Let me tell you about a woman I used to be…
She meant well.
She loved hard.
She showed up — even when it cost her everything.

And for a long time, I thought that’s what love was:
Giving. Showing up. Being there no matter what.

But what I didn’t realize…
Was that I was bleeding peace in the name of loyalty.

There was a particular friend I had — let’s call her Lena.
Me and Lena went way back. We had laughs, late-night phone calls, inside jokes, and shared tears.
But somewhere along the way… the relationship shifted.

Every time she called, it was chaos.
Crisis. Complaints.
Drama that showed up like it paid rent.

And every time, I’d drop everything.
Didn’t matter what I was doing.
I’d pick up the phone like it was a fire alarm and treat her stress like it was my emergency.

Now don’t get me wrong —
Being there for folks is a beautiful thing.
But not when you’re the only one showing up with clean hands and a heavy heart.

It came to a head one Sunday afternoon.

I was sitting in my favorite chair, finally taking a moment to read, sip some tea, and breathe.
Phone rings — Lena again.
My stomach dropped.

Not because I didn’t love her…
But because every time I picked up, I lost something.
My calm.
My clarity.
My time.
Myself.

And that day?
Something in me — something holy — whispered:

Whew.
That thing hit deep.

So you know what I did?

I let it ring.

No guilt. No explanation. No follow-up text.
Just silence… and space.

And baby, you know what I found in that silence?

Me.

I found a woman who had spent years showing up for folks that wouldn’t walk across the street for her.
I found a soul that was tired of being polite in places that were draining the life out of her.
I found peace —
Not because someone gave it to me…
But because I finally decided I was worth protecting.

Since then, I’ve created boundaries like a woman building a kingdom.
Not to keep people out,
But to keep my joy, my energy, and my sanity in.

So if you’re reading this and you’ve got a “Lena” in your life…
Let this be your permission slip.

You can love people — and still put limits in place.
You can care — and still say no.
You can be loyal — without being their emotional dumping ground.

Because the truth is…
Peace is not a luxury.
It’s a necessity.
And baby, it’s your responsibility to guard it like it pays your bills — because spiritually? It does.

“Peace is expensive. Don’t be giving it out like loose change.”

Let me tell you something that took me years to learn — and some tears to accept:

Not everyone deserves access to your energy.

Just because they got your number,
Just because they carry your last name,
Just because they say they love you,
Does not mean they’re entitled to your peace.

Because peace, baby?
It ain’t just a mood — it’s a resource.
And when it’s gone, everything suffers: your sleep, your spirit, your purpose, your power.

I used to think being “available” made me a good person.
So I let folks walk in and out of my life like it was a corner store —
grabbing what they needed and leaving me emptied out.

I’d answer every phone call.
Say yes to every favor.
Let guilt and history make decisions for me.

And do you know where that got me?

Tired. Resentful. Out of alignment.

But baby, the day I learned how to say “No.”
The day I realized I wasn’t obligated to be drained for the sake of being “nice”…
That’s the day I started protecting my peace like it was payroll.

Ask yourself this question — and be honest:

Now write down:

Then do it.
Not out of malice — out of maturity.

Charlie says:
You can’t build a dream in a storm.
You can’t hit your goals if your spirit is exhausted from trying to manage mess.

You want clarity in your business?
Start with peace in your home.
You want to scale your income?
Protect your input. Not everyone gets to download their drama into your spirit.

The world will keep pulling at you —
Until you teach it where your line is.

So today, I’m giving you full permission to:

Don’t wait until you break down to protect your balance.

Your peace is your power.
And baby… it’s non-negotiable.

With gentleness and a side of backbone,
– Mama Keys

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