Growth Is Knowing When Not to Wear It

Sometimes you’re handed something that looks like a gift.

But when you try it on, it doesn’t fit.

Maybe it’s the wrong size

.Maybe it’s not even real.

And no matter how much you try to adjust, it will never be comfortable.

Work and life are no different.

Not every client, collaboration, or opportunity is meant for you.

The wrong fit will only weigh you down.

The truth is, the wrong fit is never your responsibility to carry.

In the past, I didn’t always see it this way.

At my previous company, I took on more than I should have.

I tolerated bullies.

I accepted disrespect.

I swallowed words I should have spoken, just to keep the peace.

I thought being silent was being strong.

I thought making it work was my duty.

But silence came at a cost.

It meant shrinking myself so others could stay comfortable.

It meant wearing shoes that never fit, until I forgot how it felt to walk without pain.

Fast forward to today; life is completely different.

A 180.

The noise is gone.

Solitude is what surrounds me now.

Some days it feels empowering.

Other days it feels lonely.

But in that quiet, I can finally hear myself.

I can finally see what belongs and what doesn’t.

Which is why the shoe metaphor stays with me.

People sometimes say, “you’ve changed,” when you stop accepting what doesn’t serve you.

And they’re right.

The 2024 version of me might have stayed quiet and forced myself into the wrong fit.

The 2025 version knows better.

This isn’t arrogance.

It’s clarity.

And clarity is not always comfortable for others.

When you raise your standards, some will project their insecurities.

Some will call it ego.

Some will twist the story so they don’t have to face what they can’t handle.

But growth isn’t about looking down on others.

Growth is simply refusing to shrink yourself for someone else’s comfort.

The shoe was never the problem.

The lesson is.

If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t belong...

not on my feet,

not in my work,

not in my life.