Super Soul Special: Maria Shriver, Part 2: Forgiveness, Love and the Truth

Summary

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Oprah’s Super Soul Special: Maria Shriver, Part 2 – Forgiveness, Love and the Truth

Date: May 6, 2026
Host: Oprah Winfrey
Guest: Maria Shriver

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and wide-ranging conversation, Oprah sits down for a second time with journalist, author, and activist Maria Shriver. The episode dives deep into timely themes of forgiveness, love, truth, and personal transformation. Maria shares insights from her book I’ve Been Thinking, reflecting on societal divisions, the importance of kindness, lessons from her legendary family, and the spiritual practices that sustain her. Listeners are encouraged to look for “the light in the cracks,” cultivate “yippee moments” of joy, and aspire to meet others in the expansive "open field" beyond judgment and fear.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Finding the Light in Difficult Times

(02:24–05:16)

• Maria and Oprah discuss the challenging political and social climate, with Maria reflecting on the “noise” and division in America.
• Maria: “What’s happening is a chance for people to wake up, to learn about the light of the cracks.” (03:42)
• Oprah notes recent trends of divisiveness, asking how discourse is possible when leaders set such a negative tone.
• Maria asserts her belief that most Americans are not inherently divided—the “Purple Nation” perspective.

2. Embracing the “Purple Nation” & Political Identity

(05:40–08:18)

• Oprah and Maria talk about transcending party lines and refusing to see others as simply “good” or “bad” based on affiliations.
• Maria: “Everybody has good and bad, like all of us. Right. So I thought to myself, you know, I saw both parties up close… I became an independent because I think once you're an independent, people listen to you differently.” (06:01–08:18)
• Both stress the value of understanding, care, and holding complex, nuanced views.

3. The Power of Caring and Kindness

(08:24–09:20)

• Maria shares her transformation in seeing “caring” and “kindness” not as weak, but as “action words” and tough skills.
• Maria: “How strong you have to be to actually care. That is an action word… It makes you work a little bit harder talking to people.” (08:56)

4. On Not Entering Personal Politics

(09:20–10:49)

• Maria addresses frequent questions about her running for office, saying she’s found her voice outside traditional politics.
• She reflects on the impact she made as First Lady of California and through initiatives like the Women’s Conference.

5. The Pressure and Beauty of Aging

(10:49–13:41)

• The pressures faced by younger generations, especially women, around appearance and aging are dissected.
• Both share personal anecdotes about criticism, self-image, and their mothers as role models for substance over surface.
• Maria: “Be interesting, because that’s how you walk in the room.” (13:41)

6. Parenting & Grounding the Next Generation

(13:41–16:24)

• Maria reflects on raising her children within a family of legacy, fame, and expectations.
• Her main values for her children: kindness, compassion, hard work, and contributing to the world—regardless of external perceptions.
• Maria: “I’m not going to tie loving you to how you do, but I do expect you to be kind and loving. …I also expect you to do something that’s good in the world.” (14:12)

7. Understanding and Practicing Forgiveness

(16:24–18:45)

• Maria candidly discusses her ongoing journey with forgiveness and letting go, noting everyone struggles with truly moving on from hurt.
• Encourages seeing forgiveness as a practice, not a one-time event.
• Maria: “Forgiveness is a work in progress… The path to forgiveness starts with yourself, forgiving yourself, being kind to yourself.” (16:37)
• She shares spiritual lessons learned from Richard Rohr: if you want to be forgiven, so does the person who hurt you.

8. The Importance of Letting Go, Empathy, and Grief

(18:45–19:08)

• Maria tells her children: “You’re gonna have to practice letting go. You’re gonna have to practice forgiveness, kindness, empathy, compassion. You’re gonna have to understand grief.” (18:45)
• She jokes about giving them her book and their preference for the audio version.

9. Joy, “Yippee Moments,” and Defining Happiness

(24:19–26:44)

• Oprah transitions to the subject of happiness, as covered in O Magazine, and Maria shares her approach.
• Maria: “We need to name moments of joy and search them out—yippee moments… For me, I can feel a yippee moment. I can feel it inside.” (24:25)
• Maria describes happiness as a collection of “small things,” and encourages cultivating “a yippie life” by recognizing and naming these moments.

