It’s a hard truth most people avoid, but one that becomes clearer the higher you climb. If you want true success, you may not get to keep all your friendships. The two don’t always mix. Ambition demands focus, sacrifice, and the willingness to outgrow your surroundings. And sometimes, your surroundings include the people closest to you.

Success creates distance. Not because you become arrogant, but because your priorities change. While others are spending time on comfort, you’re grinding. While they’re playing it safe, you’re taking risks. That difference in direction breeds tension. People start to resent your focus. They miss the old version of you—the one who made time for everything and everyone.

Friendship, especially the kind built on familiarity and shared routine, doesn’t always survive transformation. When you start breaking patterns, it forces others to reflect on their own lives. And not everyone wants to do that. Your discipline might feel like judgment to someone who’s coasting. Your drive might feel like rejection to someone who just wants things to stay the same.

This doesn’t mean you have to walk alone. But it does mean you’ll have to choose. Choose between being liked and being respected. Between being included and being exceptional. Between staying the same and stepping into who you’re meant to be.

If you’re lucky, some friendships will grow with you. The rare few will cheer for you even when it makes them question their own pace. But don’t expect it. Build your life on mission, not on the need to be understood.

Because in the end, you can have connection. You can have a tribe. But only if you’re willing to let go of those who can’t handle your elevation. You want friends or success, pick one. And if you’re strong enough to pick success, the right people will find you on the way.