#63 How to be more spiritual than your friends with JP Sears

That’s right, this week I had the privilege to sit down with the one and only JP Sears and interview the man behind the fictional-but-hilarious character Ultra Spiritual, whose self-deprecating jabs at the conscious community (of which he’s part of) have gathered 1.2 million fans on Facebook and over 100 million views on YouTube without spending a dollar on sponsored content.

Now you may not recognise JP's name, but chances are you've probably seen one of his funny-but-true viral videos shared online. "If Meat Eaters Acted Like Vegans" and "How To Become Gluten Intolerant", cumulatively have reached 13 million views on YouTube alone.

So when it comes down to creating great relatable and shareable content, no one does it better than JP himself.

Today JP encourages healing and growth through these humorous and entertainingly informative videos but the truth is, it wasn’t always like this for JP. In fact he spent most of his career working with one-to-one clients and leading retreats as a spiritual healer but mostly being in the shadow. Releasing regular, but more serious videos on YouTube.

But one day, he realised that what had been holding him back from showing the real him to the world was in fact, himself. Deep, I know.

So on August 3rd, 2014, 16 months after publishing his first video on YouTube, he released his spiritual-stand-up-comedy ‘coming out’ video called,  “How to RUIN Your Life! (funny) - with JP Sears”.

As a result of daring to show the world his true colours and fully embracing both his humorous side and his deep spiritual essence, he now counts the likes of Tony Robbins as his mentors (who just so happens to have endorsed his new book, “How to Be Ultra Spiritual: 12 1/2 Steps to Spiritual Superiority”), receives messages from Tim Ferris, hangs out with Lewis Howes in LA and exchanges pleasantries with Dave Asprey, founder of BulletProof Coffee.

Oh and did I mention a TV deal is in the horizon?

"Letting my sense of humour out was the best thing I’ve ever done for my business.” - JP Sears

IN TODAY'S EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

  • Why a strong work ethic can work against you

  • That letting great things go leads to something better

  • Why not caring about your audience helps you create the best content

  • How to come out of your metaphorical closet

  • The best way to get out of your comfort zone

  • Why receiving is one of the most difficult things we can do

 

So plug in your headphones and get ready dive into our intimate conversation, where JP reveals something he’s never said before in an interview.

NOT GOT TIME TO LISTEN? STAND OUT SNIPPETS

 

ON HUSTLING AND WORK LIFE BALANCE

“I’ve really proven to myself through years on end of hustle hustle hustle, always on planes that I can do it. And continuing to do it comes at the expense where I lose parts of me, I lose touch with myself…My relationship with my heart really gets strained if I’m just trying to prove I can hustle as much as anyone else.”  [10.39]

“Every human being has different nutritional needs… So if we’re all different nutritionally, we all have our unique balance of work - rest capacity. I think it dis-serves us when we try to go by someone else’s.” [11.39]

 

ON LETTING GREAT THINGS GO

“The other thing I’m grateful for that’s served me well is a willingness to let go of something… I wouldn’t have given myself to something better, something that lit me up even more inside.”  ...The hard decisions are letting great things go.” [15.25]

 

ON COMING OUT (THE METAPHORICAL CLOSET)

“I told myself this story it would be terrible for business to let my comedic self out on video and honestly that was a way of betraying myself.” [21:00]

“I think our truth is our stronger force of nature than our mind’s resistance in fear about that fear. So my truth is I am comedic, I also have very sincere parts of me. However, when we put the parts together, we get a whole and that’s always exponentially more powerful than the parts… Letting my sense of humour out was the best thing I’ve ever done for my business.”  [21.29]

“We always win when we bet on ourselves. It’s very scary sometimes to unapologetically bring it.” [22:54]

“Nobody in human history has ever become highly successful by being us. They’ve always done it by being them!... When we just let the miracle of our own being out, that is always always always the best thing we can do for our business and our personal satisfaction.” [23.11]

 

ON HOW TO CREATE THE BEST CONTENT:

“When we’re in our creative space, that is us being in a monogamous committed relationship to the muse inside. Not a polyamorous relationship where we’re also dabbling in other people’s opinions.” [25:45]

“The content that I create, I need to do it for me. It has to be worth creating the content even if nobody else sees it… I really don’t care if anybody else ever watches this, I am amusing the hell out of myself!” [30:07]

“Trying to feed ourselves on the currency of other people's approval is like living off junk food.” [31:15]

 

ON GETTING OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE

“Growth only comes when we’re willing to come out of our comfort zone….The true warrior is he or she who feels their fear and acts anyway. So when we can train our ability to be uncomfortable so we don’t avoid it, that serves us so well to grow and expand and persist.” [32:00]

“The quality of one’s life is directly proportional to one’s ability to tolerate ambiguity.” [33:24]

“The heart has enough energy to keep you going if you’re connected to it” [39:59]

 

ON WHY WE FIND IT SO HARD TO RECEIVE

“We have trouble receiving because we’d rather be in control… Surrendering control is one of the most difficult things we can do. Our greatest fear is we don’t matter….Receiving means I have the courage to get in touch with my sense of insignificance.” [42:59]

 

ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE UNCONVENTIONAL

“Being unapologetically true to yourself is very unconventional and food for the soul!”  [48:51]

 

SHOWNOTES:

 

WHAT DID YOU THINK?

I love how JP encourages us all to get out of comfort zone and do something that makes us feel uncomfortable each day! I really hope you’ll take up the challenge. In fact, hit comment below or Tweet me @markleruste and tell me what you’ve done today!