10. Faith, Spiritual Practice, and the “Open Field”

(28:45–33:06)

• On how faith has sustained her:
  Maria: “Totally 100%. And every morning, it’s deepened.” (28:50)
• Maria discusses her religious upbringing, continuing church attendance, and the deepening of her spirituality.
• Maria explains her vision of the “open field,” inspired by Rumi—an inner and imaginative space beyond right and wrong, free of judgment, expectation, and fear.
• Maria: “That’s what I try to manifest in my own life… My vision for where I’ll be standing is in an open field, out beyond my anxiety, out beyond my fear… and that’s my vision for this country.” (29:57–31:58)
• Oprah and Maria agree this field is a metaphor for acceptance and freedom, a space where all are welcome.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Maria Shriver: “The path to forgiveness starts with yourself, forgiving yourself, being kind to yourself, being compassionate to yourself.” (16:37)
• Maria Shriver: “We need to name moments of joy and search them out—yippee moments. For me, I can feel a yippee moment. It’s not happy… it’s a yippee moment.” (24:25)
• Oprah Winfrey: “What are the values that we all hold to be important to us as a nation and raising our children and being able to move forward?” (08:24)
• Maria Shriver: “Be interesting, because that’s how you walk in the room.” (13:41)
• Maria Shriver: “Out beyond right doing and wrongdoing… out beyond shame, expectation, guilt, fear… there’s an open field. I’ll meet you there.” (30:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Light in the Cracks & Waking Up: 02:24–05:16
• Political Labels & Purple Nation: 05:40–08:18
• The Strength of Caring & Kindness: 08:24–09:20
• No Political Run, Owning Her Voice: 09:20–10:49
• On Aging, Self-Image, and Maternal Lessons: 10:49–13:41
• Parenting & Family Legacy: 13:41–16:24
• Forgiveness as Ongoing Practice: 16:24–18:45
• Practicing Empathy and Grief: 18:45–19:08
• Happiness & ‘Yippee Moments’: 24:19–26:44
• Faith and the “Open Field”: 28:45–33:06

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Conclusion

In a nourishing conversation, Maria Shriver and Oprah chart a path from societal turmoil to personal transformation—celebrating hope, kindness, vulnerability, and the power of naming and cultivating joy. Maria’s reflections urge us to break free from inherited expectations, practice radical forgiveness, and aspire to meet ourselves and one another in the healing “open field” beyond division. This episode brims with wisdom for anyone seeking authenticity, healing, and connection.

Transcript

[Acast Announcer]

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[Oprah Winfrey]

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. Welcome to part two of our conversation. I love the chapter on looking for the light in the cracks.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah, that's a great Leonard Cohen song, which I love that.

[Oprah Winfrey]

As the noise of the news continues to get louder, meaner, more confusing, isn't it? More than we.

[Maria Shriver]

It's Unbelievable what people say to one another. And actually, I mean, since I grew up in politics, my whole life, I've never heard a political leader use the language that this president uses about other individuals. I mean, the name calling. And I think that's challenging to people who are trying to parent because. Yeah. And who are trying to have discourse.

[Oprah Winfrey]

How do you have any kind of discourse when the leader of your nation

[Maria Shriver]

is using, like, really juvenile names to call people? Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

So it's more confusing, more divisive, more violent, and more heartbreaking, you say. And I found myself trying to look for the cracks in between. And lately, I've been choosing to widen my gaze beyond the daily news I consume and seek out the good, the light, the love, and the truth that's shining through the cracks. Surprisingly, I don't have to look very far, you say? Because I see so many great examples of light, love, and integrity everywhere I look. Yes, I do. I think that's what this moment is here to show us.

[Maria Shriver]

Actually, I couldn't agree more. People are so awake. People are so aware. And I hope that's one of the things, you know, people have been coming up like, oh, my God, we. What do you think is happening? What's happening? I said what's happening is a chance for one people to get involved. What's happening is a chance for people to wake up, to learn about the

[Oprah Winfrey]

light of the cracks. Yeah.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. To learn about their government, to learn about who has a voice and who doesn't, who can jump in and who can't. And the answer is anybody can jump in. Right. And everybody is jumping in. So I think that that's the good news of this moment. I think the. Also the chance to think of what

[Oprah Winfrey]

it's like to be daca, a child who was brought here and had no.

