Over the Weekend, I Invited My Old School Friends to My New Home—A Decade of Hard Work, No Holidays,…

At the weekend, I invited my old school friends round to my new house. I was brimming with anticipation.
It had cost me ten years of toil no holidays, no days off, driving the same battered Ford yet finally Id made it.
I fired up the barbecue, bought plenty of the ales they favoured. When they arrived I expected celebration, sharing in my joy. But the air was peculiar, dense and sluggish, as if we were underwater.
As I led them around the place, no one uttered a single well done. Instead, I heard:
Blimey, its a bit out of the way, isnt it? Dont you get sick of the traffic?
The gardens awfully small. I could fit a pool in mine. (though hes only renting his)
Hope you dont get made redundant, that mortgage looks a real monster.
They ate, they drank, and then left early vanishing as if theyd never truly arrived. When I closed the door behind them, a strange emptiness pressed in, thick and cold. I found myself oddly guilty, as though succeeding was cause for shame.
The next day, I told my father about it all. He chuckled, and shared an old saying with me that changed how I saw people forever:
Son, have you ever seen crabs in a bucket? The moment one tries to crawl out, the others pull it right back down.
Then clarity dawned.
My friends arent wicked. Its just that my leap forward reminded them of their own inertia. My new home wasnt a triumph in their eyesit was an awkward mirror of what they hadnt done.
A week later, I invited George round. George isnt a childhood mate; we met in business a couple of years ago. Hes got three times the money I have. When he stepped inside, his eyes sparkled and he wrapped me in a bear hug that nearly knocked the breath from my lungs.
Brilliant, mate! Youve smashed it! Its fantastic! Tell me how you sealed the deal I want all the details!
There was no envy in George.
He felt inspired.
Heres the hard truth:
watch closely who doesnt clap when you succeed. There are those who care about you as long as you remain on their level, unmoving, which suits their comfort. When you move ahead, you start to shed friends. Thats simply the price you pay for growth.
Dont feel guilty.
You havent lost friends; youve shed weight.
Stay close to those who cheer for you, whose own brightness is undimmed by yours.