Tag: A seat at my table

“The Peace I Have Now”..

The peace I have now is far more valuable than every loss I have faced.

Because for a long time, I mistook attachment for love, noise for living, and chaos for meaning. I held on to people, places, and situations that drained me, believing that letting go meant losing something irreplaceable. But peace taught me that nothing and no one you lose while finding yourself is ever truly a loss.

Peace does not arrive wrapped in perfection, it comes quietly after the storm has passed, when your soul finally stops arguing with what was never meant to stay. It is not the absence of pain, but the acceptance of divine order, that everything that left, every door that closed, every chapter that ended, all carried purpose.

The journey toward this kind of peace is sacred. It strips you bare. It teaches you to find comfort not in the arms of others, but in the stillness within your own. You start to understand that sometimes GOD removes things not to hurt you, but to heal you. He silences certain voices so you can finally hear His. He empties your hands so you can receive what is truly yours.

This peace is not passive. It is power. It is the strength to walk away without bitterness, to forgive without seeking apology, and to rest in the knowing that nothing destined for you will ever need to be forced. It is choosing calm over chaos, alignment over approval, and faith over fear.

You realize that your spirit no longer craves what once broke it. That your heart beats lighter now, not because everything is perfect, but because you finally stopped fighting what GOD already settled. The peace you carry today is the reward for every sleepless night, every unanswered question, every tear that never saw a shoulder.

Yes, the losses were real, but so is the peace. And when you weigh them, you will see, nothing you lost compares to the serenity you gained. Because in finding peace, you did not lose, you ascended.

“A Heart That Still Calls Out”..

There comes a point in every soul’s journey where silence becomes the only prayer left. Where words fall short, and all that is left is a trembling whisper .. “OH ALLAH” .. Not because He does not know what we feel, but because saying His name is the only thing keeping us from falling apart completely.

Sometimes it is not that we have lost faith, it is that we have run out of strength. The kind of exhaustion that seeps into your bones, where even breathing feels like effort, and your heart aches from carrying too much. Yet even in that weakness, even in the shadows of doubt and fatigue, there is something quietly sacred, because that is where surrender begins.

We spend so much of our lives chasing healing from people who are just as broken as us, comfort from things that fade, and answers from places that were never meant to carry divine weight. And then, when every door closes, when every hand slips away, when even our reflection feels like a stranger, that is when ALLAH gently reminds us, “I never left. You just stopped looking for Me.”

Oh ALLAH… You are the One who sees the tears that never fall. You are the One who hears the cries we silence so the world will not see us shatter. You are the One who knows the storms we hide behind our smiles. And still.. Still You cover our flaws, still You forgive, still You love us beyond our ability to deserve it.

There is a kind of peace that only comes after pain, a kind of nearness that only comes after being lost. Because sometimes, Allah breaks us to rebuild us right. Sometimes He empties our hearts not to punish us, but to make room for Himself. And that is the secret. The very thing we fear, the breaking, is what saves us.

So yes, I am weak .. But I am held.

Yes, I am lost .. But I am being guided.

Yes, I am tired .. But I am seen.

And even when my soul trembles, my faith still whispers..

Allah is enough for me.

If I have nothing left but His mercy, then I still have everything. Because every time I have fallen, His grace caught me. Every time I wandered, His light found me. And every time I whispered, “Do not leave me,” He never did.

May my final breath carry His name.

My final thought be of His mercy.

And my final moment be in His remembrance.

Because even in my weakness, I have learned.. The most beautiful place to fall… is into sujood/prostration. 🤍

“The Calm After You Crossed the Line”..

Do not mistake my grace for a green light, that was your final warning. You crossed a line while I was being kind. And that is where people always miscalculate me, they think the quiet means weakness, that my silence means surrender, that my peace is naïve. But what they forget is. I do not raise my voice, I raise my standards.

See, I did not rage. I re-organised.

I did not argue. I archived.

I did not chase. I chose myself.

I studied the pattern. I took notes. I changed the locks. The seat you once had at my table, the one that fed off loyalty and respect, closed the moment you treated me like an option. I do not beg to be seen, I simply stop showing up. Because I have learned the hard way that not everyone deserves access to a healed version of me.

I used to confuse empathy with endurance. I used to think love meant staying, forgiving, explaining, trying one more time. But no love without accountability becomes self-betrayal. And I refuse to betray my own peace again just to prove I care. I have mastered the art of letting people wonder why I disappeared instead of explaining why I had to.

