Today, Jay welcomes the legendary James Cameron. Award-winning filmmaker, explorer, and innovator known for pushing the boundaries of storytelling and technology, to explore the inner world behind one of the most influential storytellers of our time. The conversation extends beyond filmmaking to an exploration of imagination, purpose, and the courage it takes to follow your calling before the world validates it. James shares how his childhood fascination with science fiction, nature, and drawing became a refuge for creativity, long before success ever entered the picture. From sketching imaginary worlds as a child to trusting his instincts without formal film training, he reveals how curiosity, solitude, and relentless self-belief quietly shaped a life of visionary storytelling.

James reflects on failure, rejection, and the unseen moments that nearly ended his journey before it truly began. He opens up about being fired early in his career, the constraints that led to creating The Terminator, and why commitment often requires choosing conviction over comfort. Through stories of sacrifice, creative pressure, and building teams that feel like family, James reveals that success was never about money or recognition but about honoring the responsibility of meaningful storytelling.

In this interview, you'll learn:

How to Trust Your Creative Instincts Early

How to Turn Failure Into Fuel

How Constraints Unlock Creativity

How to Lead Without Losing Empathy

How to Balance Solitude and Collaboration

How to Create Work That Moves People

How to Stay Purpose-Driven Through Success

How to See Others With Deeper Understanding

Every challenge you face is a lesson in resilience, empathy, and courage. The world doesn’t need perfection, it needs presence, honesty, and people willing to care deeply.

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

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Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

01:43 An Early Fascination With Science Fiction

04:44 Inspiring the Next Generation of Artists

06:34 The Solitary Nature of Creative Work

08:44 When Storytelling Becomes a Calling

12:16 Finding a Market for Your Imagination

16:33 How to Capture and Record Your Dreams

22:42 Different Approaches to the Creative Process

24:17 What is Your Creative Vision?

29:29 Lessons on Family, Community, and Belonging

32:01 Why We Only Protect What We Love

38:58 Can AI Ever Develop Consciousness?

39:14 What Creation Really Requires

44:33 How to Bounce Back After Failure

47:16 Creating Within Constraints

51:28 Learning What You Can Negotiate

53:34 Are You a Risk Taker?

01:01:32 Recognizing Consciousness Beyond Humans

01:04:15 Exploring the Depths of the Ocean

01:09:57 Letting Go of the Work You’ve Created

01:14:41 The Deeper Message Behind Films

01:21:28 Humanity’s Natural Capacity for Empathy

01:24:14 James on Final Five

Episode Resources:

James Cameron | Instagram

James Cameron | Facebook

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Jay sits down with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Alex Warren for an extremely open and honest conversation about loss, resilience, and turning pain into purpose. Alex opens up about losing both of his parents at a young age, growing up in instability, and being forced to parent himself while he was still just a kid. Through stories of grief, homelessness, and survival, he reflects on how these early experiences shaped his worldview, his faith, and his relentless drive to keep going when everything around him felt uncertain. What emerges is a powerful reminder that our hardest chapters often become the foundation of our greatest strength.

Alex shares how music became his lifeline, a way to articulate emotions he couldn’t put into words and a place to process loss without running from it. From teaching himself to sing and play guitar, to sleeping in cars while posting covers online, his journey is a testament to perseverance in the face of uncertainty. Alex speaks candidly about imposter syndrome, insecurity, and the challenge of staying grounded amid global success, revealing that even at the highest levels of achievement, the longing to feel “enough” never fully disappears. Jay guides the conversation toward self-compassion, helping Alex explore the importance of extending the same grace to himself that he’s learned to offer others.

In this interview, you'll learn:

How to Turn Deep Loss Into Purpose

How to Keep Going When No One Believes in You

How to Build Resilience After Childhood Trauma

How to Find Meaning in Painful Experiences

How to Forgive Without Excusing Harm

How to Become the Person You Needed Growing Up

You don’t need perfect conditions, unwavering confidence, or universal approval to move forward. What you need is the willingness to keep showing up, to keep learning, and to keep choosing who you want to become, especially on the hardest days.

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.

Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

01:01 How to Navigate Success Without Losing Yourself

03:10 Remembering a Father Who Gave Everything

07:13 Growing Up Surrounded by Love

08:30 When Did You First Realize Your Life Was Different?

