OPRAH WINFREY: THE CLIMB

Oprah's Super Soul

Oprah

Society & Culture

4.6 • 32.9K Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2021

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Oprah says, “I have always thought a mountain is a magnificent metaphor for life. From a distance, the ascent looks clear and smooth, but once you actually set out for the summit, you discover unexpected valleys and precarious ridges along the way. If your internal compass isn’t set to keep climbing, every stumble will give you an excuse to turn back. Over the years, there have been many times when I’ve found myself climbing a steep rocky road and there have been setbacks which threatened to overwhelm me or stop me in my tracks. But I’ve learned to keep going and to tell myself, ‘This too shall pass and I will be better for it.’ In this Super Soul podcast, Oprah sits down with such legendary spiritual teachers and thought leaders as: Eckhart Tolle, Stephen Colbert, President Joe Biden (VP at the time), Father Richard Rohr, Kristen and Rob Bell, Alanis Morissette, Cheryl Strayed, Paul Williams, Tracey Jackson, Glennon Doyle, Tracy McMillan, Cindy Crawford, Jon Bon Jovi and Joel Osteen. They discuss how they made their way up their own mountains, and what kept them going, no matter how steep the climb. A similar path is waiting for you. Interviews with these talented writers, speakers and thought leaders are excerpted from her Emmy Award-winning show Super Soul Sunday. You can also find this compilation and other insightful conversations, in Oprah’s best-selling book The Path Made Clear.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Oprah Winfrey. Welcome to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast. I believe that one of
0:07.5	the most valuable gifts you can give yourself is time, taking time to be more fully present.
0:16.0	Your journey to become more inspired and connected to the deeper world around us starts right
0:23.0	now.
0:24.8	In 2012, I had the honor of interviewing Valerie Simpson just after she'd lost her husband
0:29.3	of 38 years Nick Ashford. Better known as the legendary songwriting duo Ashford and Simpson,
0:36.5	they had a four-decade musical partnership that produced some of the most memorable hits
0:41.2	ever to come out of Motown. During our emotional conversation, Valerie shared the real story
0:47.8	behind one of their greatest songs, Ain't No Mountain High Enough.
0:52.3	Sing along if you'd like. We all know the words.
0:55.3	Ain't No Mountain High Enough. Ain't No Valley Low Enough.
1:02.2	Ain't No River Wide Enough to keep me from getting to you babe.
1:09.0	Well, most people think of these as enduring words of love, expressing the deepest form
1:14.2	of devotion. But as we talked, Valerie told me that when Nick originally wrote the lyrics,
1:19.5	he was referring to his goal to one day write songs professionally. At the time, Nick
1:24.9	was an unknown musician living in New York City hoping to be discovered. While looking
1:30.2	up at the skyscrapers towering above him, he came up with a phrase Ain't No Mountain High
1:36.6	Enough to convey just how determined he was that nothing was going to keep him from his
1:42.6	dream. No win, no rain, or winter's coal can stop me babe because you are my goal. And
1:52.0	he was right. Ain't No Mountain High Enough now holds a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
1:59.9	I've always thought a mountain is a magnificent metaphor for life. From a distance, the
2:04.9	accent looks clear and smooth. But once you actually set out for the summit, you discover
	...

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