953 Jay Shetty: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Everyday
13 May 2020 · 104 min
Jay Shetty discusses his book Think Like a Monk, sharing how to train your mind for peace and purpose. They explore identity, fear, and competition, drawing on Jay's time as a monk and his methods for overcoming negative thoughts and habits.
Chapters
This is episode number 953 with the one and only Jay Shetty. Welcome to the School of Greatness. My name is Lewis Howes, former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness.
Thanks for spending some time with me today.
Now let the class begin.
There's an anonymous quote out there that.
Says the goal of meditation isn't to control your thoughts, it's to stop letting them control you. Welcome to this special episode of the School of Greatness podcast. I'm so grateful you're here. And if you've ever felt like your thoughts control your mind and your body and take over your actions and you felt like you were out of control in the way that you think about life, the way you think about your identity, your purpose, about your friends, your family, your mission, your career, the way you think about everything, then this is going to be one of the most powerful episodes you'll ever listen to. I've known Jay Shetty for almost three years now, and it feels like I've known him for a lifetime because we connect every single month and talk about life. We talk about challenges, struggles, successes. We talk about the things that inspire us, the things that we are working through personally, professionally. And I feel like I've gotten to really know him at a personal, intimate level. And I'm excited for him to share and reveal more on this episode. And if you don't know who Jay Shetty is, he's become one of the world's most popular influencers. In 2017, he was named Forbes magazine 30 under 30 for being a game changer in the world of media. 2018, he had the number one video on Facebook with over 360 million views. He's now got over 35 million followers on all social media platforms. He's produced over 400 viral videos which have gained more than 5 billion views. And his podcast On Purpose is an amazing show, consistently ranked as one of the top health and wellness podcasts in the world. And he's got a new inspiring book out. I went through it, I read it. I'm telling you guys, this is going to change the game. New book is called Think Like a Monk, and it draws on his time as a monk in the Hindu tradition to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and our power. Drawing on ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits to access the calm and purpose that lie within us all. That book is coming out later this fall and in this episode we talk about how to unlearn what what others have taught us so we can get to our true identity. Identity is something that is just constantly struggling and a struggle for so many people facing identity. Identity changes how to associate with your own self, who you want to be. We break down the four motivations fear, desire, duty and love and why we are all driven by them. We discuss Jay's time as a monk and how that has shifted his purpose and drive. Today Jay talks about how to let go of the fear of fear and how that supports the monk mindset. The fear of fear. This is a game changer. We talk about the difference between self confidence and ego and how to balance the two when having a driven life. The three skills everyone should learn to reach their fullest potential in life and so much more. I'm telling you, every two to five minutes you're going to be want to be taking notes and sharing this online because it's so mind blowing how he packages and ideas that are complex and makes them simple for us to take action on in our life. Make sure to share this with a friend at any time when something resonates with you. Lewishouse.com953 just share that link out or copy and paste the link on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you're listening to this and text a friend, tell them you're thinking about them and that they might be inspired by this episode. Share this on your Instagram stories and tag mewishouse and J. Shetty. And if you're looking for weekly inspirational messages to help you get through the challenging times in your life, make sure to send me a text 614-350-3960 and say podcast in the text so I know where you came from. And let's stay connected over text messages again. 614-350-3960 Shoot me the word Podcast and text me to get on my weekly inspirational message list. All right team, I'm so excited for this episode and let's dive in right now with the one and only Jay Shetty. The Kia Sportage Turbo Hybrid has a bold design, a spacious interior with 232 horsepower and a 12.3-inch panoramic display to keep the adventure going and fit with.
The way you live.
And with SiriusXM, every drive comes alive, bringing you closer to the music, the sports, the talk and podcasts that you.
Love right in your vehicle or on.
The Sirius XM app every SiriusXM equipped Kia Sportage Turbo Hybrid includes a three month trial so the experience begins the moment you drive. Learn more@kia.com sportage-hybrid Kia Movement that inspires.
This message is brought to you by Apple Card It's a great time to apply for an Apple Card you'll love earning unlimited daily cash on every Purchase. That includes 3% daily cash when you buy the latest iPhone, AirPods and Apple. Watch at Apple through this special referral offer. When you get a new Apple Card, you can earn bonus daily cash. To qualify you must apply at Apple Co getdailycash Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch offer may not be available elsewhere. Terms and limitations apply.
The School of Greatness is sponsored by Capital One. Nowadays, most people subscribe to everything music, tv, even dog food. And it rocks until you have to manage it all. Which is where Capital One comes in. Capital One credit card holders can easily track, block or cancel reoccurring charges right from the Capital One mobile app at no additional cost. With one sign in, you can manage all your subscriptions all in one place. Learn more at Capital1.comsubscriptions Terms and Conditions apply. The School of Greatness is brought to you in partnership with Airbnb. The holidays are such a special time to travel and gather with loved ones. Think about some of your best trips, those cozy spaces, thoughtful touches and the feeling of being right at home wherever you are. Now imagine getting to provide that same experience for someone else because when you travel, your place is just sitting empty while you're away. Hosting on Airbnb can be a no brainer. And in a season where new experiences creating lasting memories, it's a unique way to help others make their own. And Martha and I both travel a lot, especially with her family in Mexico and mine all over the usa. So we know what it's like to be on the go during the holidays. And from our experience, hosting has always been easy and straightforward. And whether you're traveling often or just once in a while, it can be a simple way to earn a little.
Extra while you're away.
Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much@airbnb.com host the holidays are here and with them comes all the cheer and the spending. And I think we've all felt the pressure of finding the perfect day gift for the perfect price.
And those prices are sure giving us a run for our money. You know how it goes.
One gift turns into 10.
You're trying to stay on budget and before you know it you've spent half.
A day scrolling, comparing prices and wondering if you should have just gotten everyone gift cards. It can feel a little stressful trying to make it all feel special without breaking the bank, but luckily you can get the holiday savings at Metro with the most wonderful deal of the season. Get one line of 5G for only $25 a month and a five year price guarantee on talk, text and data. The best part is that you can keep the phone you love and keep your number and no activation fees. And that's what I'm talking about. A deal that actually lasts five years locked in. That's peace of mind right there at Metro. Get that more for your money feeling, visit your local store today. $25 a month with autopay $30 your first month guarantee exclusions apply. C Site for details Cold mornings Holiday plans this is when you need your.
Wardrobe to just work.
Stuff that looks sharp, feels good and you'll actually reach for Quint makes gifting easy when everything's worth keeping for yourself. By partnering directly with trusted factories that maintain high standards for craftsmanship and ethical practices, Quince cuts out the middlemen and markups. That means premium quality at half the cost of other high end brands. So you can give luxury pieces without the luxury price tag. And it goes beyond their clothes. Quince also has incredible home and bedding options to make your home cozy this season. Martha and I have the European linen duvet cover set from Quince and let me tell you, the duvet set is so soft and high quality. We highly recommend get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait. Go to quint.comlewis for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com Le W I s free shipping and 365 day returns. Quint.com Lewis.
Okay, welcome back everyone to the School of Green podcast. We've got the iconic, the legendary my friend Jay Shetty in the house. Good to see you man.
Thanks for having me. This is.
I'm super pumped you're here. This is fun. You've been on before. I think you were the first. First podcast you did was with me actually.
Yeah, one of the first two years ago. 2018 Jazz yeah, it's 2018.
We met in October 2017, Halloween 20.
2017 when Mask of Masculinity came out. Which is amazing.
So it's been almost two and a half years since we've Known each other? Yeah, two and a half years, I guess.
But I feel like I know you better than that, than the time that we spent. I know, because it's deeper.
Well, we've spent a lot of quality time together. We pretty much meet like, every month for dinner.
I love it.
For like, five hours. Right.
We have these Burmans dinners, amazing dinners.
Where we talk about meditation, mindset, we talk about personal challenges, what we're learning from, what we're learning, what we're overcoming, mistakes, everything. And we just started playing basketball together, soccer, tennis, everything with Novak Djokovic. We. We've been on trips together.
Yeah. We just went to Puerto Rico together. We've been in Ohio together. When? Came into Summit. Yes. Summit of greatness.
We've done a lot of good things. Been in New York together.
Utah together. Yeah.
What was Utah?
When it was me, you, Brendan and Mel as well.
When was this?
That was for the powerful you.
That's right.
Okay.
Yes, yes, yes.
Utah. Right.
That was Utah. We've done a lot of good things together, man. You had a live event that you came out with a few months ago that was incredible. Just so many good things we've done. So it's been amazing to watch your journey, your growth, and if you haven't checked out the last interview we've done, make sure you guys go watch that, because there's a lot of good stuff about your story, your background and everything else. And you just came out with a book that's coming out soon called Think Like a Monk, Train youn Mind for Peace and Purpose every day. I'm almost finished, which I almost never finished books, so I'm excited about this because there's so many powerful strategies and tools to train your mind for peace and purpose. And one of the first ones that I love that you talk about is identity. I think a lot of us get tied into our own identity, and it causes a lot of stress in our life because we're focused on how we look and how we want other people to perceive us. Now, why is identity something that you focused on in the beginning as something that was important to talk about in the beginning of the book for you?
Yeah, absolutely. First of all, I want to say I'm really grateful to be back, Louis. It's amazing having a real friendship in this space and collaborating and loving what someone else is doing. I think, first of all, like, just the friendship we share is really important to me and meaningful to me. And I feel like a lot of people feel like when their career is growing, it's harder when you're older, when your career is growing, when things are moving forward, when we're busier than ever, it's harder to build deep relationships.
It's really hard.
And the fact that we've done that in the last two and a half years, I think is testament to who you are and the type of person you are.
Of course, man. It's hard to be conscious. I love you, man.
I love you too, man.
It's hard to be conscious in creating those relationships when you have work, you have family, you have your relationship, you know, all these different things.
Yeah. So, yeah. Back to identity. So I start off the chapter with this beautiful thought from Charles Horton Cooley. And I love telling it because it's just the best. And I think it was written in, like, the 1900s. And he said, today the challenge is, I'm not what I think I am. I'm not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.
It's crazy, man.
And it's like it blows my mind every time I say it. Gives me the chills, Like, I feel it. And that the reason why I start with identity is because I think that's the root of all our challenges. And the first step to thinking like a monk is starting at the root. Not starting at the symptoms or the superficial or the surface level. But let's go to the root. If you're playing a role, if you're wearing a mask, if you're dressed in clothes that are not yours, then you end up living a life that's not yours. And in the book, I give this example of method acting.
Yes. Daniel Day Lewis.
Yeah. I'm a massive movie junkie and I love method actors. So people like Heath Ledger, of course, from the Dark Knight series. You've got Jared Leto. So Jared Leto, when he played the Joker in this Is not in the Book, in Suicide Squad, he used to send dead rats in the mail to his co stars.
He did not.
He did because he was trying to get into the mindset of how someone that perverted would behave. And then Daniel Day Lewis, when he was filming for Gangs of New York, he's actually wearing these coats that are centuries old so that he can get into character while he's off camera. Yeah. When he can feel it. Right. He's not wearing watches, he's not carrying around his mobile phone. They're speaking in the accents. And he talks about how he actually went crazy. Because guess what? When you fake being someone for so long, you think it's your Reality. And that's what happens to all of us. We play a role at work, we play a role at home, we play a role with our family, play a.
