The Life-Changing Advice Oprah Gave Ava Duvernay

Ava DuVernay, the award-winning director best known for the films Middle of Nowhere and Selma, reflects on her moment of doubt and the advice from Oprah that helped her overcome it.

"It really changed the way I think about every, every, every single thing," Ava says. "It's not happening to me, it's happening for me, because you need to slow down, and you need to take a minute to prepare for where you're going to go."

This fundamental shift in perspective allowed Ava to see supposed setbacks as opportunities for personal growth—a lesson she hopes to impart to young women just starting out on their career paths.