In this deeply honest conversation, Jay sits down with Sara Al Madani where she opens up about surviving toxic relationships, rebuilding her identity, and learning that love should never require abandoning yourself. Through pain, healing, and radical self-awareness, Sara shares how inner work became the foundation for every part of her life, from relationships to faith to self-love.

Jay and Sara explore why we often confuse chemistry for compatibility, why we repeat familiar relationship patterns, and how healing starts the moment we stop blaming others and start taking responsibility for our choices. This episode is a reminder that love isn’t about chasing validation or fixing people, it’s about knowing yourself deeply enough to stop settling for less. 

In this episode you'll learn:

How to Stop Settling for Less

How to Heal Before Dating Again

How to Tell The Difference Between Want and Need 

How to Break Toxic Relationship Patterns

How to Choose Compatibility Over Chemistry

How to Rebuild Self-Worth After Heartbreak

How to Become the Love You Seek

The moment you stop chasing validation, stop settling for breadcrumbs, and start choosing your peace, your life begins to change in ways you never imagined.

Grab a copy of Sara’s book, Dear Narcissist: F*ck You, a bold, direct, and unfiltered guide to understanding narcissists in real life, just visit https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Narcissist-Spotting-Escaping-Narcissistic/dp/B0F54NB6LP 

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe  

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

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

02:07 The One Question to Ask Before Dating

04:15 Are You Looking for Love or Filling a Void?

05:57 What Are Your Dating Non-Negotiables?

08:56 Chemistry Is Not the Same as Compatibility

12:01 What Does Inner Work Actually Look Like?

15:41 The First Step Toward Healing

19:25 How to Raise Your Relationship Standards

22:33 Don’t Ignore These Dating Deal-Breakers!

27:37 Knowing When It’s Time to Leave

31:32 The Cost of Staying in a Toxic Relationship

34:42 Finding the Courage to Walk Away

39:10 Healing Through Your Relationship with God

42:49 What to Do When Someone Suddenly Ghosts You

45:58 Stop Falling in Love with Potential

47:00 You Can’t Force Someone to Change

49:51 Stop Waiting for Someone to Become Better

53:05 Don’t Abandon Self-Love For a Relationship

57:58 Manifestation Starts with Surrender

58:54 Is There Truth to These Popular Love Clichés?

01:00:52 Forgiveness Is Essential For Healing

01:03:13 How to Rewire and Train Your Mind

01:05:28 Sara on Final Five

Episode Resources:

Website | https://saraalmadani.com/ 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/iamsaraalmadani/ 

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/saraalmadani/ 

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@saraalmadani 

X | https://x.com/sara_almadani

In this deeply honest conversation, Jay sits down with Sara Al Madani where she opens up about surviving toxic relationships, rebuilding her identity, and learning that love should never require abandoning yourself. Through pain, healing, and radical self-awareness, Sara shares how inner work became the foundation for every part of her life, from relationships to faith to self-love.
Jay and Sara explore why we often confuse chemistry for compatibility, why we repeat familiar relationship patterns, and how healing starts the moment we stop blaming others and start taking responsibility for our choices. This episode is a reminder that love isn&rsquo;t about chasing validation or fixing people, it&rsquo;s about knowing yourself deeply enough to stop settling for less.&nbsp;
In this episode you'll learn:
How to Stop Settling for Less
How to Heal Before Dating Again
How to Tell The Difference Between Want and Need&nbsp;
How to Break Toxic Relationship Patterns
How to Choose Compatibility Over Chemistry
How to Rebuild Self-Worth After Heartbreak
How to Become the Love You Seek
The moment you stop chasing validation, stop settling for breadcrumbs, and start choosing your peace, your life begins to change in ways you never imagined.
Grab a copy of Sara&rsquo;s book, Dear Narcissist: F*ck You, a bold, direct, and unfiltered guide to understanding narcissists in real life, just visit <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Narcissist-Spotting-Escaping-Narcissistic/dp/B0F54NB6LP">https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Narcissist-Spotting-Escaping-Narcissistic/dp/B0F54NB6LP</a>&nbsp;
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
JAY&rsquo;S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe <a href="https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe">https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe</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
02:07 The One Question to Ask Before Dating
04:15 Are You Looking for Love or Filling a Void?
05:57 What Are Your Dating Non-Negotiables?
08:56 Chemistry Is Not the Same as Compatibility
12:01 What Does Inner Work Actually Look Like?
15:41 The First Step Toward Healing
19:25 How to Raise Your Relationship Standards
22:33 Don&rsquo;t Ignore These Dating Deal-Breakers!
27:37 Knowing When It&rsquo;s Time to Leave
31:32 The Cost of Staying in a Toxic Relationship
34:42 Finding the Courage to Walk Away
39:10 Healing Through Your Relationship with God
42:49 What to Do When Someone Suddenly Ghosts You
45:58 Stop Falling in Love with Potential
47:00 You Can&rsquo;t Force Someone to Change
49:51 Stop Waiting for Someone to Become Better
53:05 Don&rsquo;t Abandon Self-Love For a Relationship
57:58 Manifestation Starts with Surrender
58:54 Is There Truth to These Popular Love Clich&eacute;s?
01:00:52 Forgiveness Is Essential For Healing
01:03:13 How to Rewire and Train Your Mind
01:05:28 Sara on Final Five
Episode Resources:
Website | <a href="https://saraalmadani.com/">https://saraalmadani.com/</a>&nbsp;
Facebook | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iamsaraalmadani/">https://www.facebook.com/iamsaraalmadani/</a>&nbsp;
Instagram | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/saraalmadani/">https://www.instagram.com/saraalmadani/</a>&nbsp;
TikTok | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@saraalmadani">https://www.tiktok.com/@saraalmadani</a>&nbsp;
X | <a href="https://x.com/sara_almadani">https://x.com/sara_almadani</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.

Sara Al Madani: Stop Falling for “Potential” (Look for THIS Instead So You Don’t Waste Months on the Wrong Person)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/de8b2b1c-e257-41c6-bdf2-b45c0060494c/transcript