Role in our friends.
And then we think that role is us and we lose ourselves. And to me, that is the core reason why we're chasing things that are not important to us. We're unhappy despite reaching accolades, and we feel dissatisfied.
So what should our identity be then?
Our identity should start with unlearning everything that we think we know about ourselves.
Okay, how do we unlearn?
So the best method of unlearning is this First. And I'm going to get really strategic and tactical because I think that people need to know what to do rather than a concept. The first thing you do is write down everything you currently are chasing in your life. Make a lot of your goals, your.
Dreams, your goals, your dreams, accomplishments, anything.
That you're currently chasing and pursuing.
Okay?
Write them down. You can write down three, you can write down five, you can write down 10, depending on how ambitious you are. Second line, ask yourself, what is the source of that? Where did you get that idea? Did you get that idea from a TV show you saw? Did you get that idea from your parents? Did you get that idea from your mom and your dad, yourself, sister, your cousin? Did you get that idea because your friend just got proposed to on Instagram? Did you get that idea because your friend just got promoted? Did you get that idea because you just broke up? Right? Or did you get that idea because you just feel it when you do it, that you feel alive?
I'll ask specific example that you had when you were 15, 18 was like a goal or accomplishment that you were chasing and where it came from?
Absolutely. So my goal when I was young was to be an investment banker. And when I really asked myself, where did that come from? It came because in my community, small community in London, the most successful person financially was an investment banker. So I believed you had to be an investment banker to be successful. So when I asked myself that question, where does that come from? It comes from society's version of success, not mine. And then the third thing you ask yourself is, well then what is mine? What is coming from inside of me? And if you just do that three step process now what you're doing is you're filtering out the noise and you're starting to listen to your voice. The thing is, you've got a voice inside of you, but it's quiet. It's like, Jay, take note of me.
Like Lewis.
And it's just like trying to get through and the noise of everyone else's opinions is so loud. So this way you filter it.
How do we start to find out what we truly want then? Not based on what other people think is success. How do we listen to ourselves? And if you've been chasing something your whole life, how do you say, well, actually, that's not what I want? This is.
Yeah. One of the biggest mistakes we make is that we confuse inexperience with being unqualified. So because we've not tried a lot of things, we just naturally believe that we can't be that good at them. So if I've never spoken on a stage, I just think, oh, I'm probably not good at that. Or if I've never played golf, I probably think, oh, I'm probably not good at that. And so we start writing off things without even trying them. So the best method I can share with someone is take the next month. Take the next four weekends in the month. That gives you eight days. And get really tactical every single day.
That's why you're playing tennis a lot right now.
Yeah. Take the eight days. Go join a course, an online course, a workshop. Go and shadow a friend. Go to a seminar, a conference, go to reading a book, listen to a podcast. Go and expose yourself to eight different things in a month.
Eight different things.
Eight different things in a month. And guess what? In a month, you will have learned what you probably would have learned in eight years. Because most of us test one new thing a year.
Maybe.
Maybe. If that exactly right. Like, some people don't even do that. But if you do eight different things in a month, and this is how you have to see it, if you went to eight different restaurants in a month, you asked yourself after you eat a meal, like, I had that burrito or I had that taco, did I like it Right? The first question you ask yourself is.
Did I gotta try it first?
You gotta try it first. You gotta go to the restaurant. There's no point. So you've got to say, did I like it? The second question you ask yourself is, why did I? Or why did I not like it? Like, why is so important. I think too many people just go, I like it, or I don't like it. Why didn't I like it? And the third question you have to ask yourself really, really simple is, do I want to do it again? And if you do, that's where you start uncovering. So my point is inexperience. Do not misinterpret Inexperience for a lack of qualification. I'm guessing you're doing things in your life right now that you would have written off if you didn't try. I know you've talked about with writing a best selling book, you've talked about it with amazing documentary, podcast, a documentary, all these things I never believed I could do half the things I've been to. And you know that because we met when I was just creating content on social media. And it's like now when you see things expand, you're like, you don't know until you give it a go and ask yourself, do I enjoy it?
Yes. So I grew up very competitive and you talk about competition as one of these. I can't remember if it's like four or five different things. And competition is one of the things that's actually like, I wish I had the page written down here. But you talk about competition as like not the highest level of ourself.
Yes.
In my entire life I was competitive, was driven to beat other people. And in the last seven years, I have shifted so much. I'm still competitive, still want to win. But I'm not like, hurt if I lose. I'm not upset. I'm not. It doesn't defeat me emotionally. Whereas before it used to be like, this was my identity, winning, had to win. Now it's like, okay, what did I learn? What did I gain from this experience? Did I have fun? Did I enjoy it? Did I inspire people even if I didn't win in this situation? In chapter two, you talk about negativity and the quote you use is, it is impossible to build one's own happiness on the unhappiness of others. Does competition and unhappiness link together in your mind? Like if we need to be competitive to be happy in order if someone else loses. How do we manage ourselves in this competitive world of winning in sports, of building a bigger business, of these different things being number one in New York Times bestseller list. How do we manage that with this world we're in, but also wanting to be happy at the same time.
Yeah. What a great question. So the way I see it is that competition in and of itself is not good or bad. And this is like the monk mindset on 99% of things that this mug is not good or bad. It can be filled with water or it could be filled with poison.
Yes.
And so competition, I'll give you an example. As monks, our competition is in how much love and respect we show to each other. That's your Competition, that's what you compete on.
Or how long can we meditate for?
No, no, no, I can meditate longer than you. So if any monk and I did this plenty of times. Really, If I sat there and I thought, oh, yeah, look at him, he's scratching his back. He got out like that. Your meditation just got destroyed, all the value. And so monks will never ask how long you meditate. They focus on how deep you meditate. And someone who meditates deep doesn't go on about how deep it was. But you compete for showing respect. You compete for serving each other, you compete for how well you can collaborate. And I feel like you live this. Yes, I feel like you have this to do that. Yeah, but you do that now. You think like a monk. Like, I feel like we're always trying to find a way where we can be better friends to each other, support each other. And so you're competing on that. And that's a positive competition that I think you can have. So you can still use. And this is the beautiful thing about the monk mindset. You can use any thing in a positive way. Now, in your second question about what does it mean about business and New York Times, about selling lists and being number one, this is how I see it. If while you're writing your book, if while you're recording your podcast, if you're sitting there going, I hope this is going to be number one, this better be number one.
I hope I sell more copies, I.
Hope I sell more copies than this person who's launching at the same time. Because that's the only way. Well, guess what? Now the quality of your output right now has just dropped. Because guess what, you're now living 75% in the future, and you're 25% right now. And guess what? This 25% is going to define that future goal and result and your happiness.
And your happiness, whether you get the result or not.
Totally. Whereas for me, when I was writing my book, and of course I want my book to be a best selling book, of course I want my podcast to do well. Of course we don't do anything for it to be last. Like, no one does that. But what I do know is that when I'm creating, when I'm producing, when I'm writing, that's all I'm doing. See, the truth is that only 2% of the world's population can multitask. Now, the crazy thing is when 2%, when people hear that, they think, I'm in that. Oh, I'm in that 2%. Everyone thinks that they're in that, but most of us are the 98%.
Yeah.
And the truth is there is no such thing as multitasking. What it is, is fast switching between two tasks.
The quality is just dropping because you can actually. You cannot do two things at one time.
You cannot, no one genuinely can do two things at one.
I guess you could maybe like pat your head and do this the same time. You can't do something productive at the same time. Right.
Or creative. And so what I'm saying is that when you're sitting here going this needs to be number one, you are reducing that thing's ability to be number one because it now doesn't have your full focus.
Right.
So that's the difference maker that you can want to be number one. There's nothing wrong with that. But you can't keep comparing what number one is to someone else's goal too because everyone's got a different trajectory. Like there are some people that are kind of come in and do really well at one thing and you're going to do really well at another. And that's why competition has to first be in your space. Like don't compete in a space that's not yours because now you're just trying to be someone else again and you get a new idea, a new identity.
You talk about the four motivations. One is fear, desire, duty and love. And as I was reading this, you know, fear is kind of like the making sure you have your basic needs met, right? It's like do I have shelter, do I have food, am I protected, am I safe? You know, living in fear, it's being driven to get out of that fear, I guess, right? Or driven or driven by that. Then you have desire which is probably what was the most of my life was my, one of my main motivation which was desire seeking personal.
Are you ready to finally hit your target nutrient levels every day Meet groons. The daily snack pack of gummies isn't just a multivitamin. It's not just a green gummy and it's not just a prebiotic. It's all of that rolled into one and then some at a fraction of the price. And, and they taste great. Here's what makes them stand out. While most multivitamins only cover 7 to 9 vitamins, grooms bring together over 20 vitamins and minerals plus more than 60 nutrient dense whole food ingredients. And those ingredients are known to support things like gut, health, energy, immunity, recovery, cognition and even beauty. Because it's in gummy form, your body has an easier time absorbing it. Also, we have packs in our studio and they've been a game changer for everyone in the studio and we've run out so quickly. No powders, no handfuls of pills, just a pack of tasty gummies and fueling my body with the nutrients it needs. Use code greatnessgrounds co to save up to 52% off your first order. That's code greatness at gruns co for up to 52% off.
Let's face it, everyone's juggling long, busy days. That's why Icebreaker's gum is made for the go getters. With flavor crystals that deliver a bold cooling effect, Icebreakers keeps you refreshed and ready to take on whatever's next. And here's a bonus the pack fits perfectly in your car cupholder or bag, so it's within reach when you need it most. Grab Icebreakers gum online or at a store near you.
This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. You know, the holidays can feel a lot like balancing family expectations, travel, work, and trying to make everything perfect. It's easy to forget to take care of yourself in the middle of it all. I've been there, and what I've learned is that when you don't make space to slow down, it's hard to actually enjoy the moments that matter Most. That's why BetterHelp is encouraging you to rewrite your traditions this season by making time for you. Incorporating therapy into your routine can help you pause, reflect, stay grounded during what can be joyful but sometimes hectic or even lonely time of the year. The holidays look different for everyone. Maybe it's baking your great aunt's sweet potato pie, or maybe it's starting something new like a quiet night with friends. Therapy can be one of those new traditions, too. Better Help matches you with a licensed therapist based on your goals and preferences. And if it's not the right fit, you can switch anytime this December, start a new tradition by taking care of you. Our listeners get 10% off@betterhelp.com Louis that's better h lp.com Louis Gratifications through success, wealth and pleasure.
That's probably most of like any teenage boy who just watching the media and seeing what their friends do, they're driven by desire. Girls, money, cool toys, results, success. I don't want to generalize it, but that's what I saw a lot growing up.
Me too.
