Some people are not here to help you grow. They’re here to show you what happens if you get used to phoning it in.

Think about it: those people who are stuck in the same patterns, having the same complaints, repeating the same mistakes. They’re not inherently bad people. But they sure as hell aren’t helping you be your best self.

In fact, they’re doing the opposite. They’re serving as a cautionary tale. Every time you interact with them, you’re faced with a clear choice: evolve or stay stuck. And if you’re not careful, their energy, their complaints, their constant refusal to change, can make you wonder if you’re doing enough to keep growing. It can actually be contagious.

But here’s the kicker: whether these people are your family, friends, lovers, colleagues — you don’t have to become them.

They’re not your road map. They’re your wake-up call. Their failure to evolve is a reminder that you need to keep moving forward and stop accepting “that’s just the way things are done.”

My parents always said I was intelligent, determined and hard headed. I was never a delinquent or troublemaker, but if I believed in something — no matter how trivial, I went to the gauntlet for it.

The Difference Between Growth and Stagnation

It’s easy to get caught in someone else’s loop. You start to question your own path when they’re spinning their wheels, making excuses, and staying in the same place. But if you don’t separate yourself from that energy, you start to absorb it.

People who are genuinely here to help you evolve don’t drag you down. They don’t live in the past or in their own misery. They push you to grow. They challenge your thinking. They ask you tough questions and make you uncomfortable. They encourage you to take risks, to face your fears, and to move through your shit.

I do this with all the people I meet: my besties, my family, even people I’ve known 5 minutes.

I’m the biggest fan of leaving. Leave that job that’s not loving on you. Leave than man (or woman) that’s holding you back, but the predictability is why you stay. Leave that friend that has no actual life goals. Whatever the case, LEAVE.

People who are stuck don’t do that. They whine. They blame. They live in the same drama they’ve been playing in for years. And if you hang around them too long, you’ll start to wonder if that’s just what life is, and if that’s normal.

But it’s not. And it doesn’t have to be yours reality.

Don’t Let Stagnation Become Your Default

These people aren’t the problem. If they want to stay stuck, that’s on them. But the minute you start thinking their stagnation is your reality, you’ve got a problem. If you want to keep growing, you have to let them be the reminder of what you don’t want to become.

Every time you encounter someone who’s consistently stuck, see it for what it is: a warning. This is what happens if you don’t put in the work. This is the cost of complacency. This is what happens when you stop moving forward.

You don’t want to be there.

You have every right to move forward, to keep pushing, to not settle. They may not get it, and they may not understand your hustle. But that’s okay. You’re not here for anyone’s approval. You’re here to grow, thrive, and become the best version of yourself.

If you need a reminder, look around. There are plenty of people you’ll come across who are not a blueprint for your life. They’re a lesson in what happens when you choose not to push yourself, and settle.