I was on Facebook the other day and came across the quote: “Responding can cost you everything. Be slow to speak. The universe handles other people way better than you.” And this really hit me.
I’ve always been a relatively reserved person. You don’t get to know me until I’m comfortable with you. And if I don’t want you to know something, you won’t find out about it. I lead a quiet, private life, and I like it that way. I prefer to keep to myself and avoid being the center of attention.
I’m not someone who gets into arguments. You’re not going to find me trying to smart-mouth another person just for the sake of being heard. If someone decides to explode on me, I usually won’t respond or engage in the situation. I will stand there, acknowledge what they’re saying in my head, and probably walk away. If, for some reason, I can’t walk away, that person will receive silence from me.
And that’s the thing about silence: people don’t realize how powerful it is. Not everything requires a reaction. Sometimes the loudest statement you can make is the one you never say.
I am not someone who flies off the handle. I am a very calm and level-headed person. Honestly, I think I’m one of the calmest, most easygoing individuals you might ever meet. Unlike others, I think before I speak—because I know that words are irreversible. Once they’re said, you can’t take them back.
To this day, I still think about the mean things people have said to me in the past. And if I ever mention it, the person doesn’t even remember saying it. But I remember. I remember the sting of their words, how it made me feel small or unseen. That’s why I refuse to throw words around recklessly. I know the kind of weight they carry.
I was in an argument with someone a while back, and although I tried to remain calm, they became loud and confrontational with me. They resorted to name-calling, telling me I was this and that. Instead of matching their energy, I got up and left the situation—because you don’t get to tell me who I am. I know who I am, and I refuse to let anyone project their insecurities onto me.
A few days later, that same person tried to text me. Blocked instantly.
Because here’s the thing: I refuse to put my energy into someone who doesn’t serve me. Protecting my peace is far more important than proving a point.
You’ll never hear me spit something sharp at another person. The only time you might hear me speak up with fire in my voice is if someone disrespects someone I love. You can say whatever you want about me. Think what you want, believe what you want. I do not and will not care. To me, you are meaningless. But if you go after someone I love? That’s when I draw the line.
I’m a teacher, a sister, a daughter, a friend—an advocate. And I will not sit back and let someone disrespect someone I care about in front of me. Still, even in those situations, I don’t always take the anger out on the person spewing negativity. Why? Because they don’t deserve an ounce of my energy. What I will do is walk away and check on the person who was targeted. Because the truth is, I don’t care about the person who lashed out. I care about the person who was hurt by it.
And that’s where karma comes in.
Because let me tell you, the universe does not miss. People think they can get away with hurting others, spreading lies, or throwing around hate without consequence. But karma is patient, and karma is precise. It may not come back immediately, but it constantly circles. That person who tried to break you down? They’ll face their own lesson eventually—and the beauty is, you won’t have to lift a finger.
That’s why I don’t waste my energy on clapbacks or dragging someone down to my level. I let the universe handle it, because karma does it better than I ever could. Energy flows where attention goes. And if I keep my energy focused on love, peace, and the people who matter to me, then I know the universe will keep bringing that goodness back to me tenfold.
Responding really can cost you everything—your peace, your dignity, your power. But choosing silence, choosing peace, and choosing to trust the universe? That never costs you a thing. If anything, it pays you back in ways you don’t even see coming.
Featured image via Elina Sazonova on Pexels
Trust my warped process