Your Success Doesn't Threaten Anyone Else's

I don’t know if you can relate with this, but I feel a tension in my life. On one hand I am fully committed to becoming the best, most impactful, most successful version of myself. I want to experience all that life has to offer and contribute to the well-being of others in ways that most people can’t.

But at the same time, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to make others feel worse about themselves and their life. There’s a fear that if I grow a big business, others will feel more insecure about there’s. If I build a global impact movement, people will see their contributions as less meaningful.

Even in my marriage - my wife and I have a beautiful love story about how we met and got together, and I fear that our relationship makes other people question the quality of theirs.

As you can tell this is something I’m very much working on, a dynamic that’s still present for me. But I’ve heard some great advice, a favorite quote from Marianne Williamson, that you’ve probably heard before, that I want to share within this context:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,

talented and fabulous?

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Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won’t feel insecure around you.

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We were born to make manifest the glory of

God that is within us.

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It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people

permission to do the same.

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As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.”

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To summarize this beautiful quote: Your success doesn’t threaten anyone else’s potential for success. 

Sure it might threaten their character and surface their insecurities, but it doesn’t mean they’re less capable of being successful themselves.  In fact, it could inspire and bring out something better within them. Your bravery to be bigger and bolder could push someone else past their tipping point, and catalyze their greatness.

And that’s what I’m actively choosing to believe. It’s still a bit unnatural to me, but I’m seeing all the reasons why my success benefits others. We’re always in progress, and that’s the most beautiful part!

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