Success.
A word that means a variety of things to a variety of people.
I think we all can agree though, that success is measured by money, possessions, and status to most people.
And that’s fine and dandy for the sake of today’s topic at hand (even though success encompasses so much more) because these are the main areas that trigger most people.
Let’s talk about it.
I feel it would be best to this start off with an example from the media, as those occurrences are most widely known by the masses
We’ve all seen underdogs in the entertainment industry, especially on the Black side.
Let’s take Tiffany Haddish for example.
Everyone knows that her breakout role was in the critically claimed movie, Girls Trip.
And of course, the Black community rallied behind her because we love to see our overlooked brothers and sisters, aka underdogs, finally getting some mainstream recognition.
However, it wasn’t too long before the narrative flipped, and shortly thereafter many in our community began bashing Haddish.
Calling her a sellout, saying they “never thought she was funny anyway” (even though they most likely cried in laughter in the theaters like the rest of us, smh), and saying that she should be canceled because of disagreements they had with words and actions from her past.
Now, let’s just talk about this #cancelculture thing for a minute.
It’s stupid.
It’s one thing to stop supporting someone because they morals and values don’t align with your own, but to try and say that someone doesn’t deserve their career because you don’t like something they said is absolutely ridiculous.
And to bring up the fact that you “went hard” for said individual as if that gives you the entitlement to try to end what they’ve built, it’s disgusting.
First off, stop “supporting” people if you’re just going to throw it back in their face later on.
Second, most of these “overnight successes” like Tiffany Haddish aren’t really overnight.
Most of y’all who participate in this dumb movement like to completely negate all the work they did prior to coming in your cynical peripherals.
Don’t dismiss all the years Tiffany Haddish put in work when none of us knew her name to even get the role in Girls Trip.
I don’t agree with everything she has said or done, but who am I to try to take away her livelihood because of that?
I don’t agree with everything my mama says or does, but I ain’t “canceling” her, and that applies to anyone else.
You have the right to choose not to support anyone, but don’t contribute to all these hate bandwagons, it’s just wack, and you would want the same grace to be given to you if the roles were reversed.
So, let’s explore this concept further.
What is the real reason why people are quick to drop each other in situations like this?
Insecurities.
We are naturally selfish beings, which is fine within certain realms, but it gets extremely toxic when that selfishness is projected onto other people.
People supported Tiffany Haddish the way they did right after Girls Trip because she was one of us, a real “sister-girl” if you will, she felt like our best kept secret.
But naturally as her fame grew, we had to share her with other people, she wasn’t our little secret anymore.
We had to share.
And isn’t it humbling when something (or someone) that you once had sole access to isn’t as available to you any longer?
Stings a bit.
Isn’t it even more humbling when something (or someone) that you once had sole access to outgrows you?
Stings a lot.
I’m not saying Tiffany Haddish outgrew the Black community, I believe she’s just been exposed to more knowledge on how to play the game, but many in our community took it that way.
She now has way more access to resources most of us could only imagine and because we don’t fully understand, a lot of us have lashed out.
Let’s apply this to our everyday lives.
That co-worker bestie that starts giving you the cold shoulder when you get the big promotion at work.
That family member that starts interrogating your every move when you branch out into entrepreneurship.
That significant other that starts acting funny when you begin strengthening your self-development.
They may not even realize they’re doing it, but their reactions to your growth are directly linked to an insecurity within themselves.
Everybody’s all good when y’all are all on the same level, stuck in the same cycles with the same mindset.
But as soon as you start to consider a new way of thinking or living, or even if it’s an unsolicited blessing from God, their perspective of you changes.
Obviously, no one likes having to sift through every flaw they have, so it’s just easier to shift the blame to you.
And honestly?
You may have switched up, but not in the way they’re referencing.
You leveled up.
If they can’t rise to the occasion with you, then just cut all ties because you don’t need to be feeling guilty about your success.
Anyone who makes you feel like you don’t deserve the blessings God has given you can stay in the hating corner they reside in.
I’m sorry to say that this isn’t a post with a viable resolution because we all know we can’t control other people’s toxic habits, I brought up this topic because I want you to prepare for all the hell that people are going to throw your way as you climb the latter.
People “want” you to succeed until you do.
Then they start hating.
Make sure to give them a lot to hate on.
Let’s have an open dialogue about our community’s reaction to success in the comments below and on our social media pages!
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