What Your Growth Triggers in Others

The more you grow into yourself, the more the world starts to notice. 

Not just in your career, but in your presence, your energy, your truth.

• When you speak up with clarity and confidence

• When you live with more intention

• When you express your passions, your values, your truth

You become more visible.

Whether it’s in a professional setting, your community, online, in family circles, or among old friends, people start to notice the changes in you.

And with that visibility often comes something else:

Judgment. Projection. Commentary. 

Some will celebrate your evolution.

Others may feel challenged by it, and not even realize why.

This is one of the quieter challenges of growth and leadership: being seen, and being judged for it.

Maybe you’ve already felt it:

• A colleague making a snide remark when you share a win

• A friend pulling away as you evolve

• Family questioning your choices (even lovingly)

• Online criticism when you speak your truth

You might start wondering: Did I do something wrong? Am I being too much? Should I tone it down? 

Here’s what I want you to remember:

Sometimes, your light makes others aware of their own shadows. 

That’s not your fault. And it’s not your job to fix it.

Instead, try embracing these 4 truths:

1. Sometimes your dreams highlight their confusion.

When you pursue a big goal or make a bold change, it can stir up questions in people who feel stuck or unsure in their own path.

That discomfort belongs to them, not you.

Keep dreaming, and keep building.

2. Sometimes your visibility reflects their invisibility.

When you start showing up, on stages, in meetings, online, or even just more confidently in daily life, it can remind others of where they’ve been hiding.

That’s their work to do.

Stay visible. 

3. Sometimes your consistency mirrors their procrastination.

If you’re taking steady action toward your goals, even just small, daily steps, it can trigger people who haven’t started.

They might dismiss your effort as “lucky” or “obsessive.”

You’re not too much. You’re focused.

Keep going. 

4. Sometimes your passion reminds them they’ve lost touch with theirs.

Your excitement for what you’re building might feel like a spotlight to someone who’s lost connection to meaning or joy.

That’s painful, and it’s also not yours to carry.

Stay connected to what lights you up.

Embrace these truths.

Your journey is already filled with challenges: learning, evolving, failing forward.

You don’t need the extra weight of indirect negativity, silent resentment, or backhanded comments.

You’re not here to make yourself smaller for anyone’s comfort.

Instead, hold onto this:

Your light will inspire many. 

It may stir discomfort in a few. 

Shine anyway. 

This is what grounded, mindful leadership looks like: the kind that’s led from within, not driven by external approval.

It’s not always easy. But it’s powerful. And it’s worth it.

An Invitation for the Week

Take 15 minutes to journal on the following questions:

• Where in my life am I becoming more visible?

• What resistance, internal or external, have I felt as a result?

• Which of the 4 truths above resonates most right now?

• What would it look like to shine anyway this week?

Remember: being seen doesn’t mean being perfect.

It means being present - in your truth, in your values, in your unique journey.

You’re allowed to take up space.

You’re allowed to grow out loud.

You’re allowed to shine.

The world needs more grounded, kind, fully alive leaders. And that includes YOU <3