People may smirk when you take up kickboxing at the age of 43. Or they may ask, “Are you sure?” when you choose to end a long relationship. Or they may keep you away from a project that's “too technical” for a writer.
There are reasons they may do these things. People, en masse, do not always make the kindest choice. Or they may confuse projection for empathy. Or in wanting to shield you from failure, they deny you experience.
The thing to know is that this is their weakness not yours.
You are strong for trying something new.
You are brave for learning what you didn’t know yesterday.
You are powerful for choosing discomfort for growth.
You are worthy of the new reality that’s being built by your courage.
You are becoming the person no one could stop you from being.
So yes, like a tree being temporarily choked in place by a too-small sidewalk planter, you will feel pressured to stay within your bounds. But trees break sidewalks every day. Big roots crack concrete.
No one can draw a boundary around your brilliance.