It was a summer night, and we were driving around with the top down, music blasting. It was one of those feel-good days when you notice how happy you are while you’re in the moment, when you think to yourself, “Let me store this and remember it forever.”
I was just about to start my full-time job, and I had learned of an exciting potential opportunity within my position. I told my friend all about it while we were in the thick of that blissful moment. I remember she started crying, and I asked her, “What are the tears for?!” She just looked at me and said, “Taylor, I am so happy for you.”
Right in that moment, I realized that if the herd of people in your corner aren’t cheering for you, you need a louder tribe. It is so easy to go through life feeling shallow contentment from only getting a few pats on the back and “good jobs”. I’ll be the first to say that believing in yourself is the key to success, but my gosh, having people who root for you as if they’re watching you on the sidelines of a marathon is such a good feeling.
I was reminded that it is so important to surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed and thrive. People who are so happy for you that it makes them emotional. You don’t deserve some half-assed congratulations when you come across exciting opportunities, reach your goals, or even just put yourself in the position to be more authentic. You deserve a group of people who go out of their way to show you that they’re proud of you. That doesn’t have to be with bouquets of flowers, gifts, or even an Instagram post. It simply means you have to have people who you know genuinely care about your well-being. It will show in many ways, but at the end of the day, what matters most is that you feel it.
There have been so many times my friends have shared in my pure happiness, and I cannot begin to explain how much that means to me. I know that it’s easy for people to feel jealous when you reach a certain milestone, but if you’re constantly around energy that feels rooted in comparison and envy, then I would urge you to reconsider the people you call friends. If you’re apprehensive about sharing good news, or feel slighted after sharing what you would consider exciting information about your next steps, know that you deserve more.
It is unfair to always be happy for your friends and then feel no reciprocation when it’s your time to shine. We all deserve to flourish. There is room for each one of us. You can have your own back in every situation and hype yourself up for what’s going right in your life, but if you allow people to burst your bubble in your moments of bliss, they do not have your best intention at heart. It can be hard to find those people, but it is not impossible. If you’re someone to be unbounded in your willingness to be happy for others, believe that there are more people like you, and make it a point to find them.
I want to give the biggest shout out to the people who have been cheering for me since day one. You are quite literally the wind beneath my wings, and as cheesy as that sounds, it wouldn’t be genuine if I said anything else. So, thank you. For shedding tears of joy, writing me heartfelt notes, supporting my crazy ideas, loving me for who I am, and telling me you see a bright future for me.
Let it be known: I didn’t win an Oscar or an Emmy, but you don’t need a reason to thank the people in your corner for hyping up the small wins. Those ones count, too. I’d argue, they count more. Because if you ever win an Oscar or an Emmy, and the people who cheer for you then were silent when you were just making your start, I’d say they weren’t in your corner to begin with. They were on the outside waiting to see what was worth congratulating.
So, notice who cares and who shows it, thank them endlessly, and then always return the favor. You should be your loudest cheerleader, but know that you deserve a squad of people who carry megaphones to echo your chants. Your squad is out there, if you haven’t found them already. I promise you that.
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