Boundaries & Value

“Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You treat people how to treat you by deciding what you will and will and won't accept” - Anna Taylor.

Boundaries are so important in life. They can be the perimeters of our actions, what we will and will not accept. You can still be a great person with a heart of gold and still say NO to people. Boundaries are simply a way of caring for ourselves.

Maybe you fail to speak up when mistreated or agree when you actually feel like disagreeing. Perhaps you feel taken for granted by others. So often our boundaries they can be tested, exploited or even manipulated in a way for people to get their own needs met.

However, PAUSE, and ask the question, does this request or the actions of others align with my own set of values of what I stand for? Have you ever stopped to consider what your boundaries are? Boundaries may be tested in work, family, friendships, relationships, social situations or any combination. That does not mean necessarily saying “No” to certain one-off requests to help somebody in need - of course it may depend on many factors, but how does it feel when it's expected that you will say “Yes'' every time?

Just by talking about boundaries, can sometimes turn our conscious attention to our own boundaries and how they may be responsible for so many aspects of our life.