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Living Life in the Now – My Philosophy & Beliefs, Echoed by Madonna & Jay Shetty
- Sarah J Naylor
- Oct 3
- 5 min read
Madonna Jay Shetty Kabbalah Interview: Why It Resonates With My APE Mindset Methodology™
Well, that was a bit of an eye opener … there I was doom scrolling on Instagram when Jay Shetty’s post promoting his Madonna Kabbalah interview popped up in my feed.
Her “first major interview in 9 years” - I was fascinated and keen to tune in. Whilst I’ve never seen her live, Madonna’s music has been part of my life since my disco dancing days in the early 80s (yes, backcombed hair and leg warmers were worn!). I’ve enjoyed her music and transformations over the years, even if I’ve not been an avid / die-hard fan.
Curiosity got me, and I listened to the whole 2 hours over a couple of days. I’ll be honest: I love long discussions when I’m in them, but I’m not always the best at sitting and listening to others for that long. Still, I was hooked.
The real reason Madonna wanted the interview?
To share her wisdom, what she’s learned, and what has kept her sane and focused over the last 28 years. She said:
“My soul’s purpose is to reveal light in the world. Through whatever I do, whether that’s being a parent, an artist, a friend, or a leader. We are here to receive for the sake of sharing. … I want it all, but I want it for the sake of sharing, not to keep it for myself.”
Whilst I’m not Madonna (who knew?!😆), I echo that sentiment in all that I do. Where she presents a cool and collected persona during the interview though, by contrast, I tend to get excited and animated, talking passionately about my beliefs and what fires me up.
Kabbalah in a Nutshell
What really fascinated me was her 28 years of studying Kabbalah and how she said its philosophies have helped her make sense of life, even saving her when many of her contemporaries have been lost.
Because what she described echoes my own philosophies, I wanted to share my reflections.
I don’t need a label for how I live my life, but hearing her speak did give me one - in the same way The Secret popularised the Law of Attraction back in the mid-2000s. (I’d already recognised the principle myself - noticing how putting in the work I'd see results appear, quite often from unexpected angles. That insight inspired my book, Shining a Light on You: How to Manifest Your Dream Job.)*
Here’s the brief overview of Kabbalah I asked my AI co-pilot for, to check my sense of things:
The Tree of Life → a symbolic map of spiritual growth.
Light & Vessels → we are here to receive and radiate light but need to grow our capacity.
Ego vs. Soul → our task is to rise above the ego’s noise and connect with deeper purpose.
Living in the present → Kabbalah emphasises conscious choice in the here and now.
Parallels With My Own Philosophy
As I listened, I grabbed a notebook and jotted down commonalities with how I live.
I believe we choose the lifetime we come into - the experiences we face are opportunities for learning and growth toward enlightenment.
We need protagonists to create discomfort so we can recognise light and shade, yin and yang.
Pain is inevitable, but we can grow through it.
This is the foundation of my APE Mindset Methodology™ (read more)
Acceptance - recognising what you can and can’t change.
Perspective - shifting to see life and behaviour through a different, more positive lens.
Energy - choosing not to waste energy on anger, resentment, or grief, but to channel it towards what matters.
Letting go and surrendering are key factors as you stop trying to control the outcome and go with the natural flow of life - tapping into quantum energy.
In fact, in my 2023 reflections, I talk about how everything collapsed around me and I had to release what no longer served me, to create space for what was waiting in the light.
Other guiding principles I live by:
Trusting the process, even when it feels hard.
Encouraging children to find their own way (no helicopter parenting here).
Recognising the only person I can change is myself.
Staying rooted in the present moment.
Understanding that we are all energy - what we send out, we also receive.
Seeing triggers as invitations to learn.
Remembering we can still choose our arguments; this isn’t about rolling over.
Knowing resilience is born of the journey we’ve chosen.
Believing we are not our behaviour - we can change, if we choose.
A Lifelong Path of Learning
I’ve always been spiritually attuned. Over the years I’ve:
Read widely (Louise Hay, Paulo Coelho, Dr Joe Dispenza, Cheryl Richardson, Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Dan Millman, Robin Sharma, and many more).
Attended workshops and seminars.
Trained in Reiki and personally experienced EFT, regression hypnotherapy, shamanic practices and more including NLP.
Gained a Level 5 qualification in Performance Coaching.
Travelled solo for retreats and spiritual experiences (even walking part of the Camino de Santiago).
Ongoing personal growth has been my compass, just as Madonna described Kabbalah being hers.
Echoes from the Madonna Jay Shetty Kabbalah Interview
From Jay Shetty’s conversation, some themes Madonna circled around (and which resonate with me deeply) were:
Spiritual scaffolding: “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have a spiritual life.”
Surrender: Letting go of control and trusting the bigger picture.
Forgiveness as liberation: Clearing energetic blocks.
Light in the dark: Her practice kept her alive in despairing moments.
Responsibility for energy: Recognising that what we put out comes back.
These are the very ideas I live and breathe through my coaching, writing, speaking and everyday life.
Living Life in the Now
You don’t need to wear a red string bracelet or study Kabbalah to live this way (though of course its teachings offer structure). What matters is staying present, trusting yourself, and following what feels inherently right.
Take time to be quiet, even just for a few minutes, and let your supportive inner voice - not the monkey chatter brain - guide you.
Stay present.
Own your energy, your power, your sense of self.
Release control.
Expect the unexpected.
Find joy in each day.
Show appreciation.
Forgive.
Adopt a growth mindset.
Expand your capacity for light, love and joy.
It’s what my Harnessing Happiness podcast is all about.
And it’s also what my Latex & Liberation talk points to: finding out who you are, beyond ego, and living it unapologetically.
So, while I’m not a Kabbalist, I’ve discovered (thanks to Madonna’s interview with Jay Shetty) that I live by its principles.
If you’re curious about bringing more Acceptance, Perspective, and Energy into your life, let’s talk.
Books That Have Inspired My Journey
If you’d like to explore some of the books that have shaped my philosophy, here are a few you may enjoy (note: these are affiliate links - as an *Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you):
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