Jay Shetty believed we could all become better partners, better people, and better professionals when we have our purpose in our lives. The former monk revealed in his case, his parents were his inspiration, who gave him purpose in his life.
Over the years, Shetty has amassed over a thousand followers across the world, including notable celebrity figures like Will Smith and Arianna Huffington.
Jay Shetty Grew Up with His Parents in London
The author and podcaster spent most of his childhood with his younger sister in Barnet, North London, which was where he attended a prestigious grammar school in High Barnet.
His father is Gujarati, and his mother is Tuluva, which was also noted in an Instagram post uploaded by Shilpa Shetty. However, the author has not revealed the identity of his parents as of this writing.
Regarding the struggles of his parents, Shetty revealed that his mother was from North India and grew up in Yemen. Later, she moved to London at the age of 16 to obtain her UK passport. After she arrived in the U.K., she started to work immediately to settle herself.
Similarly, his father was from Banglore, which falls in the south side of India. Shetty explained his father also moved to the U.K, which was where he met his mother and married her.
The author expressed his gratitude towards his parents as he explained his parents had to work hard to provide for him and his sister. Further, he added he could not have the opportunities to be where he is now without the sacrifice of his parents.
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From Substance Abuse To Monkhood
Jay Shetty’s path to enlightenment was not easy, as he faced numerous challenges as a teenager. During his school days, Shetty faced bullying because of his weight and Indian heritage. As a result, he got involved with the wrong people and engaged in drugs and alcohol.
Due to his behavior, Shetty was threatened with expulsion and got suspended from school three times. Eventually, he decided to stay clean, and during his first years at Cass Business School, his life changed forever.
The author attended an event by Gauranga Das, who is a monk. Regarding his experience, “That night, as I listened to the monk talk about his experience, I fell in love,” wrote Shetty in his book Think Like A Monk.
Further, after graduating from college, Shetty joined an ashram located in Mumbai. The author shaved his head and studied ancient Indian scriptures, and mediated several times a day.
Shetty spent three years as a monk in the ashram before making his way back to the United Kingdom. Regarding his experience, Shetty revealed that it was a hard decision for him to leave the ashram as he spent most of his time despairing over his decision.
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Proposed His Wife Just Like in the Movies
Shetty met his wife, Radhi Devlukia, when they were both undergraduates at the London School of Economics. The two knew each other through a mutual friend at a social event. After their first encounter, Jay was immediately impressed by Radhi’s ambition and intelligence.
Eventually, as they became closer, the couple realized that they shared a passion for adventure, exploring new cultures, and travel. Furthermore, after years of dating, Shetty decided he wanted to take the step on their relationship.
Regarding his proposal to his wife, Shetty shared with The Mirror that he wanted it to be a big surprise. Shetty explained he planned the moment as he had seen in the movies.
The author shared the couple was greeted with a bouquet and a cappella group. The moment was magical as they sang Bruno Mars’ ‘Marry You’ and Shetty got down on his knees to propose to her.
Everything went well, and the couple headed towards Shetty’s planned meal at a restaurant. Currently, the two have been happily married for seven years. Shetty shared the wedding vows with the vegan chef Radhi in 2016.