Own Your Story #21 with Jay Shen: How ‘changing your mind’ can change your life

Interviewing Jayshen for ‘Own Your Story’ podcast was a fun experience that awakened the geek in me.

From the intention to replace formal learning with video games to propelling human civilization, it was fascinating to pick this ‘out-of-the-box’ brain and learn his thought process.

In his current position as a ‘business psychiatrist’ for start-ups, Jay is indeed in the right place to advocate the importance of mindset that he strongly believes in.

1| Intention over results

When I asked Jay why he left a lucrative career in a multinational corporation for the uncharted territory in entrepreneurship, his response was mind-blowing.

The decision to start his career as an auditor served a very specific purpose — so that he could interview anyone in a company and understand how a business operates.

This, in turn, served a deeper purpose — so that he could build a business that replaces formal education with video game one day.

I was surprised that his stepping stone took years in making.

2| How can your mindset contribute to human civilization?

As a business consultant, Jay believes that ‘mindset’ is a catalyst that could make or break a business.

If an entrepreneur recognizes that there is something that they don’t know, this mindset will save them time and pain in reaching the destination.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.”

When it comes to his own major mindset change, Jayshen said that the Kardashev Scale shifted his worldview when he asked himself, ‘how can I contribute to Type 1 (planetary) civilization during my lifetime?’

3| Invest in your own growth

Jayshen believes that everyone has a different source of potential and excels in different things.

To achieve our highest expression, it is important to always ask — what does the other person know that I don’t?

When our minds are open to new information, there are vast opportunities to learn about ourselves and the world from different perspectives.

From Jay’s own experience, a short period of working on the ground and getting his hands dirty in hard labour was a valuable lesson to see life from a different perspective.

4| Building a successful business does not mean being successful

When it comes to ‘success’, Jayshen pointed that it is important for everyone to define the kind of success we want in life as it evolves with time and life experiences.

For example, a young professional may define success as an annual income bracket while a 60-year-old might see having good health as a success.

No matter what our definition of success looks like, the most important underlying character of success is our reputation and integrity.

At the end of the day, building a successful business doesn’t mean being successful as a person without the right virtue.

Build the world we want to live in with the right mindset

Living in an era where technology is advancing exponentially, it is more important than ever for everyone to adopt the right mindset so that we steer the applications of technology in a way that benefits all.

It is important that we keep an open mind and keep learning in order to break through our current position for a better result, whatever our goals are.

Own Your Story Podcast features interesting guests with fascinating stories and unique perspectives on life, taking viewers on a journey through the lives of others and ultimately inspire them to embark on an adventure of their own.

Watch this episode here.