In Arianna's book Thrive, she shares a story about her sister Agapi, a crushing disappointment and a busload of New Yorkers, all of which led to a lesson Arianna can never forget.
Agapi, who had excelled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, auditioned for a big Greek play in New York. She performed a monologue from George Bernard Shaw's play about Joan of Arc and felt confident that she would land a part, at least in the chorus, if nothing else.
She didn't.
"At the end of that, she was so dejected and disappointed," Arianna tells Oprah in an interview for "Super Soul Sunday."
Dejected but determined to keep moving, Agapi got on the bus to head to a scheduled singing lesson. While the bus made its way down the New York streets, Agapi noticed something.
"Looking around the bus, she said she felt how dejected everybody on the bus seemed to be," Arianna says. "There seemed to be so much sadness."
Agapi turned to the woman next to her and began chatting. Then, she had an idea. "Do you like Joan of Arc?" Agapi asked. The woman, a big fan of the theater, said she loved it. Agapi asked if she'd like to hear the famous monologue from the production. The woman said yes.
"She did her monologue there on a New York bus!" Arianna says. "The woman's face lit up."
Everyone on the bus began listening, and when the woman got off the bus with an effervescent smile, Agapi realized something important.
"My sister Agapi had this incredible realization that you can take your gift and your talent and you can bring it wherever you are to spread joy, even if it doesn't actually lead to making a living from that," Arianna says.
It's a lesson that Arianna has carried with her and hopes others will benefit from as well. "So often, we forget about what makes us feel lifted, our own creativity -- whether it's singing or dancing or cooking or designing -- because we think, 'Hey, I can't make a living off that,'" Arianna says. "But we can still use it."
Arianna's interview with Oprah re-airs on "Super Soul Sunday" on May 18 at 10 a.m. ET, followed by an all-new episode at 11 a.m. ET, on OWN.
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