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.

How many times have you witnessed someone get close to achieving a goal, only to see it all suddenly fall apart?

Or he or she does reach the top of the mountain, but can't hold on. Maybe you two have struggled

with near misses and not quite realize dreams, yet are unable to pinpoint why. Self sabotage can be a devastating cycle.

I believe deeply in what Paula Quaylor so famously wrote in his seminal book The Alchemist, when you want something,

all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

Time and again, I've seen how the universe rises up to meet the vision that lives inside us, but just as often, I've seen dreams crushed.

The variable between winning the race and faltering at the finish line lies with one of the guiding forces in my life.

Intention.

Before you embark on any quest, you must first articulate your vision. Set your course.

It doesn't have to be a public or formal declaration, but it doesn't need to be clear, particularly in today's climate

where there is a palpable craving for meaning and authenticity. People can feel what's real and what's not.

So if you want support for your idea, stand in what you hold sacred. Those who sense your truth will rise up, and most important,

you must believe with your whole heart that you are capable of achieving your goal. If not, your path becomes murky, and the goal stays out of reach.

For me, the journey to open the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for girls was one of the most challenging and ultimately rewarding I've ever experienced.

This was something I felt I'd been growing toward my entire life. I recognized myself in the face of each and every girl, yearning to overcome the trauma, poverty, and all that it encompassed.

These strong, talented, future leaders could see their way forward, but needed an environment in which to thrive.

That's why, despite confronting formidable obstacles along the way, breaking ground on the 52-acre campus, just outside Johannesburg, South Africa, was an important full circle for me.

It's taken an enormous emotional and financial investment, but ever since the year 2002, when I shared with Nelson Mandela my hope of creating access to education for those who demonstrated promise and potential, my commitment to the school has never wavered.

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