You will notice something about my absence, it is not loud. It does not come with an announcement or a warning. It comes with peace, with space, with energy that no longer includes you. That silence you hear? That is not emptiness, that is elevation. I let peace walk in first hoping you would recognise what kind of energy you were standing next to. Instead, you mistook compassion for permission. You thought kindness meant comfort. You thought access meant ownership. You thought grace meant forever.

You learnt too late that I am not built for repeat lessons.

See, when I pull back, it is never impulsive, it is intentional. I do not ghost. I graduate. I do not do revenge. I do release. Because there is a point you reach where the loudest statement you can make is distance. No arguments, no closure, no spectacle, just absence.

So no, I am not mad. I moved on. My silence is not coldness, it is clarity. My calm is not mercy, it is management. I no longer waste my energy proving who I am to people who showed me they do not care. I save my fire for elevation, not entertainment.

And when I walk away, it is not loss. It is liquidation. I am cashing out the time, energy, and emotion, I once invested in what no longer grows. You can keep the noise, I will keep my peace. Because my peace does not beg to be kept, it protects itself. It locks its own doors. It cleans its own table. It knows who belongs and who no longer does.

So remember this, when I am calm, it is not softness, it is strategy. When I go quiet, it is not confusion, it is conclusion. When I walk away, it is not punishment, it is preservation.

Because I have learned something sacred, closure is not a conversation. It is a decision.

And I already made mine. 🥀

✨“Three Wishes”✨

You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?

If I had three wishes, I would not waste them on the things that fade with time. I would wish for what my soul aches for.

My first wish would be to bring my parents back, not just to see them, but to feel them. To hear their laughter echo through the house again, to taste peace in their presence, to see that love that once anchored me through every storm. And if I got that chance again, I would fight harder for them. I would fight for my dad to be respected the way he deserved, for my mom to be loved and never used or abused again. I would be the daughter who never spent a second away from them, who told them everything in her heart without holding back, every thought, every feeling, every dream. I would make sure they never doubted how much I adored them. And if I ever had to lose them again, I would want to know deep in my soul that I was a daughter they could be proud of. I really hope… That they are proud of me.

My second wish would be for abundance, not greed, but ease. I would wish for good health and wealth in plenty, the kind that lets me breathe without the weight of worry pressing on my chest. I do not want riches for vanity, I want them for peace. I want to wake up without counting bills, without fearing how I will make it through the month, without praying for a miracle to pay a medical expense. I want to live free, healthy, secure, unburdened, knowing my needs are covered and my blessings overflow.

My third wish would be for transformation, to be the best version of myself in every way that matters. I would ask for a heart that forgives easily and forgets completely, a mind that does not hold on to pain or keeps receipts, a soul that glows even after being shattered. I would wish to heal from everything that once broke me, not by erasing the past, but by softening its grip. I would wish for peace to live inside me permanently, for grace to be my language, and for love to be my nature.

Three wishes..

Love restored .. Peace secured .. Soul renewed.

That is all I would ever need.

“It Will Be What God Says”..

There came a point in my journey where I had to quietly, but firmly, distance myself from “it is what it is” people. You know the kind, those who take every setback, every disappointment, every heartbreak and simply shrug it off with defeat disguised as acceptance. But let us be real now, that phrase is not peace, it is surrender. It is the sound of giving up before the battle has even begun. And I am not built for surrender. I do not walk with a spirit of defeat. I walk with a spirit of faith.

Yes, life be lifing..

I will not deny that. Storms come. Bills pile up. People switch up. The weight of it all can sometimes feel unbearable. But here is the difference between me and the .. “it is what it is” .. crowd, I do not let life’s chaos define my destiny. I do not let what is happening around me dictate what GOD has already promised me.

When you say “it is what it is,” you are giving circumstances the final word. You are surrendering authority to a situation that was never meant to have power over you. But see, I know better now. I know my GOD has the last word, and when GOD speaks, everything else must bow.

That means I can look at a season of struggle and still say, “This is not the end, this is the setup.” I can stare at a closed door and whisper, “This is not rejection, this is redirection.” I can face the very thing someone else calls permanent and declare..

“No babe, that is temporary, because my GOD has already spoken.”

