If You Can’t Clap for Others, It Will Never Be Your Turn

Why celebrating others’ success accelerates your own growth

Kamy Charles

9/27/20251 min read

a woman in a yellow sweater and a man in a blue shirt
a woman in a yellow sweater and a man in a blue shirt

In competitive workplaces, it’s easy to feel like there’s only so much success to go around.

When someone else gets the promotion, project, or recognition you hoped for, your first instinct might be frustration or self-doubt. But here’s the reality: someone else’s win doesn’t cancel out your future opportunities.

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The Scarcity Mindset at Work

Many professionals fall into the trap of believing that career growth is a zero-sum game. When others advance, they feel left behind.

This mindset creates:

Bitterness → Resentment toward peers or leadership decisions.

Isolation → Jealousy prevents collaboration and trust.

Burnout → Chasing success fueled by comparison, not purpose.

The truth? There’s more than enough success to go around—if you can shift your perspective.

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Why Celebrating Others Matters

At Opus Opportunities, we teach professionals that cheering for others isn’t just kindness—it’s strategy.

When you celebrate others, you:

1. Build stronger relationships → People remember how you show up in their wins.

2. Create positive visibility → Leaders notice those who uplift, not those who undermine.

3. Shift your energy → Gratitude keeps you motivated for your own goals.

Success isn’t a limited resource. There’s room for everyone’s story.

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How to Stop Comparing and Start Celebrating

1. Acknowledge your feelings → It’s okay to feel disappointed. Just don’t stay there.

2. Separate their path from yours → Their success doesn’t define your timeline.

3. Use it as inspiration → Learn what worked for them; apply it to your goals.

When you stop measuring your progress by someone else’s clock, you make space for your own moment to shine.

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Final Thought

The fastest way to slow down your growth is to resent someone else’s.

Celebrate others. Your turn is coming—and when it does, you’ll want people clapping for you too.