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Mar 2025
26m 26s

How To Stop Seeking Approval

Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler
About this episode

We grow up in a world where seeking approval is assumed, expected. Authority figures (like parents) assume the responsibility of approval or disapproval to teach their offspring how to move through the world. It’s also a kind of currency: it determines who we are, where we belong, what doors open for us. But at some point, some of us begin to wonder—what happens if I stop asking for permission? In this episode, Joe and Brett wrestle with the complexity of approval-seeking and how to break free from it. They explore:

  • The push and pull between belonging and authenticity
  • The weight of societal norms and expectation
  • The way doubt and conditioning pull us from our innate wisdom
  • The necessity of discomfort in the pursuit of true authenticity
  • The somatic cues that indicate when we are honoring our truth—or avoiding it
  • Practical exercises for cultivating self-approval

Send us your questions on Twitter, through our website, or in our Circle community!

Joe on X: @FU_JoeHudson

Brett on X: @airkistler

AOA on X: @artofaccomp

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