In this episode, Jay talks about a side of gratitude we rarely acknowledge, the kind that isn’t shiny or uplifting, but the kind that helps when life feels heavy, complicated, or far from what you expected. He explains how, for years, he treated gratitude like something meant to fix pain or override his feelings, and how that mindset only added pressure instead of bringing any real peace.

Jay talks about what real gratitude actually feels like, not the kind that tries to cancel out your struggles, but the kind that can sit beside them. He shares how acknowledging both things at once, what hurts and what’s still good, builds real resilience. Jay breaks down why phrases like “at least…” shut your feelings down, while using “even though…” or “and…” keeps you present with your emotions instead of pushing them away.

Jay also shares the small, practical habits that help him reconnect with gratitude when it feels far away: paying attention to what stayed instead of what disappeared, taking 10-second pauses to notice something good in the moment, borrowing someone else’s joy when you can’t access your own, and writing a thank-you note to the version of you who got through the harder seasons.

Jay reminds us that gratitude isn’t supposed to hide what’s hard, it’s meant to help you steady yourself. It’s the quiet admission: “Life is messy, and there’s still something I can hold onto.”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How to Stop Using Gratitude to Mask Your Feelings

How to Hold Pain and Gratitude Together

How to Notice What Stayed, Not What Left

How to Use 10-Second Pauses to Reset

How to Borrow Gratitude When You Can’t Feel It

How to Thank the You Who Survived

You’re not doing gratitude wrong, you’re just learning to do it honestly. Keep showing up with awareness, gentleness, and patience. You’re not rebuilding from zero, you’re rebuilding from experience.

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.

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

01:00 How to Practice Gratitude

02:39 Gratitude Without Hiding Your Emotions

06:46 Don’t Use Gratitude As Your Escape

09:17 Focus On What You Still Have

11:11 Finding Gratitude in the Gaps

14:43 Gratitude Reset: Take A 10 Second Pause

18:26 The Art Of Borrowing Gratitude

21:15 Stay Thankful To Your Past Self

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Reaching 5 million subscribers is more than a milestone, it’s a testament to the shared journey of growth, healing, and curiosity this community has built together. In this special episode, Jay revisits the conversations that shaped On Purpose, moments where global icons, artists, world leaders, and visionaries shared the truths that made them human.

Jay reflects on the life-changing conversations that continue to echo long after the recording ends. Tom Holland opens up about the quiet struggle behind giving up alcohol, teaching us that letting go of what no longer serves us is an act of bravery not loss. Kobe shares how to look past fear by facing it with stillness and curiosity, revealing that discipline and consistency are the real foundations of excellence. Emma Watson invites us to build relationships from wholeness, not need, and reminds us that asking the hard questions can lead to the most liberating truths.

Madonna shows how spirituality can be the grounding force beneath ambition, while Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez model how relationships grow when honesty becomes a shared practice. Former President Joe Biden closes with a timeless lesson, that presence is often the greatest form of love, and that resilience is born through community.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to Break Free From Addictive Habits

How to Build Discipline Through Consistency

How to Face Fear by Unpacking It

How to Ask the Hard Questions That Can Change Your Life

How to Ground Yourself With Spiritual Practices

How to Communicate Maturely in Relationships

How to Support Someone Through Grief

How to Replace Old Patterns With Healthier Alternatives

You are allowed to evolve, to outgrow old versions of yourself, and to step into a life that feels more aligned, more peaceful, and more true. Keep leaning toward the choices that bring you closer to who you want to be. Your next chapter is already waiting, and you are more than ready for it.

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

01:31 The Challenges of Sobriety

06:49 Practical Steps to Stay Committed to Sobriety

11:23 How Alcohol Quietly Impacts Your Well-Being

16:59 How to Stop Letting Emotions Run Your Life

19:26 Growth Requires Trial and Error

21:03 Why Greatness Is Never an Accident

23:28 Understanding the Difference Between Wanting and Needing

26:32 The Power of Asking Yourself Hard Questions

30:08 Why Lifelong Learning Keeps You Grounded

37:29 How Spirituality and Success Work Together

41:45 Setting Healthy Boundaries in Relationships

44:09 Using Past Relationships to Build a Better You

48:03 How to Show Your Partner You’re Truly Present

53:37 Practicing Compassion in Every Day

54:37 Finding Strength Through Loss and Grief

56:41 How to Be Fully Present in Your Child’s Life

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.