Now the last two, the third and fourth are duty and love. Duty is motivated by gratitude, responsibility, and the desire to do the right thing thing. And love is compelled by care for others and the urge to help them. And I feel like in the last seven years it's been more duty and love, it's more like mission focused. And there's an amount of happiness that I've never felt before until I reached practicing duty and love. And I remember I never was able to fall asleep at night until about seven, eight years ago without an hour, hour and a half of just anxious, anxiety, stress, concern, worry. And when I shifted from seeking personal gratifications to being motivated by a mission and love and gratitude, it's like I started to fall asleep within minutes and it's crazy. But why do we live in this fear Motivation and desire motivation when it only causes us a lot of pain.
Great question man. And thanks for sharing your journey too because I mean everyone as you can see, Lewis is already thinking like a monk. So it's great, I love it. But it's so. Yeah, great question. The challenge is that we think things come with emotions, feelings. We think things come with feelings and emotions and guess what? They don't. So if you chase money, well they.
Might for a moment, right? Or they won't.
I don't think they even do. Such a false sense of feeling. I don't maybe for a moment, but it's so short lived that it's not even worth counting almost. So it's like when you think that I'm chasing money, guess what? You will get money. And that's great. Money is really important. Money is a really important resource. But guess what? Money's not now going to fill that gap, that void, that feeling, that emotion that you're missing in your life.
What are most people missing?
We're missing a deep sense of love. I think the biggest need in the world as we've heard many times before from all the ancient texts. They summarize it like this. To love and be loved like that is the need of humanity to love and be loved. And when we don't experience that, we then start looking for status, we then start looking for money, then we then start looking for recognition to help us.
Give the feeling of false sense of love.
Correct. And the challenge is because most of us didn't experience that from our parents. And this is the key thing, what we crave in life is, is what we did or didn't get from our parents. What our parents did give us is what we continue to crave. What they didn't give us is what we continue to crave. So you'll find that Most people's love languages that they chase are things that their parents didn't give them. So if their parents didn't give them time, they now crave everyone's time. If their parents didn't give them gifts, they crave gifts. If their parents didn't give them acts of service, they're craving those acts of service. So it's because of our childhood and if we don't learn to process all of that experience, which most people never get the time to do. And I empathize with that because I've had to go through that. I've seen me repeating my parents patterns.
What was the thing you were craving?
So I would crave? A big thing for me was I would crave surprises and gifts. Because that's your thing. Yeah, that's my thing.
Still. It's your thing.
It's still my thing.
Yeah. Did your parents not do that for you?
No, they did. My mom did a lot of it.
That's why you still crave it.
Correct. So my mom would always, every year on my birthday, she'd always surprise me with the one thing I wanted. And I wasn't spoiled growing up. I didn't have a lot growing up. But she would get that one thing, whether it was like a Power Rangers toy or whether it was whatever it was, you know, something video game or something. Yeah. Thing is you wanted as a kid. Right. And she would always surprise me with that. And that became so deep rooted. Now I'll give you an example. When I then married my wife, you just expect people to know that, that.
They'Re going to do the same thing.
Totally.
She shouldn't do that.
No. Because I'm expecting my wife to be like my mom in the sense of I expected a surprise or show me love in the same way. And she doesn't know that. She's not a mind reader. I can't explain expect her to know that. So it took communication, it took time for me to explain that. So anyway, I think that's where it stems from that desire. You can say it comes from society and education. Of course it does. But I think the deepest place it comes is what your parents did or didn't give you. That's where it comes from.
Yeah. Now this was really cool. I think right now there's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of concern, there's a lot of fear in the world with coronavirus and just people concerned in general of the chaos of their life. Whether it's coronavirus or anything else that's happening. People seem to live in this fear state of mind right now a lot. You talked about the fear of fear and how you had to learn to let go of your fear of fear. What does it actually mean, letting go of the fear of fear?
Yeah. So I talk about how we fear the wrong things.
What do we fear?
So most of us are fearful of how our friends are reacting, what's happening on social media and what's the random bit of news that we heard. None of it is fact based. That's one of the biggest issues.
Worry based.
It's worry based and it's also imagination based. So we become fiction writers. We've all watched too many movies now we start writing these beautiful movies in our head. We're not beautiful scary movies in our head of watching what may happen. So our imagination and Seneca said it best. We suffer twice, one in reality and one in imagination. Right. We suffer twice and this is the.
What actually happens to us. And then the story we continue to tell ourselves.
Now there's this incredible study in the book that I have to talk about. So they took monks and they took non monks and they competed against each other. Competed against each other, literally. So they put this plate where you experience heat. And so what happens is the non monks touch this plate. Now this plate heats up gradually, softly, and then at one point it gets really hot for 10 seconds and it cools down. And so what happened is that when the non monks touched it, the anxiety and pressure and stress in their brain just triggered straight away. Even though it wasn't that hot, it wasn't hot, it was heating, but it wasn't hot to do anything major to you. But the anxiety and stress in imagination or in anticipation went through the roof in the non monks. Now this is what's fascinating. When the monks touched it, they showed that it didn't feel anything as it rose, but as it got to its highest, they felt physical pain. But they showed no trigger of emotional pain because they did not assign any emotional element to that pain. So my point with that is you can look at the news right now and you can get scared straight away and get in complete freeze mode, feeling stuck, paralyzed, whatever it is. Because what you're now doing is you're creating a story of what's going to happen and that story, and you can.
Cause sickness in yourself.
You can cause sickness just by the.
Story, not actually the reality, the facts of the disease hitting you or something happening physically to you.
Totally. And that story again can be used positively. So your story may actually be true. But if it's going to be true, now you can prepare. And that shifts you away from being scared because now you're preparing.
Yes. And so the real confident. Because you prepared.
Exactly. And so we should be shifting our fear energy into preparation energy, because what fear does is it keeps you locked there. Right. We just feel stuck. I'll give you an example. When you were preparing for big games, when you used to play in the NFL, right. And you're playing American football against some of the biggest athletes in the world, it's like you can either sit there and be scared that you're going to play this game on the weekend, or you can prepare and your confidence is in the preparation. So when people go, how do I feel confident right now? Are you preparing?
Are you putting the reps?
Are you putting the reps? Are you building your immunity? Are you taking your vitamins?
Drinking lots of water?
Are you drinking lots of water? Are you taking the steps that are needed to prepare for whatever's coming? You will feel more confident that.
Yeah. So how do we learn to let go of the fear of fear, though? Like, how do we say, okay, we're only going to allow it to hurt us when it actually hurts us and not the fear of it? Is there a process? Is there just an awareness of this, that when you're in anxiety, worry, stress, fear, you just breathe and meditate, Then what's the process of letting go of the fear of fear?
Yeah. So meditation, mindfulness, powerful tools. But I'd say the process, and I wanted to be as tactical and strategic as we can. The thing is to get really close to that fear. So what we usually do, embrace it. Get close to get intimate with it.
We become the bat, sit in the bat cake.
Literally embrace the fear. We run away from fear. We like to run away and go, oh, it's not coming with me. And. Or what we do is we hear one thing and we define the whole understanding of our fear based on that one thing. Yes. So it's like someone. And I'll give you a normal example in a normal life scenario.
Yes.
Someone says to you in the office, you know that. You know that they're gonna cut a few people, and you don't even check. You don't even know. And now you just made it real. And now you're running with it, and you're trying to run away from it. So you're trying to avoid conversations with your boss. You're trying to avoid any conflict. You're trying to, you know, you're just a great example you're just trying to avoid it. And so actually what you need to do is go, okay, let me actually discover that fear. Let me go intimate with that fear. Let me ask myself, where's that fear coming from? What am I really scared of? What am I really scared of? Am I really scared of losing my job? Am I scared of not having any money? What am I really scared of? And when you get to the root, and I call it the why ladder in the book, so it's asking yourself, what am I scared of? And then go, why am I scared of this? Why am I scared of this? Why am I scared of this? And when you can't ask why any longer, you've got to the answer, and that's what you have to deal with. Most of us are not dealing with what we're actually scared of. So that's how you let go. You let go by keep asking yourself. So I'll give you an example of mine. Like, if I heard that, or if you hear that in your office that people are getting cut, it's like you just get scared and panicked. But the question is, why am I scared of that? Am I scared of that because I haven't been working hard for six months? Am I scared of that because I've been skipping meetings? Am I scared of that because I know my boss will probably find me first? Or am I scared because I've been performing really well and I'm expecting a promotion? Knowing which one it is, it sets you up to build the path forward. Not knowing that just puts you in this panic frenzy.
I think also like doing all the things you talked about, which is discovering within yourself, being aware of it. But then also just have the conversation, confront it with your manager, your boss, and say, hey, listen, I heard some rumors that there might be some cuts, and I want to let you know that I'm 100% committed to doing whatever it takes to help this company grow. Yes, I believe in this mission more than anything. Here's what I've been doing the last three months, and here's what I want to continue to do. Is there anything else, like, totally. Like, show them the. Like, why you shouldn't get cut.
Exactly. And that's. You know, how to approach that discussion when you know which side you're on, what your fear is.
I remember as a freshman playing football, I was playing Division 2 football in Minnesota. They usually red shirt, all the freshmen. And I went into this with a big ego, thinking, like, I'm going to start, or at least I want to Play, right. So I went into it with an ego in the first place, but I also. Which wasn't good. But I also went into it with some things that were good for. From this conversation, I told the coach straight up, like, I know you don't play freshman, but my intention is to play. What is it going to take for me in order to get on the field? Do I need to get here early? Do I need to stay late? Can I sit here in the office with you before practice and go over game film, whatever it was? And he told me, yeah, I need you to come in the office every single day and watch game film with me. I need to be with your receiver coach every single day beforehand and doing reps. And I just did it. And I eventually started to play my freshman year. I didn't start in the beginning, but I started to start at the end. And that for me was powerful. It's like I dressed in it because I wanted to play and I was afraid I wasn't going to play at all and just waste a year of practicing like every other freshman would do there. That was my ego going in like.
I need to play.
But I was also like, I'll do whatever it takes and I'll practice and I'll confront it with conversation and say, this is my intention, this is my vision and I'm going to do whatever it takes for you. And so I think that's perfect example. If you're in a workplace, you've got to be confronting it and be proactive in your confrontation.
Correct. And that's a perfect example of getting close to fear rather than running away from it. Spot on, man.
For me, my whole mission in the last year and moving forward, the next projects I'm working on are all about belief in yourself. I believe self doubt is the killer of dreams and I believe that. And you have this amazing graph in here. It's about ego versus self esteem. How do we build self belief, self esteem, self confidence while also not allowing our ego to be so big and think we can just do anything? How do we balance ego and self confidence so they don't hurt each other?
Yeah, absolutely. And what we experience most of the time is extremes. So the two extremes that most of us experience are either I have to think I'm the best, I'm the best in the world, I can crush anyone, Look, I'm like gonna show everyone what I'm like, or most of us experience the other extreme, which is I'm the worst, I'm the stupidest, I'm the dumbest, I'm the most worthless. I'm the biggest loser. Notice how that's both. Ego.
Really?
Yes.
Why is the negative ego.
The ego wants to be the best of the best or the ego wants to be the worst of the worst? The ego won't accept being in the middle.
Really?
