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Effective Ways To Navigate Unhealthy Silent Competition In Friendship Groups
Friendship groups, often referred to as tribes, gained immense popularity during the pandemic, celebrated for the mutual support and joy they bring. However, the discourse surrounding these groups often neglected a nuanced topic— the silent competition that can subtly emerge within a tribe. While some level of healthy competition can inspire personal growth, there exists an unhealthy side marked by emotions and pride.
Navigating such environments becomes challenging, especially when friendships are at stake. Navigating competition is not an easy task and for many folks, identifying unhealthy competition can be difficult to spot. I am going to provide you with the signs to look out for when dealing with unhealthy competition, how to effectively address it, and tangible ways to maintain supportive friendships.
There's nothing quite as fulfilling as being part of a vibrant community where individuals align in values, support one another, and uplift with words of encouragement. Yet, this ideal scenario isn't always the reality within friend circles or tribes. Frequently, unchecked jealousy, envy, and resentment can simmer beneath the surface, leading to unhealthy dynamics. Sadly, this can breed a toxic atmosphere of covert competition, often without the affected party even realizing it.
Here are some indicators that unhealthy competition may be present within your circle of friends:
Backhanded Compliments: When Insults Hide in "Praise"
Insults, whether veiled as compliments or not, are never truly flattering. Even when accompanied by laughter, unsolicited comments about your appearance, decisions, thoughts, beliefs, and more are never acceptable. In essence, anyone exhibiting "nice nasty" behavior toward you is revealing underlying animosity and competition. Moreover, they might consistently downplay or criticize your achievements or goals.
Take note of those who stand by you during challenging times and ponder this question: "Do they offer the same level of support and enthusiasm during my triumphs?" If the answer is no, it might be worth delving deeper into the topic.
Another indication of silent competition arises when someone constantly shifts the focus of your accomplishments and good news onto themselves. For example, if you share news of a promotion at work, the silent competitor may divert attention by recounting their own promotion or downplaying your achievements. These individuals struggle to genuinely celebrate your wins and may even feel threatened by your success.
Their body language often reveals their discomfort, such as avoiding eye contact, forced smiles, frowns, or creating physical distance. Paying attention to these cues can unveil the presence of silent rivalry within the relationship.
Now that you're aware of the signs to watch for, let's explore how to navigate this newfound insight:
Before taking any action, it's crucial to decide whether you want to salvage the friendship. Ask yourself if this relationship is truly worth the effort and if it brings positive value to your life. If your answer leans towards the negative, it might be time to reevaluate the necessity of maintaining this friendship.
Once you've made a decision about the future of your friendship, it's important to prepare for a potentially challenging conversation.
- If you've chosen to maintain the friendship, it's helpful to articulate the patterns you've noticed and express your feelings about them. Remember, no one can invalidate your experiences or emotions on the matter. After stating your observations, it's crucial to clearly communicate your expectations regarding respect and boundaries. You have the authority to define how you wish to be treated, but it's essential to assert these boundaries clearly.
- If you've decided to end the friendship, you have a couple of options. You can be straightforward about your feelings regarding the dynamic and communicate that you're no longer interested in maintaining the relationship. Alternatively, you can express your true feelings and gradually distance yourself from the friendship. This distancing might involve refraining from sharing personal news and accomplishments or reducing the frequency of spending time together.
While unhealthy competition within social circles may not always be avoidable, it can certainly be managed effectively. If you're still uncertain whether you're dealing with unhealthy competition, consider this golden rule: If you find yourself questioning a friend's motives due to their negative behavior towards you, chances are there's unhealthy competition at play.
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Joy is a 2x Author, Empowerment Speaker, and Strategy Coach. Her platform, Speak With Joy, mission is, "To empower and equip Women and Young Adults to speak with JOY despite life's circumstances in the area of FAITH, PURPOSE, and RELATIONSHIPS".
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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