[Maria Shriver]

That's so terrifying. Right. So it's terrifying. But I think if you are that child and you look and you see the vast majority of people in this country want you here. The vast majority of people in this country are on your side. And so I think you have to widen your gaze with all of this. When people say we're all divided, I don't believe that. I believe if I widen my gaze, there are many more people who, quote, are in the purple nation, which is the combination of the red and blue, who say, you know, I'm a little Democrat, I'm a little Republican. I believe in this country, I'm proud to be here. I want the best, and I see people all around me. You interview people all the time who are doing extraordinary work. But the media, the mainstream media doesn't focus on them and doesn't focus. That focuses on the noise, that focuses on the division that focuses. The majority of the news is about one man and everybody's reaction and their inner action.

[Oprah Winfrey]

And everybody. Yes. Rising to the level of hysterics.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. And I'm trying to have a completely different conversation, and it's one that I find so many other people want to have as well. They want to talk about all the other stuff that's going on, all the people who are running, who are getting involved, all the people starting nonprofits, looking at business as a way to create social change. There's so much good going on. So I read that, and then I go, look over here.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I love what you just said about the Purple Nation. I think there's so much negativity on both sides.

[Maria Shriver]

Yes.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Of red states and blue states and people rising to the level of hysteria to meet each one, that there are far more people who are leaning purple than ever before. Don't you think?

[Maria Shriver]

And I identify myself that way. So I grew up with everybody saying Republicans were bad people because I grew up in this big Democratic family. And then, of course, I became a Democratic first lady in a Republican administration. And I had a firsthand view of, wow, some Republicans who are really good people, they have good ideas, they come into this space the same way that Democrats have met. And wow, there's a lot of Democrats over here, share the same values, share the same hopes. And there's some Democrats over here who are not so good people. And so everybody has good and bad, like all of us. Right. So I thought to myself, you know, I saw both parties up close. I saw both parties beholden to their own interest groups. And so after watching all of that, I decided, you know what? I don't want to be a part of that. I don't want to be in a part of, like, you're bad, I'm good, he's good, she's bad. And so I became an independent because I think once you're an independent, people listen to you differently. They don't immediately think you are bad. Even though people think I'm from this big Democratic family and they think you're a liberal Democrat, that's it. I can't even talk to you. Well, that's no talk to me.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I did the same thing, became an independent.

[Maria Shriver]

You did good. Purple Nation. Purple nation. But I think that that is. I think I would think that would

[Oprah Winfrey]

have been a harder decision for Coming

[Maria Shriver]

from such a Democratic family, it was really hard. And it was about my identity. You know, I was like, I'm an Irish Catholic Democrat. Wait a minute. If I'm not an Irish Catholic Democrat, I'm an Irish Catholic Independent. Okay, I named it. That's what I am. You know, I'm someone who's seen both parties up close. I'm someone who has seen the good and the bad in both parties. And I do believe that as long as we have this team and that team, conversations are going to be divisive. People oftentimes will just vote for someone because a party tells them to, and they don't have to do any work to see who they are. So I think by being an independent, it makes you work a little bit harder talking to people. Why did you become that? What do you think? What are your values? Who are you? Than just assuming someone is something. Because a Republican in the south is very different from a Republican maybe out here in California or up in the Northeast. So we have these labels and we don't get to know who the person is at all.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes. And I think we need to do more talking and consideration of what are the things we actually do agree on.

[Maria Shriver]

Yes.

[Oprah Winfrey]

What are the values that we all hold to be important to us as a nation and raising our children and being able to move forward? I mean, what do we care about in this world?

[Maria Shriver]

Absolutely. I talk in there about the power of care. Yes, you do. I used to always think that caring and kindness were kind of weaker values. And I have since, in the last 10, 15 years, seen them up close and seen how strong you have to be to actually care. To actually care. And how much intestinal fortitude.

[Oprah Winfrey]

That's an action word.

[Maria Shriver]

That is an action word. Caring, kindness. I mixed that up. I thought it was kind of a weak value because a soft skill. A soft skill. And that's a tough skill. And so I think kind of who we are as a nation. How do we care about people who age? What is our policy about that? What do we value in this country today at this time?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Would you ever consider politics?