You see, I am not just an “it is what it is” woman. I am an “it will be what GOD says” woman. And that right there? That is a game changer. That means my battles are already won before I even step onto the battlefield. That means my struggles do not define me, GOD’s promises do. That means when the ground shakes and the walls tremble..

I do not crumble.. I praise.

Because faith does not wait for proof. Faith is the proof.

So when life tells me to give up, I remind it, who my LORD is. When fear whispers, “This is too much,” I whisper back, “Maybe for me, but not for my GOD.” When the enemy tries to convince me that I have reached the end of my story, I flip the page, because my AUTHOR does not write unfinished chapters.

I had to learn that protecting my faith meant protecting my space. I could not keep sitting at tables with people who glorify defeat and call it realism. I could not keep shrinking my hope just to make others comfortable in their doubt. I had to create distance, not out of pride, but out of preservation. Because peace is holy ground, and not everyone can stand where faith is still fighting.

I am done surrounding myself with people who settle for what is. I am called to walk with those who believe in what will be. I am drawn to souls who do not panic when the plan changes, because they trust that GOD’s purpose never does.

And you know what?

I have realised that every “NO” that broke me was really a “NOT YET” that built me. Every delay was divine. Every detour was direction. Every tear had purpose.

So, no.. I do not do “it is what it is.”

Not anymore.

Because my GOD is not finished with me yet.

Because my story is still being written.

Because my faith has outgrown my fear.

And as long as GOD is still speaking over my life, I will never lower my faith to match someone else’s doubt. I will stand tall, bold, and unshaken, anchored in grace, covered in mercy, and fueled by promises that cannot fail.

So let them say “it is what it is.”

I will keep saying..

IT WILL BE WHAT GOD SAYS..

Because that is not denial, that is destiny.

And I am walking straight into it, head held high with a heart full of faith, and oceans of trust in the ALL-KNOWING 🕊️

“Thank You for the Free PR”..

Do you notice how the people who claim to dislike you always seem to know the most about you? It is funny, is not it? You post a photo, they see it before your best friend does. You share a thought, they analyse it like it is a United Nations report. You move in silence, and somehow, they still whisper about it. Babe, that is not hate .. That is free marketing.

Somewhere out there, your name is the topic of a full-blown conference call, and you did not even have to book the venue. They will sit in group chats like unpaid interns, monitoring your progress like it is a stock market they wish they invested in. You could sneeze, and by sunset, it would ill be, “Did you hear she is allergic to attention now?” The audacity is almost impressive.

The Truth???

Haters do not actually hate you, they hate the reflection of what they could be if they had your courage. You remind them of the dreams they dropped, the fire they could not maintain, and the confidence they lost trying to please a world that never cared. You are living proof that surviving without approval is possible, and that burns them more than any insult could.

So let them talk. Let them refresh your profile like it is breaking news. Let them sit around dissecting your glow-up like it is a crime scene. Because every time your name rolls off their tongue, you win again. They do not even realise they are fuelling your momentum, every whisper, every side-eye, every rumor keeps your name alive in rooms you have never stepped into.

You do not need to clap back. You do not even need to flinch. The best revenge is peace and progress .. And the quiet sound of your blessings stacking while they are still talking. You see, when you have got real purpose, you do not compete with gossip, you compete with your own potential.

And that is what separates you from them. You are out here building while they are busy belittling. You are focused on your next move, while they are stuck replaying your last one. You are cashing in results, they are cashing in screenshots.

So, to the audience of undercover fans who cannot keep your name out of their mouths, thank you.

Thank you for the free PR, for keeping the algorithm alive, for reminding the world who the main character really is. Keep watching, you might just learn something.

Because the finale?

Oh, honey. It is not an argument. It is not a post. It is not even a response. The finale is success, loud, undeniable, and served with silence.

And when that curtain closes, you will not need to say..

“I told you so.”

Your results will say it louder than you ever could.

“How Much Would I Pay to Go to the Moon?”

How much would you pay to go to the moon?

“How much would you pay to go to the moon?”
A simple question.. But for me, it is not about rockets or money, it is about peace..
And peace? That is priceless..

If someone asked me how much I would pay to go to the moon, I would not answer in numbers, I would answer in scars. Because money feels too small a currency for the price of peace. See, for me, the moon is not just a destination, it is an escape. It is silence without sorrow. It is the kind of distance no heartbreak can breach, no phone call can break, and no memory can find its way into.

