You don’t need everyone’s applause.
A seven-month-old Japanese macaque at a zoo near Tokyo named Punch has taken my life… and the internet by storm.
Do you know about Punch the macaque?? Well… here we go. I’m 100% obsessed with this little guy. Here’s the short story:
Punch was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth and left alone in his enclosure. To comfort him, zookeepers gave him a large stuffed orangutan toy — something soft to hold, something to cling to. And what happened next went viral. Millions of people around the world watched videos and photos of Punch gripping that toy — sometimes gazing at it like it was the only thing keeping him company. Well… because it for the longest time it was. They reintroduced Punch to the pack and he was bullied and rejected. For the longest time… it just seemed like it was Punch and his stuffy against the world. Then it happened – Punch was “adopted” by a female macaque who gave him hugs, love and even helped him get bugs off his stuffy.
But the reason the story resonated wasn’t just because it was “cute.”
It struck a nerve deep in all of us.
Why?
Because we’ve all been Punch at some point. We’ve all had moments where:
We felt alone.
We longed for comfort.
We looked for connection in places that didn’t satisfy us.
We held on to whatever made us feel safe — even if it wasn’t enough.
That longing… the ache for love, belonging, acceptance… is universal. It’s a biological human need.
And here’s the part emotional intelligence researchers emphasize:
Belonging isn’t about being loved by everyone.
It’s about being known and chosen by the right ones.
Some people will never get you.
..No matter how hard you try.
….You’ll be too loud.
……..Too soft.
………..Too emotional.
………….Too guarded.
……………Too intense.
……………..Not ambitious enough.
………………..Not expressive enough.
That’s not rejection.
That’s misalignment.
Emotionally intelligent people don’t shrink themselves to be palatable to the wrong crowd.
They learn:
1. Self-Awareness
You start by knowing who you are - strengths, quirks, preferences, limits.
2. Self-Regard
You don’t shrink, twist, or perform to earn approval. You accept who you are — and let the right people meet you there.
3. Reality Testing
Not everyone who walks away has “rejected” you. Sometimes, they were just never meant to stay.
And once you grasp that…
You stop watering yourself down to “fit-in”.
You stop performing to try to gain applause from people who aren’t your fans.
You stop shrinking yourself to be “more acceptable.”
Instead, you start belonging to yourself first — and being exactly who you came to be. And guess what… that’s when your true people begin to show up.
Your raving fans aren’t the ones who love you for YOU.
They’re the ones who:
laugh at your weird jokes
celebrate your wins
respect your boundaries
see your quirks as beauty
stick around when others walk away
Those are your people.
And just like Punch eventually started interacting with other macaques and building real connection, you too will find your tribe… not by changing who you are, but by showing up as who you are.
Because you weren’t made for everyone.
You were made for the people who get you,
love you,
and cheer for you.
Tuesday Tip:
Stop asking, “How do I get more people to like me?”
Start asking, “Who are My People — and how do I show up fully for them?”
You don’t need everyone’s applause.
You need the people who love you for YOU.
And that’s where you finally belong.