[Maria Shriver]

I've thought about politics and, you know, running for office my whole life before I even had any right to think about running for office. Because people just come up to you, when are you going to run? When are you going to run? And even when I go out on this book tour, why don't you run? Why don't you run? And I used to think that my mother really wouldn't think I was great unless I ran and that unless I jumped in like all the boys, and that she didn't have a chance. So I had to fulfill her vision for herself. And I don't feel that anymore. And I think that I have a voice, as I think everybody has a voice. And I think I'm using it effectively in the space that I'm using it. And I just don't see politics for me. I think I did really well as first lady of California. I really enjoyed it. I can use my.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Certainly. Now, everyone and their sister has taken your idea of the women's conference.

[Maria Shriver]

Oh, yeah. There's a lot of them. There's a lot of women conferences. There's a lot of women.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You started it. But dear Lord.

[Maria Shriver]

I know. And I actually. People say to me, why don't you start again? Why don't you do it again? I say, it's everywhere now. Even the language that was at the women's conference. The colors, the everything about it, except for the Minerva Awards, but people have started other awards. Awards, yes. Like that. Which is, I think, the highest form of flattery. And I remember walking out onto the last women's conference, and I'm like, done. It's not gonna get any better than this. Everybody's emulating it. Let it go.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I'm done.

[Maria Shriver]

I'm done. I'm not done. I'm done with that. But I feel very alive at this age, which is a surprise to me. I feel like there's a lot I want to do. I want to talk a lot more about women's health. I really believe I can help find a cure for Alzheimer's. I really believe my voice can be helpful in talking about how we age in this country and intergenerational living and what.

[Oprah Winfrey]

And eliminating the shame around it.

[Maria Shriver]

Around age. Oh, yes. Oh, my God. Yeah. The pressure around aging. And, you know, I mean, I sit and listen to my daughters and their friends in their early 20s, what they talk about. I'm just like, oi. Oh. Ow. It's so sad to me that they feel this pressure to not have a wrinkle, not have a bump, not have a crease. And they're in their 20s and they're like, oh, my God, If I don't have these breasts, if I don't get this taken care of, if I don't get that taken care of, how will I age? And these are all people in their 20s. And so it's really a. You know, like, I never even heard of Botox until I think I was 50.

[Knox]

I know.

[Maria Shriver]

I remember.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You Said to me, what is this? A couple years ago, you said, have you used Botox? And I said, I haven't used. You said, you and I are the only two people in the state of California.

[Maria Shriver]

That was like, yeah, that was like, 10 years ago. But I had never even heard of it. Yeah, I had never even heard. And I think there's a lot of pressure, like, you know, to sit here on camera. Right. I stopped looking at comments that people started saying about myself, like, oh, my God, Maria Sharver. I look at my neck, you know, people are like, why don't you do something to your neck? I'm like, maybe I'll put a clip behind it. Or I say that to my kids. I'm like, maybe like, Nora Ephron wrote the book.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I feel bad about my neck.

[Maria Shriver]

I feel bad about my neck. So somebody, you know. So it's. I had.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Maybe I'll put a clip on it.

[Maria Shriver]

I did. Because I do, you know, you do that. I remember my mother, who had the most kind of wrinkled face of anybody I'd ever seen.

[Oprah Winfrey]

It was a classic wrinkled face. Yes.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. But I remember she would sit in the car and she'd do this. Like that. And I find myself oftentimes doing that. But I remember what was the great thing about my mother was that she never. I don't think she even put any face cream on, practically, but. So she was extreme. But I think she was always the most interesting person in the room. In the room, because of what was going on in here and because of what she was doing in the world. So that's kind of my model. Although I'm definitely more vain than she is. I pay more attention than she did. I think it's a different time. But she was always, to me, like, focus on your brain. Improve your brain. Be interesting, because that's how you walk in the room.

[Oprah Winfrey]

How do you raise Kind yet ambitious challenge children.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

How do you do that? When they. You're coming from the Kennedy.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Shriver Schwarzenegger legacy.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

And trying to define your own way in a world that is, you know, looking to your name and your fame and your. How do you. How do you. What is the. What is the staple in your home that keeps your kids grounded?

