The Invisible Black Woman

Trust: they gon reap the seeds of their ill intent, trifledom, and connivery.

There’s a certain energy people carry when they think they’ve outsmarted you. You know the kind—the smiles that don’t reach their eyes, the backhanded compliments, the endless little jabs masked as “constructive feedback.” It’s the type of energy that tells you from day one they’ve already written your narrative without even knowing your name. But here’s what they don’t know: you see through it. You’ve been clocking it from the moment you walked in the room.

Now, I’m not gonna name names or dive into specifics because, honestly, the details ain’t worth my peace—yet! Y’all know I love me some cliffhangers. LOL. But y’all can probably fill in the blanks on your own. Because let’s be real: it doesn’t matter where you work, there’s always somebody who’s more focused on keeping you down than building you up. And that? That’s the kind of trifling energy we need to talk about.

You ever notice how the ones with the least to offer are often the loudest in the room? The ones so desperate to maintain control that they’ll burn the whole house down if it means they get to be the last one standing? That’s trifledom at its finest. And trust me, they’ve perfected the art of manipulation, twisting facts, and painting themselves as the victim, even while they’re plotting on your downfall.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why not just call them out? Why not just lay it all out there, expose them for who they are? You don’t need to. People like that? They’re planting seeds of their own destruction every time they pull one of their slick moves. They just don’t know it yet. And that’s the beauty of it. While they’re so focused on trying to trip you up, they forget that karma’s taking notes. Every little scheme, every half-truth, every moment they thought they were being clever? It’s all coming back to them.

And I promise you, when that harvest comes, it ain’t gonna be pretty.

But let’s back up for a second because this ain’t just about the obvious conniving. No, sometimes the trifledom comes with a smile. Sometimes it comes wrapped up in professionalism, in “teamwork” and “collaboration.” It’s the kind of behavior that makes you second-guess yourself, that makes you wonder if you’re being too sensitive or overreacting. But deep down, you know. You know when someone’s intentions aren’t pure. You know when someone’s trying to play you, trying to undermine your work, your integrity, your peace. They think they’re slick, but you’ve been watching. You’ve been taking mental notes long before they knew you were even paying attention.

What I’ve learned, though? The real power comes in how you respond. You don’t have to meet trifledom with trifledom. That’s their game, and they’re playing it out of insecurity, out of fear that they’ll be exposed for what they truly are. Small. They’re small people with small minds, afraid of anyone who dares to shine brighter than they do. They’ll smile in your face while they’re plotting on you behind your back, but let me tell you something: they can only keep up that facade for so long.

Because you know what’s funny about people like that? They always, always expose themselves. They think they’re moving in silence, that they’re getting away with it, but trifledom always slips up. And when it does? Don’t be surprised if you’re the one standing there with a front-row seat, watching them trip over their own mess. The seeds they planted? They’re gonna grow into a whole garden of consequences. And trust me, it’s gonna be a harvest they didn’t bargain for.

But here’s the key, and I need y’all to really hear me on this: you can’t let their trifling ways shake you. I know it’s tempting to clap back, to expose them for all their connivery and pettiness, but that’s not where your power lies. Your power? It’s in keeping your head high, in not letting them rattle your peace. It’s in knowing that while they’re out here trying to sabotage you, you’re still moving forward. Still rising. Still building.

People who wish you ill, who go out of their way to make your life harder? They’re already losing. They’re losing because they’re spending all their time focused on you, while you’re out here focusing on your goals, your dreams, your peace. And nothing eats them up more than knowing that despite their best efforts, you’re still thriving. They wanted you to fall, but you’re still standing. They wanted to dim your light, but you’re shining brighter than ever.

You see, the mistake they make is thinking they’re the ones in control. They think that because they’ve got some temporary position of power, that they can manipulate outcomes, that they can dictate your path. But here’s what they don’t know: their power is temporary. Yours? It’s eternal. Yes, I went biblical on that one. Their position might give them a little leverage in the moment, but the truth? The truth always has the final say.

So, to all the connivers, the trifling-ass no good haters, the manipulators who think they’re slick. Your time is coming. And that’s not me talking, that’s the law of karma. The seeds you’ve planted? They’re gonna bear fruit. And it ain’t the kind of fruit you’re gonna want to eat. You’re so focused on outsmarting everyone else, but you’ve forgotten the most important rule: the energy you put out into the world is the same energy that’s gonna come back to you. And when it does? Trust, it’s gonna hit you harder than you ever expected.

For everyone else—everyone who’s ever been on the receiving end of this kind of trifledom, who’s ever had to deal with the conniving, the manipulation, the pettiness… just know that you don’t have to fight their battle. You don’t have to stoop to their level. The universe is already handling that for you. What you need to do is protect your peace. Keep your integrity intact. Keep moving forward.

Fact is at the end of the day, the only person who can rob you of your peace is you. Not them, not their schemes, not their triflingness or pettiness. You hold the keys to your peace. Don’t let anyone take that away from you. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

Until next time, I wish you nothing but sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns, which are no less fictitious than the very real karma that has already been dispatched on your behalf to these trifling folks who think they gon get away with it forever.

That was a mouthful, wasn’t it?