The ego wants to feel the deepest sense of being the lowest. And that's why victim mentality is actually a subsequence of ego.
Really?
Yeah. That's how it's explained in the Bhagavad Gita. Because the point is that you can't deal with just being bad. You have to be the worst.
My pain is the worst. I think Jada talked about this on your podcast where she was like, you know, I had to tell people why my hurt was more painful than their hurt, and they could never understand how bad it was.
Exactly, exactly.
That's ego.
That's ego as well. So you see these two sides of ego keeping us locked away. And so the only way to get with that and the only way to balance it and bring it all into one is genuine self honesty. Honesty is the best place to be in. The best thing about honesty is I'm really good at this. I'm really average at that, and I'm really bad at that. And the challenge we have with that is most of us have no idea. We just have zero self awareness about what we are good at, what we are bad at, and what we're average at. So we think, I'm pretty average at everything. I'm pretty good at everything. And when I hear those answers, I'm like, simple things. Just go and talk to people that know you.
Yeah. What am I great at?
Ask them, what's my superpower? What do I do differently? What do you think I do that is different than no one else does? And guess what? I guarantee you, if you ask a colleague, if you ask a friend, if you ask a family member, if you ask.
People say different things, they say different.
Things, but you get to learn about yourself. So real confidence comes from knowing your strengths and going all in on them. Your confidence does not come from just standing up the right way or just saying the right stuff to yourself.
Body language only.
And that's important. I'm a big believer in all of that. But what I'm saying is that that doesn't build real confidence. Real confidence comes from thinking, I'm really good at this. I know I can do this and I love doing it. And really, this is the most important bit. Confidence comes from serving Other people. When you see the impact you have on others, and this is the biggest issue, the reason why we have such a low self esteem today in the world is because people are not serving others, so they don't see the profound impact they have on others. When you put out a video or a podcast and people tag you on Instagram and they say, louis, you stop me from depression or you help me out of a divorce, or people when they watch my content, they'll be like, that stopped me from committing suicide or whatever. It's when you see that you get such a deep sense of self worth that you matter. And guess what? Everyone matters. Whether you matter to one people or one, one million people, everyone matters. But if you see your impact in someone's life, you will feel such a deep sense of self worth. And so whether you're serving at a giving out free food or whether you're serving at a local charity place, or whether you're serving through your work, serve, serve, serve. Because when you take that step, you get a boost of self esteem.
But why do so many of us live in fear and desire mode as opposed to duty and love mode?
Why is that?
Like, why are we still focused on self as opposed to service?
It's conditioned. It's conditioned, right? I've said this before, that we're wired for generosity, but we're educated for greed. I think I just said it to you two years ago when I was on the podcast. It's like, and when I said that, and the statement, it's so true. We're wired for generosity, but we're educated for greed. Because what happens is when we're kids, you'll see kids, you want to share, go out their way. They want to share.
That's part of my candy bar. Whatever.
Yeah. And then as we get older, we're told that there's less. And this is what the key is. As we get older, we're told there are finite numbers of how many kids get made on the basketball or baseball team.
Yes.
We're told there's a finite number of college spaces. We're told there's a finite number of how many tickets there are. We're told there's a finite number of people that are successful. Guess what? In the theater of happiness, there are infinite and unlimited seats. And there is a seat with your name on it. There is a seat with your name on it. In the theater of dreams. In the theater of happiness. But you think that, because you think that there are only a hundred people allowed in, that if someone Else makes it before you that you don't get in. And guess what? Is there a cap on how many billionaires there are in the world?
No.
No. Is there a cap on how many millionaires there are in the world? No. Is there a cap on how many happy people there are in the world? No. And that's why I really am encouraging Forbes. I'm a Forbes. Forget printing a rich list.
Print a happy list.
Print a service list. Print a list of who is serving.
We should do that.
We should do that.
Who is serving the most in the world.
Wow. That'll be competition based.
Yeah, sure.
I gave more than you gave.
And that's why it should be service based on time, energy and money. Because we should start showing how much time people give. How much energy people give. Mother Teresa, I don't think she gave any money to her charities, but she gave a lot of time and energy. You look at all the people who made a change in the world, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, like, like, they may not have given a lot of money to stuff. They give time and energy.
You don't have to give resources, but your resourcefulness, your love, your tug them, your focus, your attention, your compassion.
Love that.
You know, resourcefulness of the heart, not of the wallet, I think is key.
Love that.
And you don't need to have a lot of money to make a big impact.
You don't. And this is the training. See, we've been educated for greed because we've been told everything's limited. There's limited number of this, limited number of this number. And every time you play in numbers, and I think it was Bob Marley who said it, but every time you play numbers, you'd always be dissatisfied because guess what?
Someone's always got more.
Someone's always gonna have more. I was speaking to a friend recently and this friend was telling me that he, you know, bought a home which is very expensive. Yes, Very, very expensive. And he went to a party at someone else's house. And he told me that when he was getting a tour of this party, he found out that this person had a painting on his wall which cost the amount his house cost.
Shut up.
And so he was joking when he was like, that guy's painting in the house. He's got my house on his wall.
Wow.
And that just puts things into perspective. And you think about that, like. And then you look at someone like Jeff Bezos and you think, oh, well, he's the richest man in the world, but does he have the most fame? No, he doesn't. Does he have the most beauty? Subjective decision. Does he have the most strength or power? Maybe not. And so no one has the most of everything. So when you measure yourself by numbers, you'll always be second, third, fourth, fifth in something.
And I think by measuring yourself, by needing to have the most of anything is probably a recipe for unhappiness. Of like, well, okay, I'm not gonna have the most of anything, but I'm gonna have the most money. You're still gonna be unhappy.
Totally.
Even if you have the most of something, it doesn't mean you're going to be happy.
Totally. I think it was Albert Einstein who said it best that not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
It's the season to come together over your holiday favorites at Starbucks, warm up with a creamy caramel brulee latte, get festive with an iced gingerbread chai, or share a velvety peppermint mocha. Together is the best place to be at Starbucks. Let's face it, everyone's juggling long, busy days. That's why Icebreaker's gum is made for the go getters. With flavor crystals that deliver a bold, cooling effect, Icebreakers keeps you refreshed and ready to take on whatever's next. And here's a bonus. The pack fits perfectly in your car, cupholder or bag, so it's within reach when you need it most. Grab Icebreakers gum online or at a store near you.
And I love that because it removes this belief that things are finite and limited. They're not. If you want to be happy and successful, if no matter that there are 700,000 podcasts, if that is your dharma, if that's your calling, if that's your purpose, like you can do that. There's no cap on how many successful soccer players that can exist at the.
Same time or how many books are out in the world.
There's no cap, there's no one stopping you. And that's the mindset that we're educated for that scarcity and greed.
And what's the difference between the monkey mind and the monk mind?
Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up. So the monkey mind is what we experience on a day to day basis. The monkey mind is restless. The monkey mind is jumping from branch to branch. The monkey mind is trying to find a bigger banana. The monkey mind is constantly just like feeling flustered, dissatisfied, scarce. Scarce and overthinking everything. The monk mind is the exact opposite. The monk mind is calm and composed. The monk mind knows to be Focused and aware, the monk mind knows. So everything in this book and everything that we're talking about is the transformation from the monkey mind that we experience to the monk mind. The monkey mind is almost the enemy. To the monk mind, it's the opposite.
Yes. And how does someone who is living in a sense of scarcity? Because there are people living in scarcity where they're unable to pay their bills, they're unable to provide food for their kids, they're single moms, they're stressed, they're stressed, they're overwhelmed. It's hard to get into a sense of abundance when you're in scarcity and stress. So how does someone find purpose in chaos when they can't even get out of the thinking because they're just trying to survive?
Yeah. So beautiful question. My biggest answer is, first of all, I empathize with anyone who's been in that situation having. I can't ever say I've been in that situation in the same way, but I've experienced similar things or feeling in your life. Yeah. In my own way. And I've seen my mum go through stuff like that. I know that my mom worked really hard to raise me and my sister while working, you know, while running around. And I've. I've seen my mom be that incredible powerhouse of a person. And the. The main thing I would say is what you can do right now is find meaning in what you do and make what you do meaningful, passionate and purposeful. You don't need to suddenly look to become an entrepreneur or start a side hustle or find some more time, find meaning. And the way you find meaning as you genuinely stop, press, pause for a second and go, what am I living for? Like, what am I living for right now? And if you're living for your child and if you're living to provide and put food on the table, that is a beautiful thing that we should see celebrate more. And sometimes it takes us a moment to stop and celebrate that. And so I would say find meaning because you can't always find happiness, you can't always find positivity, but you can always find meaning in that position. So I'll give an example. Like, I lost someone really important to me, a mentor, a few days back. I can't be positive about that. You can't be happy about that. Yeah, it's hurtful. You feel sad, you feel lost. But guess what? I can find meaning in it because I can make a list of any every lesson he taught me and make a plan to try and live Every one of those lessons.
Wow, that's beautiful.
And so if you're in a really tough situation right now, don't look for positivity. Don't look for happiness. Look for meaning.
That's a good one. And not trying to get yourself out of pain too quickly or discomfort or frustration, which I've been guilty being like, I'll just be positive or whatever to people. But I think it's like, you know, have your experience.
Yes.
Live your experience and find meaning as quickly as possible and create a commitment to how you want to use that meaning moving forward. Okay, I may not be great tomorrow, maybe not next week, next month, but I'm going to use this meaning to serve other people, to continue to do what I love, continue to be great to my friends, my family in the best way possible.
And when you start doing those small things with love and kindness, so much more opens up. When you. When you can be trusted with the small things and the small moments, you get trusted with more and more and more. And so, like, it helps to just in that moment. And it's in those painful moments that you realize how powerful you are. We all know that. Like, you really recognize it. And what you said was beautiful about not rushing through the pain because. And, you know, this example has probably been shared before, but if you have a wound and you've cut yourself, it's like you can't rush the healing. You can't rush it. If you broke your arm, I mean, and you've been through so many bodily injuries, you can't rush the process.
It's gonna take six weeks, minimum. To heal a broken bone.
Yeah, minimum.
And you've got to sit through that.
It's painful.
There's no injections you can take. There's no videos you can watch. There's nothing you can listen to. But our challenge is we try and rush through the pain rather than reflect through the pain.
We try to rush the healing process.
Try to rush the healing. And you can't rush healing. And healing is meant to be seen. Slow, because it buys you time, it buys you reflection. It gives you so much space to slow down, to slow down. And that's what your body's calling out for. This is our emergency. Like, how many times have you heard it where you slow down, you slow down, and that's when you fall ill, because guess what? Your body has been trying to tell you to slow down when you feel pain. So I write about it and think like a monk. Pain makes you pay attention. Yeah, that's what pains for pain's. Notice this, notice this. Look at me, notice me, look at me. It's like a crying baby craving for attention. When a baby's crying, you don't just go, ah, it's crying. You don't just go, oh, yeah, we'll just put it in another room and forget about it. Right? Like, you go to it and you find its needs. Whereas with our pain, when something's painful, we're just like, oh, yeah, I'll just forget about it. I'll escape from it. I'll do something else. You have to go into that pain.
