There was a time I bent over backward trying to fix what wasn’t mine to fix. I apologized for things I didn’t do, carried guilt that wasn’t mine, and let others’ chaos spill into my peace. But discernment taught me something simple and profound: I’m only responsible for my side of the street.

Keeping my side clean doesn’t mean perfection—it means integrity. It means showing up honest, doing the work, and refusing to let resentment or blame take root. When your side is swept, there’s nothing anyone can use against you. You become untouchable—not because you’re flawless, but because you’re accountable.

This mindset has changed how I lead, how I write, and how I heal. Whether in construction zones or emotional ones, I’ve learned that boundaries aren’t walls—they’re curbs. They define where your responsibility ends and someone else’s begins.

Devotional Reflection: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own?” —Matthew 7:3 Ask yourself: Am I spending energy trying to clean someone else’s mess while neglecting my own?

Workbook Prompt

• List three situations where you felt blamed or misunderstood.
• For each, ask: What part was mine to own? What part wasn’t?
• What does “cleaning my side of the street” look like in those moments?