In this video segment from SUCCESS magazine’s September/October cover interview with Jay Shetty, the best-selling author, purpose coach and former monk, discusses living and serving others during tough times, the pursuit of purpose and his personal definition of success.
During tough times, we often look to those who inspire us for hope. Hope, however, only does so much. If we only focused on hoping things got better, nothing ever would. Instead, Shetty feels people should be asking themselves, how can I help?
When looking for ways to serve others, however, remember that service is not only defined by charity or random acts of kindness. To Shetty, “service can [also] be how we do what we do every day to improve the lives of others.”
When planning your life and determining your pursuits, you have to remember that you will get out of what you pursue only what you’re looking for. Pursuing money won’t make you happy and fame won’t make you confident, but pursuing purpose will, according to Shetty, bring you inner fulfillment. To find purpose, Shetty feels that it comes down to three things: “Knowing your passion, knowing your strengths and then using your passion and strengths in the service of others.”
It is this belief that has helped create Shetty’s personal definition of success. To Shetty, success means to “live a passionate life, a life based on your strengths and service of others.” While he acknowledges that success can also be external validations and rewards, they will be fleeting. Living life in service of yourself and others, on the other hand, has rewards that last a lifetime.