[Maria Shriver]

Well, you probably have to ask them that. I talk to them a lot about that because I grew up in a similar way, so I feel like that they can at least. Even though they say, to me, it's nothing like it is now. You know, it's not like it wasn't for you, it's much different for us. That's what they call as in harder. Yeah, they say much harder. It felt hard to me at the time, but they feel like it's super hard. But I say to them, look at, you know, at the end of the day, you're you. You will surround yourself with people who know you and love you. That's your job, to have a good group of friends around you. I expect you, and so does your dad expect you to be kind and compassionate. That's what I expect of you. And I expect you to work hard. So I don't expect you to make a lot of money, but I expect you to work hard, as does your dad. And so I also expect you to do something that's good in the world. Meaning find a passion, find a charity, find a nonprofit that can use your help. And so I'm not going to tie loving you to how you do, but I do expect you to be kind and loving and you will always be accepted here in this home. You will always be loved here. It's, you know, it's a non negotiable. You will have that all the time. And I think people will always think, you don't have to work. It came easy. So you're gonna probably have to work twice as hard. That's how I felt. And then you're also gonna have to be able to put on blinders and eliminate the people who say, you only got this cause of who you are. You got it easy, you got this, you got that. And you just gotta keep going, gotta keep your head down and keep moving forward. Everybody has their stuff, everybody has challenges, but you're blessed. And I think just keep trying to reiterate to them acts of kindness. Let them see acts of kindness. I think they see both their dad and I working, you know, so you. I could say to them, I don't have to work at this age. Your dad doesn't have to keep working, but we keep working. And so it's important to work. So I just try to tell them that both your grandparents worked till the day they died. They both tried to make the world a better place. And that to me is your legacy.

[Oprah Winfrey]

One of the chapters that you talk about in I've been thinking is forgiving. Was it a challenge for you to learn to forgive?

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah, absolutely. But it was also.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Were you confused about what it actually means?

[Maria Shriver]

I think so. I think everybody is.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah, everybody's.

[Maria Shriver]

I think everybody's confused and I think people think, oh, I've forgiven this. And then Boom, it comes back up again two months later. And then you go, well, I have to still work on that. So I think forgiveness is a work in progress. I think, you know, I was always explained to me that forgiveness was about the other person. And once again, the person is not in the picture. And so I remember a healer I went to see had somebody said to me, don't say that you go to healers or therapists or anything. I'm like, I look at. I'll go anywhere. I'm open to different religions, different points of view, different traditions. And a healer said to me, you know, the path to forgiveness starts with yourself forgiving yourself, being kind to yourself, being compassionate to yourself. And Richard Rohr. I went to a retreat with my brother Timothy to hear Richard Rohr, and he said, look, if you have a soul and a heart, so does the other person, so does everybody else. And if you deserve to be forgiven, so does the other person, whomever they may be. That was really helpful to me because I realized that if I want to be loved, then anybody who's ever hurt me also wants to be loved. If I want to be forgiven and not judged, so does anybody who ever hurt me. And I think that there's always. My daughter was struggling with an issue in a friendship. There's so many areas of our lives that require forgiveness. So I think it's something to get good at early. Young.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes.

[Maria Shriver]

Because you're going to have to use it, but over and over again, it's

[Oprah Winfrey]

like developing a muscle.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. And I think it's like, look at. You know, if you're in a family, there's always things that need to happen with forgiveness in a family. If you have siblings, if you have in laws, if you have nieces and nephews, if you have friends, if you're in a marriage, if you're a boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever. I always say to my kids, how you go in and how you go out are really important. And that's also with the job. How you go in and how you go out, really important. How you go in a relationship and how you go out, really important. And so do the work now that gets you ready for being able to be good at forgiveness. Because you're gonna have to practice forgiveness. I don't care who you are. Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

It's showing up.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. And I say to my kids, you're gonna have to practice letting go. You're gonna have to practice forgiveness, kindness, empathy, compassion. You're gonna have to understand grief.

[Oprah Winfrey]

They have a book on it.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. And my daughter My kids are like. I'm like, has anybody read the book? And they're like, no, we have the audio version. We've heard it over and over. We don't have to read the Bible at dinners. Yeah, that's right. That's what Christina does.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You do the same thing at your dinner table that your parents did with you. I remember the first time I went to your house and, oh, God, gosh, I had so much anxiety.

[Maria Shriver]

You said you were in the bathroom.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I was in the bathroom, yes. With the door closed. Because you have to talk about what's important to you and what did you do and what have you accomplished?

[Maria Shriver]

This is my girlfriend and she has a show. I don't think I said little show. I think she has a talk show. And I think my parents are like, talk show.

[Acast Announcer]

What is that?

[Maria Shriver]

What is that?

[Oprah Winfrey]

What are you doing?