I'll numb the pain.
I'll numb the pain with alcohol or whatever. 100%. That's usually our response is, what can I do to numb this?
Work more, have sex more, drink more.
Whatever it is, rather than let me actually become alert. And guess what? The pain just gets higher and higher and higher and higher. Because unfortunately, until it really hurts, we don't stop.
Or you need more and more to numb it with.
So true.
And so you go down to extremes of life, right?
So true.
Now, what's been the most painful thing you've had to experience since? Because I know leaving the monkhood was painful for you because this was a mission of yours that you wanted to have for your whole life. And I think you were there for three and a half years. So what's been the most painful thing, I guess, in the last six or seven years since that time that you've had to reflect back on, take notice of, pay attention to, and reevaluate?
That's a great question. I think for me, it was in 2016, I moved out to New York. So just let me paint a picture of 2016. I moved three jobs. I got married.
Wow.
I moved country. And I just started a whole new life. Like, my life just transformed. So we went through all of that with my wife in one year. And by the way, all of that was surprises. The job change was surprises. The country change was a surprise. The marriage was not a surprise. We planned that. Apart from everything else, everything was a surprise. Now, I said, I like surprises, so I can roll with it. But my point is that's a lot of transition.
So much transition.
And I think felt the burden of being in a new city where we had no family, we had no friends, and my wife, who loves being around her family and no one understands just how close she is to them, I felt this burden on me that I had taken away her time with her family and now she was alone. So I was going out to work and she'd be crying at home. And I was thinking, she's got no friends, she's got no support. And I know you can relate to this moving and relationships and so much going on. And so it's like I'm dealing with that. And guess what? Six months later, I have to leave and move on and work on a new career to build everything myself. And then I'm four months away from being broke. And so on top of all of this, I've now got four months away from being broke. I've got enough money, money saved for four months to pay for rent and groceries in New York City. In New York City. And that's it. And guess what? Even on top of that, I've got 30 days before my visa runs out. I'm kicked out of the country, so I can't even live here anymore. So not only have I just got married, moved job three times, changed career again, had to move into apartment. Four months of being broke and I might get kicked out in 30 days. And my renewal for my visa cost $15,000. So that's going to eat into those four months. I have probably never been under that much emotional, physical and mental pressure in my life. Like, genuinely, I felt it. And I felt my body change. My, my breath was more stressed. I would be breathing faster, shorter breaths, not deep breaths, heartbeat faster, not working out. You get into lazy habits, you start craving junk food, sugar, you have energy. I'm living in a 500 square foot apartment with my wife, which is, which is tiny. Like everything's in that space. And guess what? We both work from home. So I'm now sitting at a desk hunched over, trying to figure stuff out. She's trying to cook in the same room. Like, I'm trying to just, just trying to figure out what to do. And I, and I remember the next morning sending like 100 emails to people and just being like, this is who I am. This is what I can do. How can we serve? And that was the same year that I ended up meeting you later in that year. And the beginning, three months of that journey was so stressful. Like, they were so stressful because I was like, what if I have to move back to London? What am I going to say to her parents? I mean, I just took their daughter away, like, just got married. I've lived in New York City for six months and my life's falling apart. Like, you know, so much and I've got all these views, but there's nothing, there's nothing happening in.
We Met you also. I mean, at this time, you're also growing so much. How are you able to create and reach this impact with your videos as that's growing while you're under so much stress and uncertainty?
And I stopped a bit at that time. Like, things slowed down hard. Like, things slowed down. I remember that I wasn't creating as much as I was because I don't enjoy creating from media, social stress or pressure. And I don't think you can really create something from stress and pressure. So we really slowed down at that time. And when I was creating, I was creating from a place of recognizing that I could share what I had learned and what I had grown in so far. So anything I was sharing was like, this is what I've learned so far. So that was the biggest pain that I've been through in the last seven years, for sure. And all I can say is that I remember coming home to my wife knowing that this was going to be the truth. And I came and I said to her, I said to her, I guarantee you this is gonna be the best thing that ever happened to us.
What? The pain.
The pain. I said that to the night I came home. And then she. I literally came home. I looked her in the eyes and go, this is the scenario. And I just want you to know that I guarantee to you this is the best thing that's ever gonna happen to us. And I said to her, and this is. This is a monk statement that we used to repeat. I said to her, I'm just not gonna judge the moment. Don't judge the moment. Because what we do is we try to label moments good or bad. And when you label a moment as bad, it now does not have the opportunity to become good. I'll give an example. If I go, I don't like this book. This book's bad, Right? And I don't. And I love this. But if I say that, guess what? I will never pick it up and recognize the value that's inside of it. Because you've labeled it.
Yes.
And we label stuff. Like, we label, oh, that restaurant's bad. But when you label a moment, that person's bad, that person's bad. Now, you can't learn from that person. Great one, that's a really good one. As soon as you start labeling people or anything as good or bad, you limit it. You stop it from being something else. And here's the truth. Every moment can evolve into being anything if you give it the opportunity to, right? But as soon as you say it's Got no value anymore. You lose it. And so for me, I had to say to myself, don't judge the moment. And I'd keep repeating that.
Don't judge where you're at.
Don't judge what's happening. Yeah. Don't judge it as negative. Don't. Don't just start saying it's negative. Because guess what? We've all been in positions where a gift turned into a curse and a curse turned into a gift.
True.
Right.
We've all seen our dreams came true and it ended up not being what we wanted.
Exactly.
It fell apart and it led us into our dreams.
Totally. Why is it that so many people that win the lottery go broke? Gifts can turn into curses too, but because we labeled them as the best moment in our life or the worst moment in our life. Whereas when you approach things to neutrality and just what you have on the table, you can be like, okay, what am I going to do next?
That's why the greatest quarterbacks are neutral. Energy. They'll get a little excited, they'll get a little fist pump in there every now and then, but they're not hyped every play and they're not negative every play. They have this calm. They see the field, you drop a pass and it's like a little bit, let's go. But it's very neutral. Even when you score a touchdown, unless it's maybe the super bowl or a big championship at the end of a game, in the middle of a game, you want to keep it pretty, like even keel paced so you can prepare for the best or the worst.
That's great. Yeah.
But always up and down. It's like your energy levels will go up and down and you'll be exhausted. You need to have energy in life.
Totally.
And if everything is tied around a story of this is bad, this is wrong, I'm in a bad place, I'm messing up, I'm going broke. That energy is going to pull you away from service.
Exactly.
Or creation or creativity of how do I get out of this process place? So I think it's really.
I love that. And I used to have a coach and I think a lot of coaches use this, or at least he used to say to us, he would be like, if you, if you lose, cry for a day. And if you celebrate, if you win, celebrate for a day.
Yeah.
And then move on the next day. Get back to training. Don't. Don't let it run.
Don't live in the past.
Don't live in the past. And what we do Is when we lose, we cry for a month. And when we win, we just move on.
Yeah.
Which means that our negative experiences hold us back and weigh us back down more than our positive experiences. So we're actually allowing because we don't immerse ourselves in winning and growth. We only submerge ourselves in negative experiences.
Yeah. We need to celebrate also. We try to celebrate. I've been, you know, that's been part of my life as well. Is like, moving on too quick. And now we try to, like, let's enjoy. Let's go to lunch or dinner and really, like, appreciate this moment and celebrate this moment, even have a dinner with some friends and family. Otherwise, why don't we work with so.
Hard for 100% and we almost feel like we can't. We can't do that because that makes us complacent.
Right.
But that's my point.
Never good enough.
Exactly. But if you win, celebrate for a day. If you lose, cry for a day. Move on. Simple.
And you learned so many lessons over your years as a monk. You learned a ton of lessons moving to, you know, getting married, moving into a new country, building, building companies, launching products and books. And you've had ups and downs. What's been the biggest lesson in the last 12 months for you? Because you've learned, you've created so much in the last 12 months. You've done so many things. What's been the biggest lesson for you in your life?
That's a big question. What about what's my biggest lesson in the last 12 months? I want to give you a really. I want to give you real. I'm going to think about it.
Whether it's something new or something that you already knew but you had to relearn for whatever reason.
I think I'd have to say that it's a. And I was saying it to a friend on the phone this morning when I was on the way to you, and I was just. I was just sharing it with him because he was having a moment in recognizing this. There's a wonderful verse in the Manusmriti, which I talk about and think like a monk. It's a monk book. And in the verse it says, when you protect your purpose, your purpose protects you. Now, I want to. I want to unpack that. What I mean by that is, your purpose is like a rare jewel and a rare gemstone. And imagine you were walking around with the most expensive diamond or jewel in the world. How would you protect it?
You want to just like you want to just yeah.
You want to just wear it on your chest like this, Like a baby holding it. Yeah.
Putting a pillow around a blanket. You do like. Yeah.
Protect it.
You'd protect it. And so your purpose is like that. And guess what? People are going to tell you every day that that jewel is not worth anything. They're going to tell you that that jewel is actually valueless. It doesn't have any impact on your life. They're going to try and take away that value. They're going to tell you that there's another jewel out there that you need to have more value. And what ends up happening is you don't. I love the word. Look at the wording. Protect your purpose. You have to protect it. So what happens is your success grows. You get more opportunities, more ideas, more things coming your way. Temptations. But they can all take you away from your purpose. Distractions. And to me, I'm repeating this for myself, because I'm like, I just want to stick to what I was born to do. And I'm so grateful that I get to do it. I'm so happy I get to do it. And I want to keep protecting it. I don't want to get lost in the waves. You know, you don't want to just get chucked in the waves of the ocean and just get lost and just not know where you're going. So for me, when you protect your purpose, your purpose protects you.
So that's been your biggest lesson.
That's my biggest lesson.
Why do you feel like your purpose has been maybe distracted in some ways?
I don't think it has, but I'm saying it, so it doesn't.
You're reminding yourself.
Yeah, I'm reminding myself. Like, I'm preaching to myself right now.
Especially being in Hollywood and the temptation of all these opportunities out here.
Totally. And I think for me, it's a bigger lesson. Also bigger. It gives me more faith. So I always encourage. And this is actually. Actually, this is why it's my biggest lesson. I encourage so many people that I coach, so many people that I mentor, obviously everyone in my community and audience and everything to go and follow that, go and live that purpose. And I see time and time again that when I see people trying to live their purpose, they are protected, that things work. When you're playing in your Dharma and your purpose, things work. Things move. You feel momentum happen. They happen. And I'm not saying they happen without effort, but they happen. They move. Whereas when you're not, you just constantly feel like you're grinding up against, you know, a war.
I know challenges, just.
Just constant.
So what is your purpose and when did you discover it?
Good question. What is my purpose is simple. It's always has been since. Not since the beginning, because I discovered it afterwards. My purpose is making wisdom go viral. And I've stuck with that. I've kept it that way because to me, and there's more to it. Making wisdom go viral through entertainment, I would say, is my purpose because I believe that that is something that is uniquely my goal. Impact and service. And that's why it's.
It's your gift, it's your passion, it's your love, it's your talent, it's everything in one.
