If You’re Not Being Talked About, You Might Be Playing It Too Safe

Being the subject of gossip hurts.

At work.

In church.

In family group chats that should be holy… but aren’t.

What makes it worse is this:

The story always finds its way back to you, edited, embellished, and emotionally violent.

Part of you wants to schedule a press conference: “Let me tell you my side of the story.”

Another part of you wants to go full TED Talk plus clapback combo…

Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there.

I’ve been there too.

After receiving two promotions in quick succession, my name suddenly became a topic of discussion. And not in a flattering way.

People had very creative ideas about how I got promoted.

None of them involved competence, consistency, or hard work.

Ouch.

The Lesson Gossip Taught Me After Realizing That If You’re Not Being Talked About, You Might Be Playing It Too Safe

Over time, I learned something that changed how I see gossip forever.

There are two categories of people in life:

Those who talk about people

Those who give people something to talk about

And here’s the uncomfortable truth:

People who talk about others are often not busy building anything meaningful.

People who are talked about?

They are visible. They are moving, despite imperfections. They are growing.

They are quietly or boldly winning.

Visibility attracts opinions.

Progress attracts commentary.

Growth attracts noise.

Rewriting the Narrative

At some point, I made a decision.

I stopped explaining. I stopped defending. I stopped auditioning for approval.

I focused on doing the work.

And something interesting happened.

Gossip lost its sting.

It became background noise. Sometimes, it even became free publicity.

Not every rumor is a threat.

Some are proof that you’re no longer invisible.

A Leadership Reminder

If you’ve ever been talked about for leveling up, let this land:

You don’t owe everyone an explanation remember, If You’re Not Being Talked About, You Might Be Playing It Too Safe

Your consistency will speak. Your integrity will speak.

Your results will speak.

Sometimes, that is more than enough.

So, ask yourself:

Am I shrinking to stay comfortable?

Or am I growing, even if it makes some people uncomfortable?

Because playing it safe may keep you quiet.

But growth will always make noise.

Bisola Mogaji