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah, what is she doing for the world? Yes, that's right. So they were very happy to see your progress.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I know. Mom actually told me over the years how happy she was proud of me.

[Maria Shriver]

She was proud of you?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Maria Shriver]

Wow.

[Oprah Winfrey]

She did.

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[Paige Desorbo]

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[Maria Shriver]

Wow.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Maria Shriver]

That's big.

[Oprah Winfrey]

That is big.

[Maria Shriver]

That is big.

[Oprah Winfrey]

That is big.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I thought it when she said it.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Because, you know, she. I thought if any woman that I've ever known in this world who could have been president and could have led this country forward would have been your mother.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

If there is any woman alive.

[Maria Shriver]

You know, I had this conversation with her, right. It was like two years before she died. And I said to her, mommy, you know, don't you feel, like, so great. We're sitting at a Camp Shriver in her backyard. She's 85. And, you know, like, you have these five kids. You've been married forever. You know, all your kids get along. You've created this worldwide movement. Don't you feel, like, so incredible? And she's like, never had any power. And I was like, what? She goes, yeah, I never ran for office, so I didn't have any power. I said, but that's not the only place where there's power. But it was her generation, right? Her family. Which is why I think our family, early on, beliefs, if we don't keep checking them, we can take them all the way to our 80s without reevaluating them.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Eunice Shriver would say that at 85, I never had any power.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. And had every honorary degree.

[Oprah Winfrey]

She's powerful women on Earth.

[Maria Shriver]

But she. I'm sure her beliefs were. Her brothers had all the power. Her brothers were the success. And, you know, there's some degree of truth because when they walked in the room, people went to Teddy, people went to Bobby. People asked her about, you know, President Kennedy. And so then her work was always, like, on behalf of the children. But this was a charity or something like that. And I think the book that really details how she crafted legislation, how she crafted policy to change school systems, you know, housing systems, everything.

[Oprah Winfrey]

She was working behind the scenes, in the scenes, not giving them credit. Not giving any credit.

[Maria Shriver]

And so if she were alive today, her beliefs, she'd be raised with completely different beliefs and expectations of a woman and opportunities for a woman that she felt, well, gosh, you know, the boys were the stars in my family. You know, I think is a loss. Yeah, Yeah. I think she also, you know, I hope that when she was quiet, she maybe focused on all the incredible things she accomplished. I don't go a week, I don't go a day with someone not coming up to me about mommy or daddy.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, this month at O Magazine, we're answering the question how to be happy and what being happy means. Have you gotten to happy yet?

[Maria Shriver]

I just wrote in my Sunday paper about yippee moments that I had thought that we actually, particularly at our age, we need to name moments of joy and search them out on a yippee, yippee moment. This is a yippee moment. We're having a yippee moment. So for me, I can feel a yippee moment. I can feel it inside. It's not happy. What I used to think of what happy. Happy for me now is like, my kids come for dinner. Yippee. I have a great conversation with somebody where I feel connect. Yippee. You know, someone invites me somewhere. Yippee. My brother calls and says, yeah, I want to come and have my birthday with you. I'm like, yippee. You know, or it's just. And that for me is so much joy. Or someone comes up and tells me their story about Alzheimer's and, you know, that I helped. I'm like, wow, yippee, yippee for us. Yippee. I feel good.

[Oprah Winfrey]

What do you think it is that keeps people from finding those yippee moments?

[Maria Shriver]

Well, I think maybe they don't know that it's there. They don't have a name for it. Our mutual friend Elizabeth Lesser wrote me this morning and said I went to go with my son and my godson and I was feeling this. I'm like, oh, that's a yippee moment. I have a name now. I have a thing, like every day. I can look for that yippee moment. And I have a name and I can look at it in small ways. I think we all think like it's Disneyland 24 7.

[Oprah Winfrey]

No, no, the yippies are actually small things.

[Maria Shriver]

Small things. And that has been like an eye opening thing for me, that it's the small things. When someone calls me out of the blue and just goes, I just want to say hi. I'm like, wow, Yippee, yippee Yippee. That is awesome. And that. And also making sure that you have people around you that you can reach out to, that you can call on, that you can say, I need you. That is really a yippie life that you've cultivated.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yippee life.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. Right?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. Because there's always gonna be really tough things that happen in everybody's life. And as we get older, it's gonna get tougher and tougher. In two weeks, I've just buried two people younger than me. So it gets tougher and tougher and you have to be like, wow. Today, wow.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yippee.

