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.

It was obvious Nate Berkus was born to do what he loves.

From the time he can remember, he watched and studied his mom, Nancy Golden, an interior designer.

Raised in Minneapolis by his mother and stepfather, Nate's love for decorating and design continued to grow as he grew up.

At 24, he opened his own design firm in Chicago, quickly building a name for himself.

In 2002, Nate made his first appearance on The Oprah Show, redesigning a teeny tiny one-room apartment. I'll never forget it.

He was an instant fan favorite, transforming homes and lives for the next eight years.

In 2004, our viewers got to know Nate on a more personal level, and nobody could have anticipated

what happened. He was vacationing in Sri Lanka with his partner Fernando Bingochaia when the

devastating Indian Ocean tsunami hit. Nate and Fernando were swept away in a torrent of debris-filled

water. When a massive wave separated them from one another, Fernando disappeared. Nate never saw him

again. To call it a life-changing, defining moment

doesn't come close to describing the impact this experience had on Nate. He says it changed everything,

his entire perspective on life, on love, and design. With help, Nate persevered and returned to the

work he loves. In 2010, he got what he called the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Nate Berkus Show was launched and ran for two seasons.

Since then, he debuted a successful home collection for Target,

and most recently, he wrote his second book, beautifully titled The Things That Matter.

I read this book because when the book first came out,

I read it because it's you. I got it because it was you. I remember tweeting that I'm going to get it

...