Correct. And the beautiful thing is I'm not limited to a platform. So that could be books, it can be podcasts, it can be TV shows, it can be movies. It's not limited. And this, this I learned by reading. I was reading after. And this was after my video started to get seen. This wasn't before I did it. It wasn't like I sat down and I wrote this fancy tagline. I was reading Saleem Ishmael's book called Exponential Organizations. And in this book he talks about something called an mtp, a massive transformational purpose. And he says that every major person organization in the world has an mtp. So an MTP has to be aspirational, it has to be massive, and it has to be service and purpose based. So Google's is organizing the world's information. Notice it doesn't say we're an SEO company. Notice it doesn't say we do Google Ads. They're organizing the world's information. That's how big they're dreaming. And when you're organizing the world's information, you can do driverless cars, you can do Google Glass, you can sell Google Ads, whatever it is. And so Ted's is ideas worth spreading. That's what they are. That's what they're about. So Jay Shetty is making wisdom go viral. That's what I'm dedicated to.
So when did you discover it? Because it wasn't when you were. It wasn't when you were 21 in college?
I say I was 30, probably two, three years ago. I'm 32 now. So I'd say like two, three years ago is when I discovered.
So 30 years old is when you discovered your purpose.
Correct.
So what was your purpose before that?
My purpose before that was finding my purpose. Like it's like that process of. Just like my purpose before that was 14 years so I've been online for four years. I've spent 10 years offline talking about the same stuff, sharing the same messages in talks in universities, in small seminars, in coaching and mentoring. Like, I've been doing the same thing for 14 years. But I didn't realize it was my purpose until very recently. But I just did what I enjoyed and naturally try to get better at it.
So if we don't know what our purpose and we're working towards finding our purpose, it's okay.
That's actually where you're gonna spend most of your life.
Discovering what your purpose is.
Totally. And that's the best bit because I.
Think a lot of people are like, well, I don't know what my purpose is.
Totally. How I just.
How do I find it?
The pressure of finding your purpose will stop you from finding your purpose. Literally, the pressure is so heavy. And that's why it's not about finding that. It's just starting with the basics. What am I good at?
The holidays are back at Starbucks. So share the season with a peppermint mocha, Starbucks signature espresso, velvety mocha and cool peppermint notes topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls together is the best place to be at Starbucks.
A warm dinner, a full table, a peace of mind for every family. That's the holiday we all wish for. The Feeding America Network helps make it possible not just for one family, but but for communities everywhere. Because when we act together, hope grows. Give now and your impact may be doubled. Visit feedingamerica.org holiday and I talk about it.
I break down Dharma in here. And I talk about, what are your passion? What is your expertise? What is your compassion? Because that's really important. What is your compassion for the world? Like, what problem do you want to solve? I Often people will say, there's so many things I could do. There's so many things I'm like, my question is not what causes you the greatest joy? Sometimes. My question is, what causes you the greatest pain?
Make that your purpose.
Make that your purpose. If you don't know what your joy is, you definitely know what your pain is.
What do you not like in the world?
What do you not like? And so for me, go serve that thing 100%. So for me, the greatest pain I see in the world is people not reaching their potential. That causes me more pain because I believe that there is someone out there who is stacking shelves who has the cure to cancer. There is someone out there or is a talented singer. Who's a talented singer. There is someone out there who's not living to their potential. And I think we're better people, we're better partners, and we're better parents when we live to our potential. So that's what I'm trying to solve. And I'm not saying that's the biggest thing.
Sure.
I'm saying it's my thing.
Whenever I work with people, I'm always telling them to find your purpose. Focus on what you're most passionate about or what you have the most pain around.
There you go, the same thing.
So it's like, do the thing you love the most, keep doing it until you either discover that's it. Or maybe I don't love that anymore. Like, I played so many sports growing up. I used to love baseball, used to love soccer, and then I got bored with it. I got burnt out by it. It wasn't a love of mine anymore. It wasn't a passion. And then I switched to football and it was like, oh, this is a passion. And I'm actually more gifted physically for this sport than I would be for soccer. I was too big for soccer. Couldn't run seven miles a day right on the field. But I think you need to try lots of things. And you might think it's a passion, but you might get burnt out and discover, I don't love it anymore. What else is there? And keep trying new things. Like you said, eight new things a month till you discover it might take you to get 30, 40, 50.
Right.
And that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. The fun is in the growth and the journey. For me, the last 10 years before this happened and my life changed, it was like, those were fun. I was happy. I wasn't unhappy because of that.
Because I didn't know the exact.
Yeah, exactly. And now I'm very clear on it. And I'm happy for it to evolve too. Like, I don't think it has to stay the same. I may sit with you in two years time and tell you something completely different.
Right.
And I'm okay with that. But I can only work with what I have now. And I think we start trying to postpone our purpose or find a date by which you have to. You put a deadline on your purpose. Doesn't make any sense. Like, if you really care about it, how can you put a deadline on it? I know, you just keep working towards it.
What are three skills that everyone should try to learn in the next one to two years that will help them in their life tremendously, no matter who you are? Where you live in the world, three things we could start to practice, learn, master. That'll improve our life.
Yeah, that's a great question. You asked me a lot of great questions. Every question I know you reminded me of something which I'm going to share is. A bunch of years back, I went to the launch of Eric Schmidt's book, How Google Works.
Nice.
And I was in the audience. I didn't get to interview him or meet him or anything like that, but I remember sitting in the audience and. And there was someone else there who was interviewing him and talking, and they were like. And someone asked this question from the audience. So a student got up and they said, what do you think is the number one skill that students should be focusing on? And they said, everyone should become data analysts. They were like, everyone should become. Everyone in this room should become. And I was sitting there going, I know nothing about being a data analyst. And I think sometimes we throw out these careers or, like, hard skills and technicals, and it's like, well, not everyone's going to vibe with that. So I just want to share that because I think so often, like, we get bad advice like that. I'm like, imagine I pursued becoming a data analyst.
I know. And you have to also know the perspective of the person you're getting that advice from. So your perspective, your three things that people should be taking on is going to come from your perspective and your experience. What's worked for you?
Correct.
But what would you think?
So I'd say the first one for me is learn how to have a conversation with yourself. Like, just learn how to have a conversation with yourself. Like, if you don't know if I'll give it. One of the studies that I shared in the book, which I absolutely love, men and women were asked either to be alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes or they could give themselves an electric shock if they were bored and.
They took the shock.
30% of women chose an electric shock and 60% of men chose an electric shock because they didn't want to be alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. For 15 minutes. Why is that? Because we have not learned to have a conversation with ourselves or even love ourselves. No, we haven't. And I think that starts with the conversation. I think you're right. We don't love ourselves, but that starts with learning to talk to yourself. So find time for you to talk to your own mind, to talk to yourself, to understand yourself, to find out how many of us. When you go to a restaurant, you know whether you're going to go back or not. Right. You know whether you like it. When you go watch a movie, you know whether you're going to like it or not. So, yeah, let me just say that again. Let me explain what I'm saying there. When you go to a restaurant, you know when you walk out whether you're going to go back there or not based on whether you like the food. When you watch a movie, you know whether you're going to recommend it to your friends based on whether you liked it or not. Why do we keep visiting the same people, the same places, and doing the same projects when they don't lift us up? So many of us are not aware of the same people that we hang around with that bring us down. The places that don't feed us, they drain our energy. And the projects that don't light us up, but we keep going back there because we don't talk to ourselves. Because we don't talk to ourselves. I can ask you, hey, did you like that restaurant? But when do we ask ourselves, hey, do I like, do I want to hang out with that person? Does that person, Do I want to.
Be in this relationship? Do I want to be in this job?
We get scared of those conversations, so we avoid them. So that's first tip.
The second, learn to have a conversation with yourself.
Learn to have a conversation with yourself. The second thing is, know how your mind tricks you. So we played this game in the monastery where every time you lose to your mind, you put a scoreboard up and you put a one for the mind and zero for you.
When you lose to the mind. Meaning what?
Like, so let's say you make a commitment. So I make a commitment that I'm not gonna eat sugar.
And then you do 2020, and I do.
The mind beats you.
The mind beats me to it. So I'm gonna put a one for the mind and a zero for me. Right. It's great. It's competing with yourself and a good. It's fun. Yeah. And people do this with, like, I guess now with like dollar jars or whatever, like you put a dollar in. But that doesn't make sense because you end up making money every time you swear. But if you beat your mind and you put it, it's great.
Yes.
So you have to start learning the tricks of your mind. When and how does your mind fool you into making bad decisions?
That's good.
If you know that.
Where did it fool you the most that it was the hardest for you to overcome?
Great question. I'd say the number one Time that my mind has fooled me.
The greatest temptation where you're like, I wanna. My mind's gonna beat me. But it hasn't. Or what the longest for you to let go of something.
The simplest answer that I can think of straight away is, sugar. Like, I love chocolate. But that's not a good enough answer. Like, that's definitely true from before being a monk.
To be a muffler. It was like the last thing. You're like, ah, can I really let go of this?
Yeah. I think the biggest thing was it's probably eager. Like, it's wanting to. It's like walking into a room expecting respect. Walking into a room expecting to be dealt in a certain way.
Wow. Like, when you get, like, treated.
Treated with you, you buy your own hype. Right? You fall for the stuff like that.
You still fall for this sometimes I.
Think we all do. Yeah. I think. I think I'd be. I think I would be in ego if I didn't say I did. Like, is like ego. That's the trick of the ego. The ego makes you think you're untouchable, and the ego makes you think that you are. You know that nothing about you can. Can ever go wrong or you're. You're perfect or not even that.
But the ego can bring you down and nothing can hurt you.
Correct. When the moment you think you can't be brought down, you will be brought down. The moment you think that you can't. That one of my teachers would always pray that he never. And he's been a monk for 40 years. He would always pray that he would never fall to his temptations. And we said to him, you haven't fallen to your temptations for 40 years. Why do you pray for that? He goes, I haven't fallen because I pray for it.
Wow.
He was like, because I pray for it because I'm aware.
I think it's gonna.
Yeah, he's aware. And there's a beautiful story of what's his name, Benjamin Franklin, where he talks about before he died, I believe he had 13 or 14 precepts. These were qualities that he wanted to live by, live by and gain. So they're like simplicity, integrity, virtues, all these powerful things. And he was asked when he was on his deathbed, which was the one he didn't accomplish. And he said, the last one, that was humility. And that's like the display of humility. Like, you can't think you're at humility and then be humble. Like, that's not possible. It's an Oxymoron.
You got to stay humble with all. With greatness happening. You know, if you're achieving your dreams, you're making an impact, you're doing great stuff. How do you stay humble?
I think the biggest one is surround yourself with people who are constantly better than you. And when I say better, I don't just mean materially. I mean, when I'm around my monk teachers, I just feel filthy, right? Like, they're so dirty human beings. Yeah, yeah. They're so pure that it's such a mirror reflection. I'm around them and I'm like, whoa, I've got so much. Yeah, I've got so much. Like, duh.
Yeah.
