Sara Al Madani: Stop Falling for “Potential” (Look for THIS Instead So You Don’t Waste Months on the Wrong Person)
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
iHeartPodcasts
4.7 • 30.5K Ratings
🗓️ 1 June 2026
⏱️ 78 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this deeply honest conversation, Jay sits down with Sara Al Madani where she opens up about surviving toxic relationships, rebuilding her identity, and learning that love should never require abandoning yourself. Through pain, healing, and radical self-awareness, Sara shares how inner work became the foundation for every part of her life, from relationships to faith to self-love.
Jay and Sara explore why we often confuse chemistry for compatibility, why we repeat familiar relationship patterns, and how healing starts the moment we stop blaming others and start taking responsibility for our choices. This episode is a reminder that love isn’t about chasing validation or fixing people, it’s about knowing yourself deeply enough to stop settling for less.
In this episode you'll learn:
How to Stop Settling for Less
How to Heal Before Dating Again
How to Tell The Difference Between Want and Need
How to Break Toxic Relationship Patterns
How to Choose Compatibility Over Chemistry
How to Rebuild Self-Worth After Heartbreak
How to Become the Love You Seek
The moment you stop chasing validation, stop settling for breadcrumbs, and start choosing your peace, your life begins to change in ways you never imagined.
Grab a copy of Sara’s book, Dear Narcissist: F*ck You, a bold, direct, and unfiltered guide to understanding narcissists in real life, just visit https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Narcissist-Spotting-Escaping-Narcissistic/dp/B0F54NB6LP
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX
Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe
Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
02:07 The One Question to Ask Before Dating
04:15 Are You Looking for Love or Filling a Void?
05:57 What Are Your Dating Non-Negotiables?
08:56 Chemistry Is Not the Same as Compatibility
12:01 What Does Inner Work Actually Look Like?
15:41 The First Step Toward Healing
19:25 How to Raise Your Relationship Standards
22:33 Don’t Ignore These Dating Deal-Breakers!
27:37 Knowing When It’s Time to Leave
31:32 The Cost of Staying in a Toxic Relationship
34:42 Finding the Courage to Walk Away
39:10 Healing Through Your Relationship with God
42:49 What to Do When Someone Suddenly Ghosts You
45:58 Stop Falling in Love with Potential
47:00 You Can’t Force Someone to Change
49:51 Stop Waiting for Someone to Become Better
53:05 Don’t Abandon Self-Love For a Relationship
57:58 Manifestation Starts with Surrender
58:54 Is There Truth to These Popular Love Clichés?
01:00:52 Forgiveness Is Essential For Healing
01:03:13 How to Rewire and Train Your Mind
01:05:28 Sara on Final Five
Episode Resources:
Website | https://saraalmadani.com/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/iamsaraalmadani/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/saraalmadani/
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@saraalmadani
X | https://x.com/sara_almadani
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast, guaranteed human. |
| 0:06.2 | Now it's time to thank our partner of this episode, Cafe Pacific. |
| 0:10.4 | Have you ever noticed how the way you travel can shape how you arrive? |
| 0:13.7 | Not just physically, but mentally too. |
| 0:15.7 | Sometimes the journey gives you space to reset before you even reach your destination. |
| 0:20.0 | Asia just got closer with Cathay Pacific. |
| 0:22.8 | The airline is helping travelers feel connected before they even arrive by delivering a calm, |
| 0:28.1 | premium experience with thoughtful design, attentive service and a focus on making long-haul |
| 0:33.6 | travel feel effortless. Cthay Pacific appeals to culturally curious travelers, helping them arrive |
| 0:40.0 | feeling rested, inspired, and ready to embrace the experience ahead. To discover more, visit |
| 0:45.8 | Cathaypacific.com. Asia just got closer. Toxic people are consistent. You know, that's the |
| 0:52.3 | beautiful thing about them. They never change. |
| 0:54.2 | What should be a deal breaker in dating? |
| 0:56.4 | My BS Eliminator is having that straightforward conversation from day one. |
| 1:01.1 | And if the man runs away, he's not ready for a serious relationship. |
| 1:04.4 | What do you think is the difference between someone who wants a relationship and someone who needs a relationship? |
| 1:09.8 | If I need you, that means I am operating |
| 1:12.2 | from life. Are you what you're trying to manifest? Because you cannot attract what you're not. |
| 1:19.7 | Hey everyone. Welcome back to On Purpose, the place you come to become happier, healthier and more |
| 1:25.1 | healed. Today's guest is going to dive into the topic that I know |
| 1:28.7 | is on your hearts and minds the most. Love, dating, relationships, the part of our life that |
| 1:34.4 | brings so much joy that equally can create so much pain. Today's guest is someone I've been |
... |
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