I'm Oprah Winfrey. Welcome to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast. I believe that one of

the most valuable gifts you can give yourself is time, taking time to be more fully present.

Your journey to become more inspired and connected to the deeper world around us starts right

now.

Last time Nate Berkerson and I began a conversation we'd never had before really. We heard

about some of the spiritual milestones of his life so far, the root of his lifelong passion

for design, his journey of coming out to his family, and we got a glimpse of who Nate calls

the love of his life. Today we continue our heart to heart with the devastating event that

changed everything for Nate, the massive 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

You write and the things that matter. Good title may I say. Thank you.

You write that since December 26, 2004, I've never defined myself by anything other than

my ability to survive. I don't think about whether I'm successful or I'm not successful,

famous or not famous, busy or bored. To me, the ultimate question, the only question

is can I survive or can't I? That's what matters. Really?

That's it. That's it.

What is the tsunami when you go through a traumatic event experience like that? Is it always

what you're doing somewhere?

Always in some way. Even now, I'm back in love personally, really in love. I see myself

behaving in a way with my new boyfriend that is fear-based, that something will happen

to him or worse, how I sense I think to myself how he would be should something happen

to me. Those kinds of thoughts are not, they can be healthy, they can motivate you to

be present and they can trap you. I have to be conscious of that because that's just

...