FACE IT. SHIFT. GROW. REPEAT.

Episode Fifteen

Waiting for Approval is Holding You Back | Will Catlett

How much of your life has been shaped by trying to earn someone else's approval?

In this episode of The Shift, I sit down with my good friend, actor Will Catlett, for one of the most honest conversations we've had about confidence, purpose, self-worth, and what it really means to become the person you're meant to be.

We talk about why confidence isn't something you're born with, why boundaries are essential if you want to grow, and how fear often keeps us from pursuing the life we know we're capable of living.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was the idea that approval has to come from within. So many of us spend years waiting for someone else to tell us we're enough, when the truth is, that decision has always been ours to make.

Will shares what he's learned about believing in yourself, embracing sacrifice, building a legacy, and trusting that your path unfolds one step at a time. It's a conversation between two friends, but I think anyone who's ever questioned their worth or wondered if they're on the right path will find something in it.

Because no one else can give you the life you're waiting for.

At some point, you have to approve yourself.

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.