In the beginning, they applaud you. They support you. They embrace and motivate you.
“You can do it,” they say. And you believe them, because in that moment, you feel they are truly with you.
But the moment your steps start becoming confident, the moment your voice begins to be heard more, and your achievements start to look like a threat to someone else — something changes.
Silence replaces kind words. Eyes no longer look at you with admiration, but with doubt.
Because now, you’re no longer that distant “other.” You’re competition.
Human nature is often complicated.
People feel comfortable with others — as long as those others don’t threaten their territory, their status, or the sense of superiority they may have built over the years.
That’s why love and support are often conditional — they depend on where you stand in relation to them.
As soon as you start showing real potential, rising from where you once were, becoming someone with influence — many of those who once stood beside you may begin to look at you differently.
Not because you’ve become arrogant, but because you’ve stepped out of the role that suited others best — the harmless one.
But this is where true strength lies: to keep moving forward without stopping, even when approval fades, even when the applause goes silent.
It takes courage not to fall into the trap of needing to be liked, and instead to follow your own path — even if that path leads you face-to-face with those who once loved you.
Because in the end, the goal is not to be loved by everyone — it’s to remain true to yourself, without dimming your light just to avoid blinding others.
Those who truly love you won’t be afraid of your growth.
As for the others? Let them stay where they stopped — you, keep moving forward.
