Riz Ahmed: How to Silence Your Inner Critic (And Build REAL Self Worth)

**Riz Ahmed** (0:00)
I have long, deep history with this critical voice and this shame, and I really think it can kill you, man.

**Jay Shetty** (0:06)
What part of you still feels like it doesn't belong?

**Riz Ahmed** (0:09)
Different parts of me in every place that I go to. If you felt totally comfortable everywhere you went, then you're probably not in the right place.

**Jay Shetty** (0:15)
What is Riz Ahmed's dream?

**Riz Ahmed** (0:17)
External markers of achievement, the award, the round of applause. They don't nourish you on a soul level. And the thing that I'm seeking now is a sense of flow. That moment when you forget yourself.

**Jay Shetty** (0:32)
Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the place you come to become happier, healthier and more healed. Today's guest is someone I've been wanting to have in this seat for God knows how many years.
I'm joined by the one, the only Riz Ahmed, Academy Award winning actor, writer, producer, and artist known for Sound of Metal, Rogue One and The Night Of, and for bringing deeply human stories to life. Riz is currently starring in Bait, if you haven't seen it, make sure you do. A series exploring identity and the tension between who we are and how we're seen. His reimagined film, Hamlet and Digger, his new film coming later this year, please welcome to On Purpose, Riz Ahmed. Riz, honestly, whether it was post 9-11 Blues, whether it was Four Lions, we've been with you from the start.

**Riz Ahmed** (1:22)
I've been cheering you on.

**Jay Shetty** (1:24)
I am a huge fan of how you put yourself out there, the conversations you have, your multidisciplinary art form. And honestly, I've been waiting for this moment. I feel like for like, God, at least at least seven years since I launched the show.

**Riz Ahmed** (1:38)
Likewise, Jay, because I'm watching you and I've just been rooting for you from the beginning.
And we were just saying this before the cameras started rolling. We have so many people in common in the work world, but also in the personal world, because we grew up not too far away from each other in kind of overlapping worlds as well. So seeing you doing your thing, blazing a trail is just super inspiring. So likewise, man, I've been itching to get in here and yeah, talk to you.

**Jay Shetty** (2:04)
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I was thinking about it and I want to vouch for this because I like doing this when I've got someone on the show, when I've got a memory that stands out to me. And it was probably around five years ago, I think it was, you'd been nominated for an Oscar. We had this South Asian Oscars evening in LA and you were at the party. It was probably the only time I've actually been in the room with you, it was me, you and we were talking to Bella, Bella Bajaria, who's Chief Content Officer at Netflix, dear friend, and you said to Bella, you were like, give this guy a show, man.
You were vouching for me even back then. You were like, give him a show, Bella, what are you doing? And I was like, this is so nice. I'll take it. You're the man at the moment, you're nominated for the Oscar and you're trying to get me a show. And now we've got three shows at Netflix.

**Riz Ahmed** (2:45)
Amazing.

**Jay Shetty** (2:47)
I feel like you planted a very important seed. I want to give you your flowers and give you credit for that.

**Riz Ahmed** (2:52)
For me, the reason I was rooting for you was because of not just what you have to say, because of course what you say is so rooted in this ancient tradition.
It's how you say it, it's how approachable it is, it's how human it feels, it's how relatable it felt. Just even selfishly on a personal level, when I hear you speak, when I see the way that you're relating to people or making these things that can sometimes feel very abstract or kind of elusive ideas, esoteric ideas and bring them into the everyday, bring them into our daily lives, it makes me feel less stupid. Do you know what I mean? It makes me feel like, okay, yeah, okay, yeah, all right, I can, I understand that, I get to grips with that.
And I'm certainly one of those people who for a long time thought, what's this meditation stuff? What is this? Is this kind of a bit airy fairy? And it actually became such a big part of my life for many years and changed my life in so many different ways. It's really because of people like you, making it relatable, making it human. So yeah, on a personal level, I was like, I need more Jay Shetty in my life.