I would pay every sleepless night that ever haunted me. I would pay every tear I have ever cried over things I could not change, over people who never stayed, over versions of myself I had to bury to survive. I would pay my pain, my disappointments, and all the noise that lives inside my head. I would give my left arm if it meant I could finally drift in a place where gravity does not pull at my soul the way life does.

Because, let us be honest, sometimes the weight of living feels heavier than the pull of the earth. The expectations, the mistakes, the regrets, the endless chase to be “okay” when nothing really feels okay, they all pile up. So when I think about the moon, I do not think about space suits and shuttle rides. I think about freedom. I think about breathing in silence that does not demand an explanation.

I think about floating, not just in the physical sense, but emotionally, spiritually, just floating, finally unbothered, finally unburdened.

They say the moon is cold, empty, and lifeless. But maybe that is exactly why it feels so inviting. Maybe peace has always looked a little lonely from the outside. Maybe quiet does not need to be filled. Maybe that is the kind of solitude I have been craving, not loneliness, but stillness. Not isolation, but release.

And if we are talking logistics, yes, a trip to the moon would cost hundreds of millions of Rands. But here is the truth.. Peace of mind feels just as rare. Some people spend their entire lives trying to buy happiness, chasing love, success, or validation, and still come back empty. So how much would I pay to go to the moon? Everything that ever hurt me. Every version of me that settled for less. Every time I said “I am fine” when I was not. Every broken piece I have carried just to keep going.

I would pay it all. Because up there, no one could reach me. Not their opinions. Not their expectations. Not their ghosts. Just me, the stars, and the sound of my own breathing, alive, finally unchained from the noise of the world.

Maybe one day, they will sell tickets to the moon. But until then, I will keep searching for little ways to go there without ever leaving. Through silence, through prayer, through writing, through healing. Because the truth is, sometimes “the moon” is not miles away, it is the moment you choose yourself above everything that tried to destroy you.

So, how much would I pay to go to the moon?

Everything I have ever survived.

And honestly, that feels like a fair trade.

Their Words Do Not Define My Worth..

They talk. They whisper. They judge. They point fingers from behind screens, behind smiles that do not reach their eyes, behind lives that have not moved an inch since the last time they spoke badly of someone. And yet, look at me. Still standing. Still shining. Still unbothered. Because I know something they do not, the people who speak badly of me are not, and will never be, the best example of anything.

There is peace in that truth, a peace that does not need defending. I used to take it personally. I used to let their noise scratch at my spirit.

Now?

I just let them talk. Because when you realise that gossipers have nothing real to offer, you stop expecting depth from shallow souls.

They sit in corners dissecting lives they could never live. They will call it “concern,” they will mask it as “opinion,” but what it really is, is just envy wearing politeness as perfume. Their words? Expired. Their relevance? Borrowed. Their insight?

Non-existent.

And I have learned that people who have not healed will always try to project their chaos onto those who did. I do not need to clap back, my peace claps loud enough. I do not need to defend myself, my growth speaks fluently. I do not need validation. I already outgrew their circle the moment I started thinking higher than hate.

See, it is easy to speak badly of someone doing better. It is easy to throw shade when you are standing in the dark. But here is what they never expected, I would learn to turn their noise into background music. They talk, I level up. They mock, I manifest. They gossip, I grow.

So let them keep my name alive, it is free PR from people who could not build their own legacy if they tried. Their opinions do not shake me, they remind me how powerful I have become.

Because when the dust settles, people remember the truth. And the truth is, I moved with grace while they moved with gossip. I built while they babbled. I healed while they hated.

The ones who speak the loudest about me are still trying to become half the person I already outgrew in silence.

My 3AM Chat with God ✨

There is something about 3AM.. that sacred hour when the world is asleep but your soul is wide awake, whispering things you do not even have the words for.

That is when I met GOD again, not in a mosque, not through a lecture, but in the raw ache of my heart.

I asked GOD why it hurts so much.

HE said, “If it did not, you would not come looking for ME.”

And suddenly, I understood, pain is not punishment, it is direction.

It is HIS way of pulling me closer when the noise of the world gets too loud.

I asked if it will get better.

HE said, “I will make it better, in ways you cannot even imagine.”

And I felt something shift. Not the pain, but the promise.

