30/08/2026
SHE CALLED OFF HER WEDDING TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE DATE. AND I THINK SHE DID THE RIGHT THING.
This Sunday morning, during one of my usual real conversations with my children, we talked about negotiables, non-negotiables and compromise.
I gave them an example.
A woman was preparing to get married in November.
Then, just two months before the wedding, she discovered that the man she was about to marry had two children with two different women.
The shocking part?
He had never told her.
She called off the wedding.
People were shocked.
The man was stunned.
Perhaps he thought, “She loves me.
Once I apologise and explain that I was scared to tell her, she will forgive me.”
But forgiveness does not automatically mean reconciliation.
And this is where many people get it wrong.
COMPROMISE IS NOT THE SAME AS ABANDONING YOUR PRINCIPLES.
You need to know what you can bend on and what you cannot.
You need to know your deal breakers.
For this woman, dishonesty at the foundation of a marriage was a deal breaker.
She could forgive him.
She could stop being angry.
But she did not have to continue with the marriage.
And that is the power of knowing yourself.
When people know that you have principles you will stand by, they learn to respect your boundaries.
This applies to marriage, friendship, business and the workplace.
Not everything should be negotiated.
Some things are simply:
“No. This is against my values.”
So, ask yourself today:
What are my non-negotiables?
What am I willing to compromise on?
And what behaviour, if repeated, will make me walk away?
Because sometimes, what you refuse to tolerate teaches people how to treat you.
If you need clarity on your boundaries, relationships, personal direction or next move, book my FREE 20-minute Clarity Session.
Coach Nkechi Macaulay
Macaulay Visibility Academy