FACE IT. SHIFT. GROW. REPEAT.

Episode Twenty-One

Your Fear of Being Cringe is Ruining Your Life

Do you ever think to yourself, I don't want to be perceived the wrong way, so I will just stay quiet?

From a young age, I started to get the response from the outside world that 'you like me when I am small, so let me stay small, so I get what I need.' 

In this episode of The Shift, I explore how the fear of being cringe is really a prison holding you back from having a big, bold, and wonderful life. I tell the stories of the many different ways I have stopped myself from going after what I want because of fear. But that stops here. Together, one day at a time, one step at a time, we will begin to face what holds us back. Following the notion that our purpose must be greater than our fear, we will be the lucky ones who get out of our own way. 

If you have ever felt like "too much," "extra," "too hyperactive," or felt like you had to shrink yourself to stay safe, this episode is for you.

For Ben, that moment came seven years ago. What started as smoking too much weed in high school turned into countless blackouts in college, and eventually a lifestyle fueled by cocaine, women, and escape. At a certain point, he realized his life had become unmanageable with a capital U.

But, what began as a decision to get sober turned into something much deeper: confronting not only the addictions, but the habits and patterns that had been holding him back for years. And when Ben made the decision to change, he went all in. That’s the New Yorker in him.

He went to meetings, read books, worked with mentors, and went to retreats focused on emotional release. He committed himself to rebuilding his life from the inside out.

Along the way, Ben developed a relationship with a power greater than himself, and in doing so discovered his true purpose: helping others on their own path.

Then about a year ago, a friend said something that stuck with him:

“Ben, you need to start a podcast.”

The seed was planted and from it grew The Shift — a podcast about what happens when we stop avoiding the things that hold us back and start facing them head-on. While themes like sobriety and faith will come up, The Shift isn’t a sobriety podcast or a religious one. The Shift is an open, inclusive space for anyone and everyone.

Through Ben’s shifts, and his guests who have experienced shifts of their own, the goal is simple: to help listeners who might be struggling with something realize they’re not alone, and to share insights and strategies that they can put to work in their own lives.

Sometimes life reaches a point where you realize things have gotten out of control—when ignoring it is no longer an option.