And that's a good thing. Like, I love being around them. And they don't say that to me. Like, they don't make me feel that way. It's just that you get a mirror when you're around people who are transparent. You get a reflection of yourself. Like, so I get that when I'm with them. So first thing is spend time with people who are more spiritually elevated and more conscious because you get a reflection without them even saying it. The second thing is keep increasing your goal posts. Like most of us are not. Our goal should keep us humble, not other people's goals. We try and think other people's goals keep us humble because we're looking at what people are doing.
Your goal posts should never be achieving. Or it should be bigger and bigger all the time.
All the time. And the third one is always thank the people who gave you the gift that is being recognized. Like, if you're being recognized for a gift, someone gave that to you.
Thank your mentor, thank your teacher, give.
It back to them. Because I think we forget that you start thinking yourself made. And I don't think anyone's genuinely self made. I just don't think that's true. Because someone had to give you an interruption, an interaction, exchange, an idea, whatever it was. So that's the second one, I think. And the third skill. The third skill. These are really fun questions.
The first one is have a conversation with yourself.
Second is know how your mind tricks you and be fully aware of it.
And was a humility a part of that or no?
I would say that was just my personal, exact example of what I think I can. I can struggle with sometimes. Okay.
And the third skill that everyone should learn.
Third skill everyone should learn is how to have difficult conversations with other people. So hard. Because I think that marriages are made of it, dating's made of it, friendships are Made of it. I think sometimes we've had some difficult conversations, like in the sense of I had to call you up and say and. And it's like, I think we're good at that with each other and that's why our friendship is strong. Because I think we're honest with each other and I feel that you feel comfortable telling me stuff. Like we've had email exchanges where you've been honest with me and I've been honest with you. And of course, like, I think that's good because I think when you don't have tough conversations with people, your relationships just sit on the surface or they never go anywhere.
And you learn about how deep the relationship is through the challenging conversations. You learn like if you break up because of one bad conversation, whether a friendship or family member, whatever, if you like distance each other because you can't handle this hard conversation or a challenging one, is the relationship strong? Do you want to be around this person more? Or maybe you shouldn't be around this person.
Totally.
So I think you learn about each other and you learn about the relationship during that. I think that's a good one. So those are three good points. Relationships is something that Utah is probably the most engaged points on Instagram and on your social media content, your videos, I'm assuming 80% of the biggest ones are around relationships. It's assumption. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to be like it triggers people relationship information. Why is it so hard to be in an intimate relationship? And this is a general question, but what's the best way to enter an intimate relationship with the intention of it working out long term?
Yeah.
Why is it so hard to be in an intimate relationship? And what's the best way to enter one with the intention of having a beautiful experience together long term?
I think it's so hard because people don't know how they want to receive love and they don't know how to give love. And like we said earlier that the old wisdom is expected.
Yeah, yeah.
Is like to love and be loved is the biggest need, but we don't know how to love and how to give love. And we carry so much of our baggage from previous relationships and experiences and we bring them into a new person. So it's like that person treated me like that. That must mean all men or all women are like that. Which means now when I'm with this woman, I'm going to look at her through the lens of the last person that I was with.
Look for them to create this experience again.
Right. Exactly. Yeah.
So you heal evidence of why this person is this way.
Exactly. And so now you're approaching each person with the baggage of the last person, which doesn't make sense. You're not coming at it from a fresh new experience with the same lessons for yourself. But we start applying the lessons to the other person. So I think that's the reason why we struggle to have an intimate connection. Now, one of the things I talk about in here are the five types of attraction.
Yes.
And the reason why I think this is the best way to love Language. No, no. These are the five types of attraction that I talk about.
Go ahead.
So the five types of attraction are physical, financial, mental, emotional, and spiritual. And I'll explain what I mean by all of them. So physical is obvious. She or he is hot. I'm attracted to them. Financial or wealth. I like what they own. I like what they have. I like what they've achieved. I like that he went to Princeton or Harvard. I like that she scientist or a CEO. I like that she's a supermodel. Like, you like their status. Right. So you're attracted to that. The third thing that we're attracted to is people's mental abilities. This is like when you're attracted to someone's mind. Like, you just love the way they think. You love the way they articulate themselves. You love all of that. Like, you're attracted to that. The fourth is the emotional. This is when you're attracted to someone's emotional intelligence. You're like, oh, they're very caring. They're compassionate, they're supportive. They have these good traits. And the fifth and final one is spiritual, where you're like, you're connected to that person's values on a very deep level, like what they really live by. Now, notice the first three, I equate them to chemistry. And the last two I equate to compatibility. So the first three are chemistry. And most of us get involved in a relationship based on the first three. But here's the issue. You can feel chemistry multiple times per day. You can feel it with the receptionist. You can feel it with your personal trainer. You can feel it with the barista at the coffee shop. You can feel it with the waiter or the waitress.
The spark is the spark.
You can feel that anywhere. Like, you can find someone attracted by one of those qualities every single day. And the challenge is we get into a relationship based on simply one of the first three. And there's nothing wrong with that as a starting point. It just can't be the end. Point. And so what we do is we keep convincing ourselves that the first three of chemistry is more powerful than the last two of compatibility. And we're letting chemistry do the heavy weight lifting. And it can't. We're making chemistry do the heavy lifting, the heavy work, the like pull a bush and like, okay, like you, you just take care of this. That's why so many people rely on good sex to save a relationship.
Always be in conflict. If the values and the compatibility are not there and you're relying on chemistry, there'll always be some conflict.
Always.
Yeah.
And chemistry really easily is those top three and which is good to have. So you should. But my point is you need to have both. You need to have both. But you can't just say because I'm mentally attracted to how that person thinks. That's good marriage material. That's not good enough. You can't say because that. Because some we make broadcast generalizations. We say things like, oh, because he or she has a top degree from a top college or a business school and they're at a top company, they must be really kind, loving and organized. It's like, what?
Like, how did you be a good parent? Yeah.
Yeah. Must have had good parents. How did you just draw that parallel? And so that's the way I would talk about entering a relationship is it can start with the first three, but don't let it end without the last two.
Yeah. Have the emotional and the spiritual the value.
Correct.
That has to align for a real long lasting relationship.
I feel like I could do this for another three hours. It's amazing. I want to finish with one one thought about service. Because you live a life of service. I feel like my mission is to be of service to you. In my business, in my relationships, with my friendships, it's all about service for me as well. And this is a. I think it's a quote from the Bhagavad Gita. Is that what it is?
Which one is it?
Plant trees?
No. So this, this one is like a famous statement that we share. Yeah.
Well, you say plant trees under whose shade you do not plan to sit. I remember you told me that. You told me that a couple of years ago. And I remember that really blew my mind because in business when I started out, I think it was a lot of like, okay, let me do this for you and you do this for me. Let's do reciprocal type of stuff. I was in the online marketing world where it was about joint ventureships, it was about affiliate marketing, and I'll do this, and then you promote me.
Right.
And then I started to shift it. When I got to the podcast seven years ago, I said, I'm just going to bring on people I like and I'm just going to serve. If it comes around, cool. If not cool. And it's hard, I think, to switch that mentality, but it's so rewarding to come from a place of giving and service to literally wanting to see other people succeed whether they help you or not in return. How do we get to that place of that mindset when we're like, but I really need some help right now, and I really want someone to support me in return, and I don't want to give all my energy to someone if they're never going to give me anything in return. How do we balance that?
Yeah, that's such a smart question. Because I think the challenge is that we become overly compassionate, often to people in a certain way. So what I mean by that is being compassionate and being giving isn't about spending your whole day with one person who needs your attention and affection if your purpose is to do something different. So, for example, you're putting out this podcast, you put out video content, you write books. This is serving lots of different people in lots of ways. And you're not expecting, apart from the person buying the book and getting the value from it, you don't really expect them to do anything for you. Right. You're not asking them to come and champion for you if they don't want to. So you're already planting those seeds. You're already sharing in that way. And I think the mistake we make is when we are overly compassionate to one person, we're doing it expecting that they're gonna do something back. Right.
So the only way, don't be overly compassionate. Expecting something in return.
Yeah, don't just, if you see yourself.
Just don't do that.
If you're gonna do that, just don't do that. If you're gonna feel that, and that's okay. Like, that doesn't make you less compassionate. It doesn't make you a bad person. Like, if I don't want to, and I have rules about there are certain people in my life that, that I don't ask for favors because I don't ever want to be in a position where I'm having to ask them because not that they wouldn't do it or whatever, I just don't want to do that. It's just not who I am. And that's like. But that's fine. And there are certain people in my life that I won't give to because I know they're going to keep asking for stuff. And so you have to protect yourself. And I think self protection and being honest with yourself is the best way. So my favorite analogy in this is if someone's drowning in the ocean, if you're fit and healthy and you're a lifeguard, great, you can go and save them. But if you're not, you might need to call the real lifeguard to come and help them out.
Right.
And that's what real compassion is. Real compassion. If you can't help someone, if you're feeling toxic, one day you're feeling negative, one day you're feeling you're not really giving from your heart, it's better to introduce them to someone or find someone else who can help them than to go in there with all these toxic emotions and now you're expecting them to live. Return the favor. It's better to not do it.
It's.
If you're gonna do something and in your heart of hearts, you're actually feeling bitter and regretting it, it's better not to do it. Because guess what? You weren't compassionate when you did it with that intention. Compassion's about intention. It's not about the result. Like, two people could give the same amount to charity. One person gives it for pr. One person gives it because they care about the kids, who's happy, the person who gave it for the kids. Both people's money had the same impact, but the intention is what defined what happened. So if you're begrudgingly going out there and helping someone, and in your heart of hearts, you're like, oh, I can't believe they asked me. Who are they? Like, I don't even like them. Like, they never help me. And then you help them. Guess what? That's not compassion. Protect yourself. Deal with it. Deal with that toxic emotion. So I don't help people that when I feel like that and I give myself that space. Yeah. Well, I'll be honest with them. I'll say I honest in the best way that you can. I don't think I can support you on this because I don't feel right about it. It doesn't make sense to me or whatever it is, it's not the right fit. And I think that's actually stopping yourself from being a people pleaser.
Yes.
Because we, we actually are not compassionate. We're just people pleasers. We actually just want people to think we're like, magnanimous and Amazing. So we'll go and go to every, you know, everything to support everyone.
But it's like we're resentful people pleasers.
Exactly.
And then we're resentful that we had.
Exactly. And then now we want to make them feel guilty for not doing it back. So I make a conscious effort to support the people I love, to make an effort with the people I love and do more there. And that's fine. Your compassion doesn't. You don't have to be this overarching person who's like doing it for everyone. That's part of the journey. It's gonna take time to get there.
Of course. I appreciate you, man. I love our hangings. I love our time together. I love this. This is gonna blow people, people away. This is going to inspire and impact.
A lot of people.
I got one final question for you, but make sure you guys get this book. I'm telling you, this will be the book of the year. Go get it. Get a few copies for your friends. Think like a monk. Train your mind for peace and purpose every day. I rarely read books, but this is one. I'm almost finished. And just going through the rest of this while I'm here, I'm like, this is unbelievable. Everything he's talking about, the monk method, everything else, you want to get it. There's going to be one tool in here that's going to change your life or support you. Go get this book. I highly recommend it. You can get it on Amazon, you can get it in stores. You can find it on your website, on your Instagram, on social media, Jay Shetty everywhere. Go follow him. What are you on Instagram? Are you Jay Shetty? There used to be something else on Facebook.
