Jay Shetty Podcast

Big Sean Exclusive: ‘’Anyone Can Become a Star, As Long as You Understand This..’’

What’s one dream you really want to make real? Do you feel you’re wishing for it or working toward it? In this special live recording from The Met in Philadelphia, Jay sits down with Grammy-nominated artist Big Sean for a deeply vulnerable and inspiring conversation. Big Sean opens up about the battles he faced behind the spotlight, the depression, the pressure, and the moments he thought about giving up. His story shows the power of turning pain into growth through therapy, meditation, and faith. It’s a reminder that no matter what we achieve, we all face challenges that push us to heal, grow, and reconnect with who we really are. Sean reflects on the transformative lessons passed down from his family and how those shaped his understanding of resilience, self-belief, and manifestation. Together, he and Jay explore the difference between wishing and manifesting, showing how intention, attention, and action can turn your vision into reality. They dive into the importance of releasing the pressure to please others, the value of embracing both wins and losses, and how real confidence is built by how you rise up after setbacks. For Sean, the highs and lows are both essential parts of the journey, both carrying the power to shape us. In this interview, you'll learn: How to Turn Wishing Into Manifesting How to Find Purpose Beyond Your Career How to Heal Through Therapy and Vulnerability How to Support Your Children’s Dreams How to Pass On Wisdom to the Next Generation How to Transform Struggles Into Strength Wherever you are on your journey, your struggles are shaping your strength. The setbacks you’ve faced, the doubts you’ve carried, and the battles you’ve fought are not the end of your story, they are the beginning of a deeper transformation. 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 00:57 Don’t Be Controlled by What You Can’t Control 05:38 Why Losing Teaches You How to Win 06:44 What is the Difference Between Wishing and Manifesting? 09:11 How Do You Turn a Wish Into a Reality? 10:46 Creating Your Own Safe Space 13:21 The Moment You Realize It’s Time to Change 19:38 How to Discover Your True Purpose 24:42 Confidence Is Your Greatest Strength 28:18 The First Step to Building Lasting Confidence 33:25 Transforming Struggle Into Growth 37:20 Being Heard Without Fear of Judgment 43:08 We All Just Want to Be Seen 46:29 Past Present Future with Sean Episode Resources: https://www.instagram.com/jayshetty https://www.facebook.com/jayshetty/ https://x.com/jayshetty https://www.linkedin.com/in/shettyjay/ https://www.youtube.com/@JayShettyPodcast http://jayshetty.me

BSBig SeanguestJSJay Shettyhost

Aug 20, 2025·54m·Watch on YouTube ↗

📖 CHAPTERS

1. 1

   Live show setup: Jay Shetty welcomes Big Sean and the theme of self-work

   Jay introduces the first-ever On Purpose Tour live interview in Philadelphia and highlights Big Sean’s reputation for deep self-work and healing. They set the tone for a conversation about creativity, confidence, mental health, and purpose.

2. 2

   Stop letting the uncontrollable control you: choosing yourself over pleasing everyone

   Big Sean explains how trying to satisfy everyone is an unwinnable game that drains creativity and can lead to depression. He shares his early clarity about wanting to rap, despite external pressure to follow a safer academic path.

3. 3

   Faith, family wisdom, and acting now: the mindset behind taking big risks

   Sean reflects on the trust required to bet on yourself and how his family’s support shaped his resilience. He describes how meditation, visualization, journaling, and strategy were foundational tools long before fame.

4. 4

   Reframing success and failure: how losing teaches you to win

   Sean reframes setbacks as essential training rather than proof of inadequacy. He emphasizes releasing rigid ideas of success/failure and seeing both as part of the same journey that builds appreciation and growth.

5. 5

   Wishing vs manifesting: intention + attention + strategy

   They distinguish wishing (a concept) from manifesting (embodied action and identity). Sean and Jay align on manifesting as loving the process, feeding the subconscious, and pairing desire with a practical plan.

6. 6

   Creating a ‘safe space’ for vulnerability: authenticity, therapy, and breaking taboos

   Jay asks how Sean stayed open about depression/anxiety in a culture that often rewards toughness. Sean shares that safety didn’t arrive first—he chose honesty, which later encouraged his father to seek therapy too.

7. 7

   Rock bottom and the moment it’s time to change: burnout, Adderall misuse, and recovery

   Sean recounts an intense period of overwork, substance dependence, and a mental health crash that brought suicidal thoughts. He describes stepping away, rebuilding through therapy, exercise, faith, and rediscovering hobbies and identity.

8. 8

   Purpose without pressure: passion in service and ‘what you do on purpose’

   Sean prompts Jay on how to find purpose, leading to a shared definition: purpose isn’t a job title, it’s passion used in service and lived intentionally. They encourage releasing modern identity traps that equate worth with career.

9. 9

   Fatherhood, healing, and what to pass on: confidence and breaking generational patterns

   Sean describes fatherhood as profoundly grounding and reflective, emphasizing how healing affects what we transmit to children. He highlights confidence as the trait he most wants his son to keep and connects ancestry, DNA, and inner wisdom.

10. 10

    Building lasting confidence: don’t take it personally and know your story

    Sean shares a formative racist encounter that shook his self-worth, then explains how understanding others’ conditioning reduces personalization and strengthens confidence. Jay adds that confidence grows by recognizing all the hard things you’ve already survived.

11. 11

    Being heard without fear of judgment: audience poets/rap and the courage to start imperfectly

    Jay invites spoken word artists to perform, demonstrating real-time vulnerability and imperfection. The segment reinforces that first attempts are rarely polished, and what lands most is spirit and authenticity.

12. 12

    We all just want to be seen: love, grace, and becoming whole in relationships

    Prompted by the poem, they explore why people crave unhealthy relationships and how the need to be seen drives attachment. Jay emphasizes that only you and God fully know you; Sean adds that self-honor and becoming whole creates healthier love.

13. 13

    Past–Present–Future: self-advice, managing worry, and redefining success as fun

    In a closing reflection segment, Sean responds to photos of his younger self, current self, and an AI-generated older self. He advises younger Sean to have more fun, tells present Sean ‘it’s going to be fine,’ and defines future success as enjoying life and embracing uncertainty.