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

Today, Jay sits down with Dr. Shad&eacute; Zahrai to explore how self-doubt quietly influences our decisions, and what it takes to rebuild trust in ourselves. Shad&eacute; unpacks the psychology behind impostor syndrome, fear of failure, and the inner stories that convince people they&rsquo;re not ready or not enough. Together, they examine how the brain&rsquo;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.
Shad&eacute; offers grounded frameworks, from shifting &ldquo;should&rdquo; into &ldquo;could&rdquo; to create more possibility, to designing simple action plans that help regain a sense of control when things feel overwhelming. Shad&eacute; reflects on purpose, care, and leaving people better than we found them, while Jay highlights that trusting yourself doesn&rsquo;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 &ldquo;scars&rdquo; 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 &ldquo;Should&rdquo; to &ldquo;Could&rdquo;
How to Take Action When You Feel Stuck
How to Heal the Self-Image Behind the Self-Doubt
Confidence isn&rsquo;t the absence of fear; it&rsquo;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.&nbsp;
Pre-order Shad&eacute;&rsquo;s new book, Big Trust, to dive deeper into the framework for rebuilding self-trust and breaking free from self-doubt:
<a href="https://www.shadezahrai.com/bigtrust">https://www.shadezahrai.com/bigtrust</a>
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 <a href="https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe">here</a>.&nbsp;
Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! <a href="https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast">https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast</a>&nbsp;
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&rsquo;re Not Enough?
44:24 Learning to Detach From Labels
56:04 The Self-Talk That Keeps You Grounded
01:01:11 Believing You&rsquo;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&rsquo;t Control
01:50:42 Learning to Adapt to Your Emotions
01:56:26 Creating Your &ldquo;I Could, I Will&rdquo; List
02:00:07 Shad&eacute; on Final Five
Episode Resources:
Dr. Shad&eacute; Zahrai | <a href="https://www.shadezahrai.com/">Website</a>
Dr. Shad&eacute; Zahrai | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chrishemsworth">Instagram</a>
Dr. Shad&eacute; Zahrai | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/chrishemsworth">YouTube</a>
Dr. Shad&eacute; Zahrai | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@chrishemsworth">TikTok</a>
Dr. Shad&eacute; Zahrai | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadezahrai/">Linkedin</a>

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.

I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.
I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you. New episodes Mondays and Fridays. Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. Live life today ON PURPOSE.

My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you. New episodes Mondays and Fridays. Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. Live life today ON PURPOSE.

Confidence Expert Dr. Shadé Zahrai: Feel Like You’re Not Enough? THIS Proven 4 Part Framework Will Transform Your Self-Image & Build REAL Confidence

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/05848876-68ad-46b8-9ad4-b3b6006f1384/transcript

Advertisement