09:34 Parenting Yourself as a Child

10:45 The Universal Need to Belong

12:17 How Early Childhood Shapes Who You Become

15:28 Redefining What Success Really Means

19:58 Growing Up with an Abusive Parent

22:50 The Lasting Pain of Losing Someone You Love

24:10 Understanding Your Parents’ Hidden Struggles

32:02 Protecting Your Dream At All Costs

34:35 Lessons Loss Teaches You

35:49 The Fear of Being Left Behind

37:48 How Everything in Life Becomes a Lesson

41:35 How Do You Want to Be Remembered?

46:13 Living Out of a Car at 17

51:26 Surviving What Should’ve Broken You

56:45 Using Music to Process Grief

59:41 Meeting the Love of Your Life

01:02:25 Finding Someone Who Stays No Matter What

01:04:31 Why Shedding an Old Identity is Important

01:07:14 Creating the Perfect Wedding

01:10:02 Facing Your Greatest Inner Struggle

01:12:38 Becoming the Parent You Never Had

01:15:02 Learning to Live with Insecurity

01:18:44 You Don’t Have to Prove Yourself

01:23:36 Alex on Final Five

Episode Resources:

Alex Warren | Website

Alex Warren | Instagram

Alex Warren | YouTube

Alex Warren | TikTok

Alex Warren | Facebook

Alex Warren | X

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Jay sits down with Dr. Shadé Zahrai to explore how self-doubt quietly influences our decisions, and what it takes to rebuild trust in ourselves. Shadé unpacks the psychology behind impostor syndrome, fear of failure, and the inner stories that convince people they’re not ready or not enough. Together, they examine how the brain’s need for certainty drives worst-case thinking, and why that protective instinct often keeps us stuck, even when opportunity is right in front of us.

Shadé offers grounded frameworks, from shifting “should” into “could” to create more possibility, to designing simple action plans that help regain a sense of control when things feel overwhelming. Shadé reflects on purpose, care, and leaving people better than we found them, while Jay highlights that trusting yourself doesn’t mean never experiencing doubt. Together, they explore how self-image is shaped by the feedback we internalize, why criticism tends to linger longer than praise, and how healing emotional “scars” allows us to move forward without self-sabotage.

In this interview, you'll learn:

How to Trust Yourself Again

How to Stop Letting Self-Doubt Inform Your Decisions

How to Reframe Impostor Syndrome as Growth

How to Turn Fear Into Forward Action

How to Shift From “Should” to “Could”

How to Take Action When You Feel Stuck

How to Heal the Self-Image Behind the Self-Doubt

Confidence isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the willingness to move forward even when fear is present. Every step you take, no matter how small, strengthens your trust in yourself and reminds you that you are capable of learning, adapting, and becoming more than you were yesterday.

Pre-order Shadé’s new book, Big Trust, to dive deeper into the framework for rebuilding self-trust and breaking free from self-doubt:

https://www.shadezahrai.com/bigtrust

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.

Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

01:47 What Drives Self-Doubt?

02:58 The Power of Your Self-Image

06:54 The Four Pillars of Self-Image

08:44 Struggling With Self-Acceptance

15:35 How Lack of Acceptance Fuels Perfectionism

20:50 Shifting From Comparison to Emulation

27:55 Becoming Before You Believe

32:14 Why the Brain Craves Certainty

38:00 Do You Ever Feel Like You’re Not Enough?

44:24 Learning to Detach From Labels

56:04 The Self-Talk That Keeps You Grounded

01:01:11 Believing You’re Capable

01:06:22 Everyone Experiences Self-Doubt!

01:08:56 What Actually Replaces Self-Doubt?

01:15:20 Getting the Job Even When You Feel Underqualified

01:24:13 Understanding Key Differences Between Men and Women

01:26:53 Why Constant Complaining Signals Low Self-Trust

01:37:12 Growth After Trauma

01:43:52 Why We Focus on What We Can’t Control

01:50:42 Learning to Adapt to Your Emotions

01:56:26 Creating Your “I Could, I Will” List

02:00:07 Shadé on Final Five

Episode Resources:

Dr. Shadé Zahrai | Website

Dr. Shadé Zahrai | Instagram

Dr. Shadé Zahrai | YouTube

Dr. Shadé Zahrai | TikTok

Dr. Shadé Zahrai | Linkedin

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.