It's actually healthy when people dislike you. Being disliked is a byproduct of having self-respect. It means you're not a people pleaser and you have boundaries." The older I get, the more I think this isn't just good advice. In Nigeria, it's practically a life hack. The day you stop trying to please everybody is the day your blood pressure begins to cooperate. Your phone rings less. Relatives suddenly remember there are other successful people in the family. Friends stop calling to "borrow small." Political supporters remove you from the 37 WhatsApp groups they added you to without asking. Every "urgent contribution" somehow finds another volunteer. Peace. Of course, people will have opinions. Some will say you've changed. Others will call you proud. A few will conclude that money has entered your head. One or two will organise a committee to analyse your new attitude. Let them. In Nigeria, being liked by everyone can be an expensive full-time job. It means saying yes when you mean no, attending every ceremony, solving problems you didn't create, lending money you'll never recover, and carrying emotional luggage that belongs to other people. The truth is simple: boundaries offend people who benefited from your lack of them. So if a few people no longer like you because you politely declined another "abeg, na only you fit help," don't panic. You haven't lost your humanity. You've simply discovered one of the cheapest ways to buy peace, protect your sanity, and enjoy the rare Nigerian luxury of being left alone. At this stage of life, that may be one of the best investments you'll ever make.