“I’m Usually Just the Catalyst” – The Red Flag That Made Me Run… And Thank Him on the Way Out
- Lidija Poth
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Run That Became a Victory Lap
This morning I ran my usual pre-sunrise route.
Cold, dark, perfect.
Then one sentence from a client flashed across my mind:
“On our second date he smiled and said: ‘I’m usually just the catalyst in relationships.”
My legs didn’t slow.
They accelerated.
Not away from danger.
Toward my own power.
Because in that moment I understood:
He just handed me the greatest gift a man can give a woman who is ready to rise: the truth, early and clear.
Translation: He Just Freed You
He said:
“I will light you up, help you grow, make you feel alive again…
and then I will leave exactly the same, while you become unstoppable.”
He thinks he’s warning you.
He’s actually crowning you.
Esther Perel writes:
“The right person at the wrong time is still the right person — to show you who you are ready to become.”
He is not your villain.
He is your launchpad.
The Real Red Flag? Thinking You Need a Catalyst
The only real danger is believing you need someone else to “catalyse” your growth.
You don’t.
You never did.
You are the fire.
You are the reaction.
You are the transformation.
Brené Brown says:
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.”
He just gave you the perfect permission to own yours — without him.
Amir Levine & Rachel Heller (Attached) remind us:
“The most attractive quality is someone who knows their worth and doesn’t negotiate it.”
He just showed you — in record time — that you are ready for someone who stays.
My Client’s Happy Ending
My client cried for three days.
Then she stopped.
She looked in the mirror and said:
“Thank you for the push. Now watch me fly.”
She signed up for the course she had been postponing.
She booked the trip.
She raised her standards to sky-high.
And she smiled — the kind of smile that comes from knowing:
I don’t need a catalyst. I am the explosion.
#### Your Turn — The Empowering Reframe
When someone tells you early on:
“I’m usually just the catalyst”
→ Hear:
“I’m the final exam you’re about to ace. Thank you for the practice round.”
Then run —
not away from him,
but straight into the biggest, boldest version of yourself.
Because the right man isn’t coming to catalyse you.
He’s coming to co-create with the woman who already set herself on fire.
And honey — you’re already burning bright.
Comment below:
Have you ever turned a “catalyst” into your launchpad?
What did you build after he left?
Book a FREE Discovery Session | MyLifeCoachingHub if you’re ready to stop waiting for sparks and start being the flame.
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