Ohhhhh, THIS ONE! 👏😂
"You give them a taste of their own medicine, then they tell everyone you poisoned them."
Now, if that isn't one of the most accurate descriptions of human behavior I've ever read!
And before somebody starts assuming this is about an ex-boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife… HOLD UP!
This applies to EVERY relationship in your life.
Family. Friends. Coworkers. Neighbors. Acquaintances. Even that one person who somehow manages to create drama in a room full of houseplants. 🙄😂
You know the type.
They can disrespect you, dismiss your feelings, cross your boundaries, make little digs disguised as jokes, and treat you like your patience comes with an unlimited subscription.
And for the longest time, you let things slide.
You give grace.
You make excuses.
You try to understand where they're coming from.
You tell yourself, "That's just how they are."
But here's a question…
Why is "that's just how they are" always supposed to be YOUR problem to tolerate?
Funny how that works, isn't it?
They can say whatever they want, but when you finally speak up, you're rude.
They can ignore you for weeks, but when you stop reaching out, you've changed.
They can gossip about you, but when you defend yourself, you're creating drama.
They can disrespect your boundaries, but when you enforce them, you're selfish.
And my personal favorite…
They can dish it out with a shovel, but apparently need emotional life support when you hand them a teaspoon. 😂
Suddenly, you're the villain in a story they conveniently forgot they started.
And let's talk about that for a minute.
Because sometimes people don't get upset about what you did.
They get upset because you stopped allowing them to do whatever THEY wanted.
They weren't uncomfortable when you were swallowing your feelings.
They weren't concerned when you were the one being hurt.
They weren't questioning their behavior when you were keeping the peace.
But the moment you say, "Enough"?
OH, NOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM! 🚨😂
Suddenly, you're difficult.
You're cold.
You're mean.
You've changed.
Well, congratulations, Sherlock. You finally noticed! 👏
But here's where I've learned something important.
You don't actually have to give people a taste of their own medicine.
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply stop accepting it.
Stop explaining yourself to people committed to misunderstanding you.
Stop chasing relationships that only survive because YOU do all the work.
Stop apologizing for having boundaries.
And stop confusing keeping the peace with sacrificing your own.
Because there's a difference between revenge and self-respect.
Revenge says, "I'm going to hurt you because you hurt me."
Self-respect says, "I'm not going to keep giving you opportunities to hurt me."
And trust me, that second one is a whole lot more peaceful.
The older I get, the more I realize that access to me is not an unlimited lifetime membership.
I can love you and still need distance.
I can forgive you and still choose not to reconnect.
I can wish you well without inviting you back into my life.
And I can understand why you behave a certain way without making myself responsible for tolerating it.
That's not bitterness.
That's growth.
And sometimes growth makes people uncomfortable, especially the ones who benefited from the version of you who never said no.
Now, am I perfect? Absolutely not.
Have I reacted emotionally when I felt disrespected? You bet.
Have I occasionally matched somebody's energy instead of walking away?
Listen, I'm human, not a scented candle. 😂
But I'm learning that not every situation deserves my reaction, not every accusation deserves my defense, and not every relationship deserves a permanent place in my life.
Because protecting your peace isn't about punishing other people. It's about finally respecting yourself.
And if someone has to turn you into the bad guy to avoid acknowledging how they treated you?
Let them tell their story.
You don't have to attend every argument you're invited to.
You don't have to correct every rumor.
And you certainly don't have to keep swallowing somebody else's nonsense just to prove you're a good person.
Sometimes the healthiest response is a boundary, a little distance, and a whole lot of silence.
Because the real goal isn't to make them taste their own medicine. It's to stop letting their behavior poison YOUR peace. ❤️
And THAT, my friends, is a prescription worth filling. 💊😂
Now tell me something… Have you ever noticed how the people who complain the loudest about your boundaries are sometimes the very people who made those boundaries necessary? 👀
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