It used to be Jay Shetty. Iw.
Yes.
Yes. Yeah.
On Facebook.
Is it still on Twitter? I think it's still to do that.
Okay. It's on Facebook. Just search Jay Shetty. You'll find them. And what else? How else can we support you with this book right now? Is there something special if they get the book?
Yeah. So right now for anyone who pre orders, everyone's getting access to an exclusive workshop that I made which are four steps to train your mind for peace and purpose every day. It's a video that we made just around the book. And you get these four incredible steps that you can practice really simple in some reflection exercises, sizes as well. And. And you know, my real.
And they get the book. And then how do they get that?
Pre order the book from thinklikeamonkbook. Dot Com.
Okay.
You get access to the workshop will be sent to you. And if you pre order the book from anywhere else, you can go to thinklikeamongbook.com, submit your order confirmation or number and you'll still get it.
So things like a monkbook.com to get the bonus.
Exactly.
And anything else of where you're touring and what's happening in the future will be on there.
Absolutely. Yeah. Everything's gonna be on that website. And I think the big thing for me, Louis, honestly, and I know you can relate to this, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, it's like if my videos have impacted anyone in any way, like if they've had even the tiniest impact on your family member or loved one, if my podcasts have like been useful to you, it's like, I really encourage you to go and support me on this book. I really appreciate the help because it's like we've just been putting out so much content free, like three videos a week, two podcasts a week. Like we're creating all of this to serve and serve and serve. And this is one thing that I want you to have in your home.
Yeah.
And. And I believe that it's my best work. It's so I really. Yeah.
Here's the thing. Einstein, you quoted Einstein in here.
Yeah.
At some point where it's like something, like you don't master something until you learn to share simply. Or something like that.
If you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Exactly. And it's hard to train your mind for peace and purpose every day in a complex, chaotic, scarcity minded world or environment. At times it's really hard to think.
How do I find peace?
How do I find happiness? How do I have a conversation with my mind? How do I not let my mind trick me? How do I stay in a neutral environment? Reaction when I want to react to everything. It's really complicated to do these things. But you break it down in such a simple, beautiful, easy way where it doesn't over complicate, it simplifies. And I think that's why this is a. You're doing a disservice to yourself and the people that you love without. If you don't buy this and get this for your friends and family, I'm going to get a bunch of copies and give them away. I'm going to have them here in the studio people and hand them to people that come in. This is the book of the year. Make sure you guys go get think like a monk. It's going to really transform. Transform everything in your life and help you give it to a friend who might be struggling or just wants more peace. It doesn't matter. You don't have to be in so much pain. But if you just want more to life, get this as well.
Thanks, man.
Highly recommend it. Thinklikeamonkbook.com I asked you the three truths question the last time, but I don't know if it's different or not now.
I don't even remember what I said last time.
I don't either.
I'm going to go look back at it and see what it was and compare the two. You've learned a lot in the last two years. So would this be different?
We'll see.
But if this was your last day and you had to take all of your work with you, all this book, it had to go with you into the next world you're going to, wherever that is. And there's no more videos of Jay Shetty, no more content, no more Instagram, no more social media. And it all had to go away with you to the next place. What would be three lessons you would leave behind for us to live by?
That's such a good question, man. That's like, what a shame.
Three lessons. Lessons for us to live by. This is all you could share with the world.
The first one I'd say is, you can't be anything you want, but you can be everything you are. The first day I shared that publicly was at the Summit of Greatness.
That's right.
I remember when I gave the keynote at the Summit of Greatness. I shared it that day because it was a reflection I'd had for a long time. But I think I'd have to say that because I think we get so lost trying to be everyone that we don't become any one. And then we don't find the one that we're meant to be. And so I'd say that's the first one. There's the second one that I'd say is, and this is, we know this through studies and science and everything. It's like, just don't miss an opportunity to tell someone how much they mean to you. Like, just don't. And I said it better than that somewhere. I can't find it right now, but I mean that, like, just don't miss an opportunity. Like I was saying that with my mentor. I always say, told him I loved him always, and now that I can't tell him anymore, I'm just Glad I did.
Tell him you're not regretting it.
Yeah, totally. So, like, don't ever leave someone without. Don't ever leave someone without telling them how much they mean to you because you don't know when they'll leave. Oh. And. And so like, that is just like, never let your last interaction with someone.
You know, bad one, or be a missed opportunity to express love or just.
Generosity, especially the people you love, Right? Like, you may have bad interactions with people you once or twice or business, but the people that are close to you and you love, the people you regret it with, don't. Just don't. It's just not worth living with.
Yeah. The only thing you'll be able to share, left to the world, what is the final truth?
Don't settle. I just don't settle. You don't. Just don't think that you're at the peak of what you were meant to do, because you probably don't know unless you try. And so for most people, I feel like just don't settle because I think we just give in too early and don't settle for service. Right? It's like, that's the reason. That's the intention. It's like service is the one that's pulling you along. And so don't settle for service. The world needs service. The world needs your service. The world needs your genius. The world needs your passion. And you just don't know it yet. And the day you realize it, you'll be grateful that you went the whole way. As I know. Like, I feel, I look back and I'm just like, God, like, I would have just been sitting there working in a corporate job and not known all the people I know now and connected with this amazing community and met you, I just wouldn't have had if I didn't go for it, if I just settled that my service was this. So don't settle for service. Service deserves the best of you.
Yeah, man. Dude, I really appreciate you. I appreciate you. I love you. I love our friendship. I'm really grateful for the amount of attention to service you have in the world because your commitment to making content go viral, making the information that we all need go viral is so profound and powerful. And you've been through so much in the last few years. Good challenges, opportunities, growth, different things. And I really admire how you continue to show up, how you continue to lean into the practice every morning of meditating, of doing your best. I know you're not perfect, but you constantly show up with your best. And I acknowledge you for that, man. I'm grateful for you and our friendship.
Me too, man. I want to say to everyone who's listening to Lewis and I know you've all loved him for many years, but it's just like you've just, you've been the same since we became friends. And I. My rule for friendship is I trust consistency. So I don't like people who change with the times or I don't vibe those people don't survive around me for long amounts of time.
Hopefully I grow and get better, but.
Yeah, no, you grow, you're better. I mean like the relationship and the connection, the friendship, the, the kindness has stayed the same. Of course, it's never dwindled in tough times for me. It's never become more in successful times for me. It's. It's always. You've always been the same in that way. And those I think are positive, powerful friendship traits. When someone is continuing to love, continuing to show up, continue to be kind to you no matter what you're going through, you know, and I think that, that you really.
Yeah, you learn a lot about someone on how they don't show up for you when you're going through a challenging process.
That's why challenges are the best.
And you learn a lot about someone when they only reach out to you when they see you succeed. And so make sure you're always showing up for people consistently, either way, good or bad, high or low, whatever it may be, be consistent. Like that quarterback in the game. Just be consistent.
And if you're going for a tough time, the best lesson you learn from a tough time is who really cares?
That's it, man.
And so it's a great. And it's, it just lets you drop like everything drops and you just know, you purge friendships. It's the best.
It's the worst and the best. But you got to find the meaning and the challenges and that's where you find the meaning. Jay Shetty, my man. Go get the book.
Thank you, man. Thanks so much.
I am so happy, happy that Jay came on today to share his wisdom, to break down, to open up, to get real and reveal as much possible, to give you as much inspiration and actionable steps to help you improve your life and take things to the next level. If you found this helpful in any way, make sure to share this with one friend today. You have the power to change someone's life, truly transform people's lives just by sending them a text message with the link. Lewishouse.com 953 or you can just copy and paste the link on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and just text a friend right now. Someone that you want to see succeed in your life, someone that you want to see grow even more, shoot them a text and say, hey, check out this episode. Let me know the biggest takeaway for you and let's talk about it. The best way to impact someone's life is to spread goodness and greatness into their life. And if this is your first time here or a friend sent you, make sure to send them a text back thanking them for sending you along this episode. Please subscribe to us over on Apple Podcast and Spotify and anywhere that you listen to podcasts and leave us a review. We'd love to hear from you on how this impacted your day in this moment of your life. And make sure to follow me Louishouse and Jay Shetty over on Instagram. Take a screenshot of this, post it on your Instagram story. I try to respond as many people as possible were there and I'm sure Jay would love to see your thoughts about this episode over on his Instagram story as well. And here at the School of Greatness podcast, we're giving you the tools to help you train your mind for peace and purpose every day, like Jay shared with us today, but also how to achieve greatness on all areas of your life. On your business, your career, your finances, your health, your relationships, your past, your future, your identity, identity, everything you can think of. We've got it here on the School of Greatness podcast. And I acknowledge you for showing up today, for taking care of your own internal health, for taking care of your mindset and continuing to grow your life again. The quote at the beginning, the anonymous quote was the goal of meditation isn't to control your thoughts, is to stop letting them control you. There are certain ideas in the world that might be controlling your thoughts right now that might be influencing your thoughts to do something negative, to think in a poor way, to think in a scarce way, a competitive way, as opposed to an abundance way, a loving way, a collaboration way, a growth way. And for you showing up here, for you taking control of your life, for taking the time to learn something new, to apply this to your life is what's going to make all the difference.
For you moving forward.
And I'm so grateful that you're here. And if someone hasn't told you lately, you matter. I love you. I'm so grateful for you. And you know what time it is. It's time to go out there and do something great.
Welcome to Omaha where work and play meet, where productivity meets the after party, where downtown convention space and hotels are within walking distance of 90 restaurants, pubs and unique shops, where locally made morning lattes meet five o' clock craft cocktails and where colleagues meet to explore the waterfront views in our 72 acre downtown urban oasis. And where in 2027amodern streetcar will take you to even more entertainment options. Go to visitomaha.com meetings to learn more.
Streaming is changing the way we watch live sports and your Internet connection can be the difference between catching the game winning touchdown as it happens or hearing about it from your neighbor's cheers. That's why Comcast is building the network of the future. Using cutting edge AI and edge computing technology. We're bringing fans closer to the action in stunning high definition with ultra low latency. It's not just fast, it's game changing. Learn more@comcastcorporation.com sports jbl wireless earbuds are packed with innovation.
Touchscreen smart charging case for one touch control, instant EQ customization, true adaptive noise cancellation and a one of a kind audio transmitter to plug and play from almost any source. Plus spatial 3, 360 sound on anything. The new JBL wireless earbuds tis the.
Season of gifting and holes to deck and the who's in whoville were in love with new tech. Where can we find Sonos and Samsung and Nintendo? They shouted. Would they find it in one place? This they questioned and doubted when suddenly a who yelled Walmart's the place to start. And D2 added headphones, phones, TVs and games to their carts. With Walmart their shopping was done in a flurry. They cried out who knew? And ordered their gifts in a hurry. Shop the latest tech gifts in the Walmart app.










