Rotten Fruit Falls, Let It

No one really prepares you for this part.

The part where the challenge isn’t the job itself…
it’s the people.

The ones who smile in meetings but chip away at you behind the scenes.
The ones who make things harder than they need to be.
The ones who seem to take a strange interest in trying to make you feel small.

And sometimes, it’s not who you expect.

It’s the person who’s been there longer.
The one who should be mentoring, guiding, supporting.
Instead, they’re competing, undermining, and projecting something that has nothing to do with you.

And if you’re not careful, you start to internalize it.

You start questioning yourself.
Wondering if you did something wrong.
If you’re the problem.

You’re not.

Some people are just deeply unhappy.

And instead of doing the work to fix what’s going on within themselves…
they look for somewhere to place it.

Somewhere easier.

Someone who is growing.
Someone who is showing up.
Someone who reminds them, whether they realize it or not, of everything they’re not doing.

That’s where you come in.

But here’s the truth no one says out loud:

Not everything is yours to fix.
Not everything is yours to carry.
And not everyone deserves access to your energy.

You don’t need to match their behavior.
You don’t need to prove yourself to them.
You don’t need to play into something that was never yours to begin with.

You stay grounded.
You stay professional.
You stay focused on your work and your growth.

And you let them be exactly who they are.

Because over time…

it shows.

Character shows.
Patterns show.
And the truth has a way of coming to the surface without you forcing it.

Rotten fruit falls.

It always does.

You don’t have to shake the tree.
You don’t have to fight to expose it.
You don’t have to ruin yourself trying to defend your place.

Just keep showing up as you.

Consistent.
Focused.
Unbothered in the ways that matter.

And let what’s not solid… fall.

Pour your coffee, stay awhile

– Kayla