment she read that book and how it changed her life. Oprah also goes back in time to recall the great conversations and words of wisdom she gained from Maya Angelou including, “When you know better, you do better,” “When someone tells you who they are, believe them,” “I come as one, but stand as 10,000” and many, many others we can all benefit from. Oprah also shares with listeners a beautiful poem called “Continue” Maya Angelou personally wrote for Oprah for her 50th birthday.

Oprah is joined by neurologist and hospice physician Dr. Chris Kerr to explore the mysterious phenomenon of end-of-life visitations. Through decades of research and his life-affirming book Death Is But a Dream Dr. Kerr’s work has sparked a profound paradigm shift reframing so-called “deathbed dreams” as very real end-of-life experiences. Dr. Kerr and his team have conducted more than 1,500 interviews with fully lucid patients nearing life’s end. Again and again patients describe vivid encounters with deceased loved ones that feel not dream-like, but strikingly real. Those who appear are often the people they loved most deeply—the ones who mattered most in their lives. In this episode you'll also hear from a woman whose mother experienced an “end-of-life awakening”—a phenomenon known as terminal lucidity, in which a dying person temporarily regains mental clarity and awareness, often using those precious final moments to say goodbye to loved ones.

Why is cancer on the rise amongst the younger generation? Oprah sits down with world-renowned oncologist, New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee to find out. In this powerful and deeply personal discussion about the new edition of his groundbreaking book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer Dr. Mukherjee shares why it was important for him to update his seminal book with four new chapters and what has changed in the science of cancer in the last fifteen years. He explores possible reasons behind the rise of cancer in younger people today including genetic factors, environmental triggers, chronic inflammation and the “sleeper” cells that may lie dormant in the body until activated. Joining the conversation is actress and breast cancer survivor Olivia Munn, wife of the late Chadwick Boseman, Simone Ledward Boseman and a 28-year-old woman from Texas who battled stage 4 endometrial cancer after years of dismissed symptoms. She passed away just weeks after her conversation with Oprah.

What began as a quietly self-published novel, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, has become a literary phenomenon. First introduced in 2023 with no agent or marketing campaign the book built a devoted grassroots following through word of mouth. It eventually gained national attention, secured a bonafide publisher and become a #1 New York Times bestseller. In this conversation Oprah discusses with Allen Levi the tender, life-affirming story about a mysterious old man who arrives in the small town of Golden who transforms lives by gifting portraits to the locals and helping them feel seen. Allen reflects on what it means to live a life of love, to find hope and beauty in everyday life and to recognize the goodness in all of us. Fans of the novel, whose lives have been moved by this book, including country singer-songwriter Walker Hayes, record producer Claude Kelly and designer and TV host Tamara Day join the conversation.

Buy the Book: The Power of Beliefs by Shawn Achor
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Oprah sits down with renowned positive psychology researcher and bestselling author Shawn Achor to discuss his new book, The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life. While teaching at Harvard University and working with organizations around the world Shawn has spent more than two decades studying the connection between happiness, success and human potential. In this conversation he reveals why our beliefs don't just influence how we see the world they can actually predict what happens next. Drawing on groundbreaking research and deeply personal stories Shawn shares the seven core beliefs he says have the greatest impact on our life. Oprah and Shawn also explore the power of gratitude and how that practice alone can change what you believe to be true. Through audience questions and personal stories this episode offers a hopeful roadmap for anyone feeling stuck or disconnected. Thank you to our fantastic partners at The Farmer's Dog for presenting this episode. Their real, human-grade food has been clinically shown to support healthy aging, so you can have more good years together. URL: www.thefarmersdog.com/oprahpodcast 00:00:00 - Oprah on success 00:05:20 - What are your core beliefs? 00:07:17 - Welcome Shawn Achor, author of “The Power of Beliefs” 00:12:50 - Belief: Your behavior matters 00:16:09 - Belief: The power of gratitude 00:21:00 - When Shawn’s beliefs were tested 00:28:53 - Belief: I have something to give 00:34:06 - Woman’s vulnerable TikTok 00:37:30 - The value of knowing we are not alone 00:42:52 - How Shawn helped Flint, MI 00:46:30 - The placebo effect and beliefs 00:52:00 - Can belief change? 00:58:00 - Times when beliefs can change quickly 00:59:36 - Belief: Believing in something that’s greater than you 01:02:02 - What Oprah believes Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@oprah Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381