[Maria Shriver]

Yippee.

[Acast Announcer]

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[Jamie]

Do you like being educated on things that entertain but don't matter? Well, then you need to be listening to the Podcast with Knox and Jamie. Every Wednesday we put together an episode dedicated to delightful idiocy to give your brain a break from all the serious and important stuff.

[Knox]

Whether we're deep diving a classic movie, dissecting the true meanings behind the newest slang, or dunking on our own listeners for their bad takes or cringy stories, we always approach our topics with humor and just a little bit of side eye. And we end every episode with recommendations on all the best new movies, books, TV shows, or music.

[Jamie]

To find out more, just search up the Podcast with Knox and Jamie wherever you listen to podcasts and prepare to make Wednesday your new favorite day of the week.

[Acast Announcer]

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[Paige Desorbo]

Acast.com hey, it's Paige Desorbo from Giggly Squad. Okay, wait, have you ever had one of those moments where you're like, I should be doing something fun tonight and then you just don't because you don't have what you need? Because same. But recently I've been trying to be more of a yes person. And honestly, Amazon prime has been enabling that energy. Like the other night I randomly decided I was going to host a last minute girls night. No planning, no groceries, nothing. And instead of spiraling, I just ordered everything I needed and got it that day. Snacks, drinks, even like random hosting things I absolutely didn't need. But emotionally I did. And suddenly it went from maybe next time to yes, tonight. That's what I love. Prime Same day delivery makes it so you can say yes before the moment slips away. Because, let's be real, the only thing worse than a bad plan is a plan you never make happen.

[Amazon Prime Announcer]

Same day delivery. It's on prime, available in select areas, terms apply. So if you're trying to be more spontaneous or just less chaotic, go to Amazon.com prime to find millions of items delivered fast.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You end each chapter of the book with a prayer. How has your faith sustained you?

[Maria Shriver]

Totally 100%. And every morning, it's deepened.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Wow.

[Maria Shriver]

I had a lot of Catholic in me growing up because I went to Catholic school. I then went to the Jesuits. My parents went to Mass every single day. We had Lenten altars. My grandmother was constantly talking about her faith, but I didn't like in there. In there. I have a good community in my neighborhood.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You still go to church on Sunday?

[Maria Shriver]

Yes, I go to church. And I've also started going with my son. They've now moved into a different. They go to different church and which they have a younger pastor who's married, who has kids, who's kind of speaking to them from the Bible and ways that they find it more modern than going with me on Sunday. But once in a while, one of them will still go with me.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You write about getting to what you call the open feel.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. Yippee, yippee, yippee, yippee. It's purple out there. A lot of lavender in the open field.

[Oprah Winfrey]

What does that mean? What does that mean?

[Maria Shriver]

So the open field is an idea that I. So Rumi has been a big influence in my life. And my daughter was like, you know, Beyonce knew about Rumi before you. I'm like, no way. I've been talking about roomie way before Beyonce.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Maria Shriver]

I said, you actually knew when she chose that name because you had heard me talking about roomie. And they're like, yeah, you're right, Mommy. Anyway, so he has this thing that says, out beyond wrongdoing and right doing, there's a field. I'll meet you there. And I kind of took it one step further. And I was like, out beyond right doing and wrongdoing, out beyond shame, expectation, guilt, fear, whatever that is for you, there's an open field. I'll meet you there. And I remember saying to our other mutual friend, Martha Beck, I said, rumi wrote about the open field. And she goes, what? And I said. He said, there's an open field out beyond fear and judgment. And she goes, maria. I went and looked that up. That's not Rumi. Rumi wrote, there's a field. You made all that other stuff up. And I was like, wow. Well, that's actually came right out of here. That's what I try to manifest in my own life. That's my vision. For where I'll be standing is in an open field, out beyond my anxiety, out beyond my fear, out beyond my judgment and expectations, all these things that I'll be there. And I manifest who I want in that field, what I want it to look like, and I project myself forward, and that's what I. Every day, I kind of just stay focused on getting to the open field. You're in there with me.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I'm right there.

[Maria Shriver]

Yippee. Yippee, yippee. But I think it helps me on my daily life to think like I want to be in a place out beyond judgment, out beyond guilt, out beyond fear, out beyond shame, out beyond expectation, out beyond vision.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You are your truest, highest expression.

