People will make you showing up for yourself and as yourself feel like pride at times. You’ve not done anything wrong, you’ve only wronged them because you’re thriving and I see no reason why you should care because you’re not doing it for them.
People will talk. They’ll say you’ve changed, that you’re getting too confident. They’ll try to shrink you back to the person they were once comfortable with, someone less bold, less visible. Because you see, it’s easier for them to keep you small than to step up and face their own growth, but I’m yet to understand why!
See, remember, that they weren’t there in the late nights of self-doubt, in the quiet moments where you kept contemplating if you were enough or not. They didn’t see the battles you fought within, the hours you spent second-guessing every step forward. So, why should their opinions matter now?
They will call it pride. Let them. Pride has nothing to do with owning your worth. Pride is arrogance, a need to be above others. But showing up as yourself? That’s COURAGE. That’s knowing you’re WORTHY, regardless of who cheers or criticizes from the sidelines.
You didn’t walk this path to make anyone else comfortable. You did it to prove to yourself that you could. So keep moving forward. Keep showing up. Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter? They’ll celebrate every step of your journey.
LET THE WORLD ADJUST!
You don’t owe anyone an explanation.
