Lily Singh ON: If You're Feeling Depressed, Sad, Or Anxious, WATCH THIS! | Jay Shetty

TL;DR

Feeling nervous before big moments is a good sign, not something to fear. As Lilly Singh puts it, if she is not super nervous it means she does not care about the outcome, and she always wants to care. She also stresses understanding your parents' fears before writing off relationships as toxic.

Transcript

i never want to be in the position of life where things don't excite me or make me nervous absolutely i never want to stop preparing if i'm not super nervous that means i don't care about the outcome and i always want to care about the outcome out of all your successes all your achievements what's been the most meaningful thing for you oh that's a ... Read More

Key Insights

• Nervousness signals that you care, according to Lilly Singh. She says if she is not super nervous before going on stage or meeting someone, it means she does not care about the outcome, and she always wants to care.
• Meeting your idols can exceed expectations. Singh calls collaborating with The Rock her most meaningful achievement, saying he became a mentor who proved you can be successful, rich, and famous while still being a genuinely good person.
• The Rock's autobiography was formative reading for both Singh and Jay Shetty, showing them there was far more depth to someone they initially saw only as a wrestler.
• Parents' resistance usually comes from wanting security, not wanting to block happiness. Singh realized as she grew up that her parents just wanted to know she would be okay and financially stable.
• Singh's parents gave her a one-year deadline to make YouTube work before returning to graduate school, which became a countdown that pushed her to teach herself editing and camera work.
• Understanding why parents think the way they do requires putting yourself in their shoes. Singh says her parents are from a different time and place and are honestly trying their best.
• Not every difficult relationship should be dismissed as toxic. Singh admits she used to write off things as toxic in her teens without trying to understand, and now urges genuine effort first.
• Self-taught resourcefulness launched Singh's career. With only a psychology degree, she researched how to edit on iMovie and even built a tripod out of books to make her early videos.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does Lilly Singh say being nervous is a good thing?

Lilly Singh reframes nervousness as proof that you care about the outcome. She says if she is not super nervous before going on stage or shooting with someone, it means she does not care, and she always wants to care about the outcome. She hopes for as long as possible her answer to whether she still gets nervous can be yes, because otherwise the challenges of life disappear and there is no point.

Q: What is Lilly Singh's most meaningful achievement?

Besides the podcast moment itself, Singh names collaborating with The Rock as her most meaningful achievement. He was her biggest childhood inspiration, with posters all over her bedroom and his name in her first email address. Beyond working with him, having him as a mentor who guides her and gives advice has been a dream come true, especially because he proved to be such a great human being rather than disappointing her.

Q: How did Lilly Singh's parents react to her wanting to make YouTube videos?

When she first told them, her parents did not understand what she meant rather than giving the typical fear of what people would think. They were confused about this site called YouTube. They gave her one year to try it, saying if it did not work she should go to graduate school. That countdown pushed her to teach herself editing and camera work, and once it succeeded they became very supportive.

Q: What lesson did Lilly Singh learn about understanding her parents?

Singh learned to put herself in her parents' shoes. As she grew up and moved away, especially to LA as the first in her family to move abroad for work, she realized why they do and say the things they do. They are from a different time and place and are honestly trying their best, so she remembers that friction comes from their unfamiliarity with her world.

Q: Does Lilly Singh believe you should cut off parents who don't support you?

Singh acknowledges some relationships genuinely are toxic and she does not encourage anyone to stay in a harmful situation. However, she says that as a teenager she used to write things off as toxic without even trying to understand. She believes it is worth genuine effort to understand why your parents are the way they are, because that effort also helps you understand yourself, and it is more healing than assuming everyone hates you.

Q: What does Lilly Singh say her parents really wanted for her?

Singh realized her parents were not trying to keep her from being happy when they said no. When you grow up you understand they just want to make sure you are going to be okay. Having come to the country, they wanted to know she would have a good living and be financially stable. Once they saw she could be, they were able to stop stressing about her career choice.

Q: How did Lilly Singh teach herself to make videos?

Singh has a degree in psychology, so she did not know how to edit or use a camera at the start. Given only a year to prove YouTube could work, she researched and figured out how to edit on iMovie, taught herself to use a camera, and even made a tripod out of books. That self-taught resourcefulness during the countdown eventually turned into a successful career.

