Not Everyone Near Your Light Wants You to Shine

People aren’t always jealous of your stuff.

It’s not your car.

It’s not your purse.

It’s not even your man.

(Okay—sometimes it’s your man.)

But more often?

It’s your peace.

It’s your joy.

It’s your ability to walk into a room, be fully yourself, and not flinch when people don’t clap.

It’s the way others feel seen by you—like you carry something they’ve been trying to find.

And for some people? That’s frustrating.

I know, because I’ve seen and lived it.

I’ve had people who smiled in my face and took notes behind my back.

People who stayed close—not because they loved me—but because others did.

They liked the proximity. They liked the influence. They liked being next to the girl that made other people feel safe.

But support?

Real friendship?

That wasn’t the goal.

They weren’t clapping for me—they were clinging to me.

Not to lift me higher, but to study me.

To copy what they couldn’t create.

To sabotage what they couldn’t duplicate.

And I don’t say that from a place of bitterness. I say it with clarity. Because when you’re a light in the room, people will gravitate toward you—but not all of them come with good intentions.

Some will twist your confidence into arrogance.

Some will call your boundaries “betrayal.”

Some will downplay your shine because they’re scared of what it reveals about their shadows.

And the wildest part?

Some will do both.

They’ll hype you up in public, and tear you down in private.

They’ll ask you for help, repost your quotes, show up to your events—and still compete with you in their heart.

It’s confusing.

It’s painful.

And if you’re not grounded, it’ll make you question everything about your gift.

So let me tell you what I had to learn the hard way:

You are not the problem.

Your light is.

And it’s doing exactly what God made it to do—reveal what’s real.

Now—here’s the plot twist.

Maybe you’re not the one being dimmed.

Maybe you’ve found yourself holding the dimmer.

Maybe someone else’s glow hit a little too close to home.

Maybe you felt that twist in your chest watching someone else walk boldly in a calling that looks like yours.

Maybe you’ve thought, “Why her, God? Why not me?”

Listen—I say this with love:

That doesn’t make you a bad person.

That makes you honest.

And God can work with honest.

But He won’t let you stay there.

There is grace for the struggle.

But there’s also growth.

Because the truth is:

There is something inside you that is just as powerful.

Just as necessary.

Just as bright.

You don’t need to compete with someone else’s assignment.

The only lane that feels crowded is the one you were never called to run in.

So whether you’re the one being shaded…

Or the one casting it…

There’s a better way.

Because your light?

It’s not just for aesthetics.

It’s for assignment.

So shine.

Shine even when it’s lonely.

Shine even when they mock you.

Shine even when you have to mourn the loss of friends who were really just fans—or worse, opportunists.

Shine in a way that heals people.

Shine in a way that shakes atmospheres.

Shine in a way that makes you uncomfortable because you know you’re finally showing up as your whole self—no shrinking, no pretending.

And the ones who don’t know what to do with your light?

Let them squint.