We live in a generation where being self-made has become the ultimate badge of honor.
We celebrate stories of people who started with nothing, slept only three hours a night, sacrificed everything, and built an empire from scratch. And to be fair, that’s impressive. Hard work deserves recognition.
But there is only so far the “I did it all by myself” narrative can take us.
At the same time, we are living in a generation where loyalty seems increasingly rare. Many people have been betrayed. Others have been disappointed. Some have trusted the wrong people and paid a heavy price for it.
As a result, many have chosen a different path: they work alone. They build alone. They struggle alone. Some even choose to raise children alone because, in their minds, it brings more peace.
And honestly? I understand. Because in today’s world, peace is a currency more valuable than money.
LET ME BE CLEAR FIRST
Now before someone misunderstands me, let me be clear. I fully acknowledge that allowing people into your life comes with risks. Human beings can be complicated, what am I even saying? Human beings *are* complicated!!
They can disappoint you. They can hurt you. They can misunderstand your intentions.
And no, I am not talking about dating or marriage in this article. I’m talking about friendships, partnerships, communities, and the people God places in our lives for different seasons.
Despite all the complications that come with human relationships, I still believe one thing with my whole heart: life was never designed for you to walk alone.
WE WERE CREATED FOR CONNECTION
God did not create us to be islands. He created us for connection. For community. For collaboration. For support. For comfort. For growth.
In simple terms? He created us to do life together.
Think about it. God places us in families. He places us in friendships. He places us in churches. He places us in schools. He places us in organizations.
Why? Because there are certain burdens that become lighter when they are shared. There are certain victories that become sweeter when celebrated together. And there are certain seasons that would be almost impossible to survive without people around us.
No matter how difficult life gets, there’s something comforting about knowing you’re not carrying it all alone.
Sometimes people don’t even need solutions. They just need presence. Someone to sit with them. Someone to listen. Someone to remind them that they are not alone.
LET’S TALK BUSINESS FOR A MOMENT
I’ve never heard of a multinational company that was built by one person and continues to be run successfully by that one person alone. It doesn’t happen.
Take companies like Amazon, Meta, or SpaceX. Yes, they may have started with founders and visionaries. But when it was time to grow, scale, and expand, they needed people. They needed teams. They needed partnerships. They needed expertise. They needed collaboration.
And honestly, I think this is one reason many businesses remain stagnant. Not because the vision is bad. Not because the owners are unintelligent. But because they’re afraid to collaborate. Afraid to trust. Afraid to bring people on board. Afraid of being disappointed again.
What’s interesting is that when you study successful entrepreneurs, you’ll discover something. Most of them have stories of betrayal. Stories of bad partnerships. Stories of people who let them down.
Yet they didn’t allow those experiences to make them withdraw from everyone. They learned. They healed. They adjusted. And then they continued building.
SO WHAT AM I “CHAGGING”? 😄As the Gen Zs would say.
I’m simply saying this: don’t allow the hurt, disappointment, or betrayal of a few people to stop your progress in life. Not in business. Not in your career. Not in friendships. Not in your calling.
The Bible says:
“One can chase a thousand, two can put ten thousand to flight.”
And no, that scripture is not only about marriage. Think about the principle behind it. If two people can put ten thousand to flight, imagine what three, four, or five like-minded people can accomplish when they are moving in the same direction.
There is power in healthy partnerships. There is power in community. There is power in doing life with the right people.
PRAY FOR DIVINE ALIGNMENT
Now, if trusting people feels difficult because of what you’ve experienced, let me suggest something. Instead of giving up on people altogether... pray for divine alignment.
Ask God to align you with:
- The right friends
- The right mentors
- The right business partners
- The right colleagues
- The right community
And please understand: divine alignment does not mean there will never be conflict. Human beings are still human beings. 😄 There will be disagreements. There will be misunderstandings. There will be moments of frustration.
The difference is that healthy relationships resolve conflict instead of running from it. And many times, successfully navigating conflict makes the relationship even stronger.
A WORD ABOUT “CUTTING PEOPLE OFF”
As much as toxic people can be dangerous influences, don’t be too quick to cut people off over every little offense. I know “cut them off” has become very fashionable these days. 😄
But sometimes, what we call boundaries is actually unforgiveness wearing sunglasses.
Forgiveness is strength. Grace is strength. Patience is strength. Nobody is perfect. Not you. Not me. Not the people in our lives.
So learn to extend grace to good people who occasionally fall short. After all... I’m pretty sure someone somewhere is extending that same grace to you. Hahaha. 😄
TAKE THE LESSON, NOT THE BITTERNESS
Take the lessons that betrayal taught you. Take the wisdom that disappointment gave you. Take the discernment that came from being hurt.
But don’t take bitterness. And don’t take isolation.
Because the same God who called you to build the vision also created people who may be part of helping you build it. Never lose sight of the bigger picture.
Nobody is an island. And no matter how independent we become... life was never designed for you to walk alone.
Sometimes the answer to your next level is not found in working harder alone. Sometimes it is found in the people God has strategically placed around you.
The wisdom is learning how to discern who to walk with, without convincing yourself that you must walk by yourself. 🤍
**Have you ever had to choose between isolation and healthy vulnerability with people? What helped you decide? Tell me in the comments, I’d love to hear your story. 👇**