Q: Why does Jay Shetty say meeting your idols can be worthwhile?

Although the saying goes not to meet your idols because they might disappoint you, Singh's experience with The Rock contradicts it. Both she and Jay Shetty were shaped by reading The Rock's autobiography when young, discovering there was so much depth to someone they had only seen as a wrestler. Singh found The Rock incredible in person, a great human being and mentor, showing idols can exceed expectations.

Summary

In this video, Lily Singh discusses various topics, including her most meaningful achievement, the importance of caring about the outcome, her relationship with her idol, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and the lessons she learned from taking a break from YouTube. She also talks about her passion for social good and empowering girls and shares personal lessons and insights gained during her journey.

Questions & Answers

Q: What has been the most meaningful thing for Lily Singh besides her current moment?

Besides the current moment, one of the most meaningful things for Lily Singh has been collaborating with her idol, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. This was a dream come true for her as he was her biggest inspiration and mentor.

Q: Why did Lily Singh feel embarrassed about collaborating with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson?

Lily Singh used to feel embarrassed about collaborating with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson because it seemed like a surface-level answer. However, she realized that he was not only an incredible person but also a great mentor, which made the collaboration even more special.

Q: How does Lily Singh's idol, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, inspire her?

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson inspires Lily Singh because he has shown her that it's possible to work hard, be successful, and still be a good person. His example has taught her the importance of being a good human being, regardless of success and fame.

Q: Why does Lily Singh believe it's important to still feel nervous and excited in life?

Lily Singh believes it's important to still feel nervous and excited because it shows that she cares about the outcome. If she's not nervous, it means she doesn't care, and she always wants to care about the outcome.

Q: How did Lily Singh's parents initially react when she told them she wanted to make YouTube videos?

When Lily Singh first told her parents about her desire to make YouTube videos, they didn't understand what she meant. They didn't give her the typical answer of "what will people think," but instead, they were confused and asked her to give it a year to try it out.

Q: Why were Lily Singh's parents initially supportive of her decision to make YouTube videos?

Lily Singh's parents were initially supportive of her decision because they wanted to make sure she would be okay. They wanted her to have a good living and be financially stable, which they saw as important for her well-being.

Q: How did Lily Singh's parents' support change over time as her YouTube career took off?

Over time, as Lily Singh's YouTube career took off, her parents became more supportive because they saw that she could be successful and financially stable. They no longer needed to worry about her future, which allowed them to stop stressing out about her career choice.

Q: What inspired Lily Singh to start making YouTube videos in 2010?

Lily Singh started making YouTube videos in 2010 because she was at a point in her life where she was unhappy and unsure about her future. She wanted to find something that made her happy, and making YouTube videos brought her joy.

Q: What is Lily Singh's driving force for continuing to make YouTube videos?

Lily Singh's driving force for continuing to make YouTube videos is her obsession with growth and constantly challenging herself. She wants to keep pushing herself and see how far she can go, both creatively and in terms of making a positive impact.

Q: How did Lily Singh's recent break from YouTube help her gain clarity and make positive changes in her life?

Taking a break from YouTube allowed Lily Singh to clear her mind, reflect, and make positive changes in her life. She was able to address the cloudiness in her thoughts, prioritize her relationships, and make herself a priority as well. It gave her the space to think and create a healthier balance in her life.

Takeaways

During the video, Lily Singh discusses her collaboration with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, her journey in making YouTube videos, and the importance of taking breaks and finding balance in life. She highlights the need for constant growth, the power of being honest with oneself, and the significance of using her platform for social good. Through her experiences, she has learned to prioritize relationships, ask for help when needed, and foster self-love and self-care. Ultimately, she emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself and using one's influence to uplift and empower others, especially girls.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Lilly Singh names collaborating with The Rock as her most meaningful achievement. He was her childhood idol, with posters on her wall and his name in her first email address, and having him become a mentor proved that success and being a good person can coexist.

• Singh embraces nervousness as evidence that she cares about an outcome. She hopes to always answer yes when asked if she still gets nervous before stages or shoots, because without that feeling the challenges of life disappear and there is no point.

• On family, Singh explains her parents were confused rather than disapproving about YouTube, giving her one year to try. Growing up and moving to LA helped her see their fears came from wanting her to be okay, teaching her to understand parents before labeling relationships toxic.