No more negotiating the bare minimum.
Sis…
Read that again.
If you have to ask for basic respect… that’s your answer.
Not a maybe.
Not a “let me give them time.”
Not a “they just don’t know better.”
That is the answer.
💔 Let’s Define “Basic Respect”
We’re not talking about luxury treatment.
We’re talking about the basics:
• Being spoken to with kindness
• Consistent communication
• Honesty
• Consideration of your feelings
• Accountability when they’re wrong
• Not being ignored, dismissed, or disrespected
This is not “too much.”
This is the bare minimum.
🚩 Why Do We End Up Asking for It?
Let’s be honest, sis.
Sometimes we stay because:
• We see potential
• We’ve already invested time
• We don’t want to start over
• We’re hoping they’ll change
• We don’t want to feel alone
So instead of walking away…
We start negotiating.
We explain.
We remind.
We beg (softly).
We over-communicate.
Trying to teach someone how to treat us.
But here’s the truth:
You cannot convince someone to value you.
🧠 Respect Is Not a Skill — It’s a Choice
People know how to be respectful.
They just choose when and where to apply it.
If someone can:
• Be respectful at work
• Be respectful to strangers
• Be respectful to people they admire
Then they know how.
So if they’re not giving that to you?
That’s not confusion.
That’s choice.
✂️ When You Start Asking, You Start Shrinking
Every time you have to say:
“Can you please talk to me nicer?”
“Can you just communicate?”
“Can you consider my feelings?”
Something in you starts to shrink.
Because deep down, your spirit knows:
You shouldn’t have to ask for this.
And the more you tolerate it,
the more you teach them it’s okay.
🤍 What Healthy Respect Actually Feels Like
Let me reset your standard real quick.
Healthy respect feels like:
• You don’t have to chase clarity
• You don’t feel anxious waiting on replies
• Your feelings are acknowledged, not dismissed
• You feel safe expressing yourself
• You’re not confused about where you stand
It’s calm.
It’s clear.
It’s consistent.
Not perfect — but respectful.
🛑 Stop Negotiating What Should Be Natural
Sis…
You don’t need to:
• beg for communication
• beg for consistency
• beg for kindness
• beg to be considered
That’s not love.
That’s emotional labor.
And you were not created to work overtime for basic human decency.
🙏🏽 What God’s Love Teaches You
God doesn’t:
• confuse you
• ignore you
• disrespect you
• make you feel small
So why are you accepting from people
what God Himself would never give you?
Let that sit.
📝 Journal Prompts
• Where am I asking for basic respect?
• What behavior have I been excusing?
• Why am I afraid to walk away?
• What would it look like to choose myself here?
📚 Resources
Therapy for Black Girls
https://therapyforblackgirls.com
Open Path Collective (Affordable therapy)
https://openpathcollective.org
988 Lifeline (Emotional support)
YouVersion Bible App
💬 Final Word
Sis…
You are not asking for too much.
You’re asking the wrong person.
And the moment you stop negotiating the bare minimum…
Is the moment your standards start protecting you.
If you have to ask for basic respect—
that’s your answer.
Sis, if this message hit your heart… don’t ignore it.
Stop explaining.
Stop overextending.
Stop negotiating what should come naturally.
✨ It’s time to choose yourself.
💻 Read more real, healing, and truth-filled blogs at
YourGirlKeysha.com
🛍️ Ready to go deeper?
Download your Soft Life Healing Guide and book a 1:1 session in my Stan Store:
👉 https://stan.store/yourgirlkeysha
You deserve clarity, peace, and respect — without asking twice. 💛