[Maria Shriver]

And where everybody else is there, too.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Everybody else is there, too.

[Maria Shriver]

Everybody. It's so wild, Oprah, because I meet so many people who want to be in that, too.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Maria Shriver]

And they don't have.

[Oprah Winfrey]

That's what everybody wants.

[Maria Shriver]

They want.

[Oprah Winfrey]

They just don't know how to. How to describe it.

[Maria Shriver]

We don't name it.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You don't name it.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah. So it's. They think open field is yippee moments where people are. You know, sometimes when I describe it to people, they're like, are you talking about a co op or what? I'm like. I'm like, no, I'm like, you know, I'm really talking about a place that is in my heart and in my mind. But I really believe we can live like that. I really believe that. That's my vision for this country. It's how I think people want to live. And I meet people who are already living that way. I meet nuns I write about in the book. Yes. That was a transforming experience, living like that in community. I don't think we're meant to live isolated and behind walls and not trusting or knowing our neighbors or not communicating with people and being so hostile and calling people names and thinking that you belong here, and you don't, and I do, and you don't. I don't think that's how we're meant to live. And so I don't believe in that. I believe this is how we're meant to live and be and act and connect.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Can't wait to meet you out there in the open field.

[Knox]

Let's get going.

[Maria Shriver]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yippee.

[Maria Shriver]

Yippee.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Thank you, honey.

[Maria Shriver]

Love you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Hey there, podcast listeners. I have exciting news. We're launching a brand new podcast in addition to Super Soul Conversations. It's called Oprah's Masterclass. The Masterclass podcast allows you to Hear the greatest life lessons from some of the most respected and renowned actors, musicians, public figures and athletes. In their own words. Listen as Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Ellen DeGeneres, Shaquille O', Neal, Reba McEntire, Dwayne Johnson and Jane Fonda, just to name a few. Share what they've learned about life and and their own insights into their personal stories and challenges. I believe that there's something to be learned from every experience, and everyone can use their life as a class. Oprah's Masterclass podcast will be available July 19 on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe now and listen free. Go to applepodcasts.com oprahsmasterclass I'm Oprah Winfrey and you've been listening to Super Soul Conversations, the podcast. You can follow Super Soul on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If you haven't yet, go to Apple Podcasts and subscribe. Rate and review this podcast. Join me next week for another Super Soul Conversation. Thank you for listening.

[Acast Announcer]

Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

[Oprah Winfrey]

If you've ever dreamed of quitting your job to take your side hustle full time, listen up. This is Nikayla Matthews Akome, host of side Hustle Pro, a podcast that helps you build and grow from passion project to profitable business. Every week you'll hear from guests just like you who wanted to start a business on the side.

[Maria Shriver]

If you can't run a side hustle, you can't run a business.

[Oprah Winfrey]

They share real tips and so I

[Knox]

started connecting with all these people on LinkedIn and I saw Target supplier diversity was having office hours.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Real advice.

[Maria Shriver]

Procrastination is the easiest form of resistance

[Oprah Winfrey]

and the actual strategies they use to turn their side hustle into their main hustle. Getting back in touch with your tangible cash and sitting down and learning to give your money a job like it changes something. Check out Side Hustle Pro every week on your favorite podcast app and YouTube.

[Acast Announcer]

Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere.

[Paige Desorbo]

Acast.com hey, it's Paige Desorbo from Giggly Squad. Okay, wait, have you ever had one of those moments where you're like I should be doing something fun tonight and then you just don't because you don't have what you need because same. But recently I've been trying to be more of a yes person and honestly, Amazon prime has been enabling that energy. Like the other night I randomly decided I was going to host a Last Minute Girls night. No planning, no groceries, nothing. And instead of spiraling. I just ordered everything I needed and got it that day. Snacks, drinks, even, like, random hosting things I absolutely didn't need. But emotionally I did. And suddenly it went from maybe next time to yes, tonight. That's what I love. Prime Same day delivery Makes it so you can say yes before the moment slips away. Because, let's be real, the only thing worse than a bad plan is a plan you never make happen.

[Amazon Prime Announcer]

Same day delivery. It's on prime, available in select areas. Terms apply. So if you're trying to be more spontaneous or just less chaotic, go to amaz Amazon.com prime to find millions of items delivered fast.