Paul Williams and Tracey Jackson: A Better You Through Trust and Gratitude

Oprah's Super Soul

Oprah

Society & Culture

4.6 • 33.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2018

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Paul Williams is the songwriting legend behind hits such as Barbra Streisand's Oscar-winning song, "Evergreen," Kermit the Frog's beloved "Rainbow Connection" and the Carpenters classic "We've Only Just Begun." Paul says that, at the height of his fame, an addiction to alcohol and drugs nearly destroyed him. After hitting rock bottom in a harrowing public meltdown, Paul got sober and started a difficult journey to discovering the true happiness he feels today. Together with author, director and screenwriter Tracey Jackson, Paul has written a book, "Gratitude and Trust," outlining six affirmations they say can help people become better versions of themselves. The co-authors claim that the affirmations work for fear-based habits like perfectionism, overeating, fear of intimacy and even smartphone obsession. Paul says, "When getting help was important enough for me to let go of ego and do it, I began to connect. And that connection, that brought me to life."

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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.
0:16.1	Your journey to become more inspired and connected to the deeper world around us starts right
0:23.1	now. Paul Williams is a songwriting legend from
0:27.5	co-writing Barbara Strys' Ends Evergreen and Kermit The Frog's beloved classic The Rainbow
0:33.2	Connection to the Carpenter's defining hit we've only just begun. Yes, he wrote all those.
0:40.2	He's now in his fifth decade in the music business and still thriving. At the 2014 Grammys,
0:46.6	Paul accepted the award for album of the year after collaborating with the cutting-edge duo,
0:52.5	Death Punk. But at the height of his fame, Paul says an addiction to alcohol in drugs nearly destroyed
0:58.8	him. He says it took hitting bottom before he could discover the real happiness that he feels
1:03.9	today. His remarkable story of recovery serves as the inspiration for his new book, Gratitude and Trust.
1:12.3	It's a collaboration with his longtime friend author, director and screenwriter, Tracey Jackson.
1:17.4	She wrote the screenplay for the film Confessions of a Shopaholic and says shopping has always
1:23.2	been her daily addiction. Though never addicted to drugs or alcohol, Tracey says for years she numbed
1:30.5	her pain with food, with clothes and men. Paul and Tracey believe that recovery is not just for
1:38.2	addicts and facing any level of addiction is sacred work. What is so amazing is Paul, you have
1:45.4	an Oscar, three Grammys, two Golden Globes. And I read that next having your children that your
1:53.3	greatest accomplishment is what is written about in gratitude and trust. Your greatest accomplishment.
1:59.6	My sobriety. Is your sobriety? My sobriety. You know, 24 years of actually feeling connected to
2:05.9	the rest of the world. You know, in sobriety, you know, when you hit your knees and you say,
2:09.8	I don't know what I'm doing and I desperately need help. When you reach out and say, help me to
2:14.0	somebody and you let go of ego and you go, I'm desperate and I'm dying. You all of a sudden connect
	...

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