Because sometimes HE does not fix the situation immediately.. HE fixes you first.

I asked why I care so much, why I always feel like I am losing.

HE said, “You care because I made you that way. You are not losing, you are learning. Every give plants a seed that will one day return as grace.”

And for the first time, I saw that my heart was not weak for loving deeply, it was divine for reflecting HIS LOVE even when it was not returned.

I asked why no one seems to care anymore, why HE had to expose so many faces I thought were real.

HE said, “Because if I did not remove the veils, you would have trusted them more than ME. So I had to let you see their truth so you would finally see MINE. They were temporary. I AM ETERNAL.”

And in that moment, my loneliness did not feel empty, it felt holy.

Because I was not alone, I was being refined.

So I sat there, no tears, just quiet surrender.

Because sometimes the most healing conversations do not come with miracles, they come with meaning.

And this morning, GOD did not change my way of thinking, HE gave me clarity instead.

HE reminded me that every loss had a lesson, every silence had a message, and every heartbreak had HIS hand behind it.

So yes… I am still healing. Still human. Still learning.

But I am no longer asking “Why me?”.. I am whispering “Thank You.”

Because even in my breaking, HE was building me. HE was, is and will always be my only constant, HE is my only hope, my only truth, MY ONLY 🤲

🕯️ 3AM .. where pain becomes prayer, and prayer becomes peace.

Some People Need to Be Dodged Like a Tax Bracket..

There are people in your life who cost you more than they give, time, dignity, sleep, joy. You do not negotiate with hurricane seasons, you evacuate. You do not owe them explanations for prioritizing your peace. Dodge them like you dodge a bad tax bracket, quickly, legally, and with a relieved exhale when it is over.

You will meet predators disguised as friends, experts in guilt, and champions of the slow-drip sabotage. They wear charm like camouflage and turn every compliment into a down payment on your anxiety. You feel the drain before you can name it, small erasures, jokes that sting, “helpful” corrections that hollow you out, emotional overdrafts you never consented to.

This piece is blunt because the truth is not polite. It is surgical. It is a mirror with no soft edges. If you have ever waited for an apology that never came, or stayed because leaving seemed like admitting defeat, stop. Some people are not problems to be solved, they are patterns to escape.

How to spot them (blade-sharp indicators)

They are consistently inconsistent, present when convenient, absent when needed. They apologize half-heartedly and repeat the hurt like a stuck record. They turn your boundaries into a negotiation and your kindness into a loophole. They gaslight you into questioning your map, your memory, your worth, your instincts. They collect favors like trophies and treat your empathy like currency. If you check more than two boxes, you are not being dramatic, you are being awake.

Why dodging is not cowardice, it is currency..

Dodging is not avoidance, it is economy. Every minute you spend repairing someone else’s chaos is a minute you steal from your own life. People who erode you are tax drains on your emotional budget. You would not keep paying a fee that bankrupts you, do not keep paying attention to a presence that bankrupts your soul.

Staying out of habit is not loyalty. Loyalty is reciprocal. If everything you give is due and everything they give is take, it is not a relationship, it is a drain. Save yourself the slow bankruptcy.

The cost of staying (and why leaving is radical)

You will lose pieces of yourself, your bluntness, your hobbies, your laugh, then your appetite for joy. Anger becomes your internal landlord and anxiety your daily commute. The cost is cumulative and invisible until one morning you wake up smaller, used up like a candle burned at both ends.

Leaving is radical because it disrupts their expectation. They assume you will always be available, pliable, apologetic. When you do not play that role anymore, their script collapses. That discomfort belongs to them. Let it.

How to dodge, practical, unromantic, effective moves..

Cut the emotional credit line. Stop lending attention to people who cash it and never repay. Keep interactions transactional and short. Use boundaries like a border wall. Firm, non-negotiable lines, limited time, limited topics, limited access. No explanations required. Refuse to be coached into guilt. When they weaponize your kindness, label it, “I am not discussing this.” End the conversation. Replace energy with silence. Silence is a tool. It is not passive, it is a recalculation of worth. Reduce their audience. If you must interact, do it in groups or public settings, less chance for intimate sabotage. Prepare exit lines. Short, clear, repeatable. E.g., “I cannot be part of this,” “That relationship isn’t healthy for me,” “I’m stepping back.” Say it once, then act. Reinvest the time. Take the hours you would have drained and put them into craft, sleep, call a friend who builds you up, go for a run, do things that make your life denser and richer.

Slap-you-on-the-head truths (no sugar)..

You are not responsible for other people’s feelings at the cost of your sanity. People who treat you like an option will never see you as the main event. Emotional labor surrendered without reciprocity is modern-day indentured servitude. Your silence is not weakness, it is a strategic retreat. Leaving is not burning bridges, sometimes it is removing a bridge to a toxic island.

When they come back (and they will)..

They will notice your absence like they would notice an unpaid bill. They will reach out with softened edges and sharpened promises. Do not confuse theatrics for change. If the pattern returns faster than accountability, it is a stunt. Forgiveness is a gift, not a subscription you renew blindly.

Reclaiming your dignity (the action plan)..

Audit your relationships quarterly. Who adds value? Who subtracts? Cut accordingly. Practice boundary phrases until they come naturally. Celebrate small victories, a phone call you did not take, a party you left early because you valued rest. Keep receipts, emotional memory matters. If it felt bad once, it can again. Do not rationalize it away.

Some people need to be dodged like a tax bracket, painfully, immediately, and with no refund. Because some people will be a lifetime of taxes you never signed up for. So stop filing, stop explaining, and just dodge, watch how quickly your net worth in peace compounds. 💭

In the End… You Are All You Have..

There comes a moment when the noise dies down, when the laughter that used to fill your days fades into a silence that feels too familiar. You look around, and suddenly the people you thought were permanent start to blur like fading ink. The promises you believed in begin to sound like echoes from a dream you have already woken up from. And that is when the truth hits, not softly, not kindly, but like a blade made of realisation, in the end, you only have YOU..

No one really teaches you how lonely growth can be. They tell you to love yourself, but they do not tell you that sometimes that love is born from the ashes of betrayal. They do not tell you that healing often means deleting half your contact list, walking alone, and learning to trust your silence more than someone else’s comfort.

The world is full of people who will clap for you when you shine but disappear when you burn. They will celebrate your light, but not many will stand with you through the fire that made it. You will learn that some people only love the version of you that does not inconvenience them, the one that smiles through pain, stays quiet when disrespected, and forgives what should never have been forgiven.

But here is the dark beauty in that truth, when everyone leaves, you finally meet the person who never did .. YOU. The one who stayed through every sleepless night, every breakdown behind closed doors, every moment when breathing hurt more than silence. The one who dragged you out of the pain when nobody even noticed you were drowning.

That is when you realise, you were your own savior all along.

Not because you wanted to be, but because you had no choice.

And there is something sacred about that kind of solitude. It strips away illusions. It teaches you that peace is not found in company, it is found in honesty. It is found in knowing you can lose everything and still rise. It is found in understanding that being alone does not mean being empty. It means you have stopped settling for half-hearted love and counterfeit loyalty.

When the world goes quiet, and you are left with only your thoughts, you will see how strong you have truly become. You will stop begging to be understood and start cherishing the parts of yourself you once abandoned for acceptance.

Because in the end.. It is not the crowd that carries you.

It is not the validation, or the noise, or the applause.

It is you. The quiet warrior within.

The one who walked through hell and came back holding her own hand.

And that, darling, is not loneliness.

That is freedom.

I do not keep enemies close..

They say, “Keep your enemies close.” Cute advice, just not mine. Why on earth would I hand VIP access to someone rooting for my downfall? That is not strategy, that is self-sabotage.

Enemies do not need studying, they are obvious. They live in jealousy, breathe in envy, and speak in lies. I do not waste my time decoding that mess. I delete it. I cut it off. Because here is the truth. Proximity is power, and I do not hand my power to anyone who wants to see me crumble.

I do not keep enemies close. I keep my peace close. I keep my faith close. I keep my standards close. Access to me is a privilege, not a free-for-all. The ones who get in are the ones who clap when I win, pray when I am weak, and check me with truth when I need it.

My table?

Reserved for allies, not threats.

My circle?

Built on loyalty, not poison. So if you have shown me you are against me, do not worry, I will not keep you close. I will not keep you at all.

And here is the bottom line:

I do not keep enemies close, why give poison a seat at my table?

My circle is for loyalty, my space is for peace. If you are against me, you are not around me.

And that is just the way the cookie crumbles.