The Story Of “I Have No Boundaries”

Lizzy was finally able to relax after a busy day at work. She was starting to read her book when she was interrupted by her phone. It was her boss ringing her—yet again.

It seemed that her boss thought that she was on call 24/7 and rang her at all hours of the night.

Lizzy stared at the phone, contemplating not answering it for just a moment. But in the end, she picked it up and answered the call. As usual, her boss wanted to check the status of the project they were working on and add a few other ideas to it.

Lizzy could not understand why her boss couldn’t wait until she got to work in the morning to tell her this information. It wasn’t as if it was a matter of life or death. 

Each time Lizzy’s boss called after hours, Lizzy wished she had the strength to not answer it, or the courage to tell her boss to respect her boundaries—but instead she kept answering the phone and saying nothing.

So began the story of “I have no boundaries,” and the feelings of resentment and being taken for granted.

In life, personal boundaries are important because they establish the way you wish to be treated. 

Without boundaries, it is easy to feel depleted, taken advantage of, or taken for granted.     This can lead to you becoming angry and resentful, and in the long term, it can make either lash out or withdraw entirely.

The advantage of having boundaries is that they draw a clear line around what is ok and acceptable for you and what is not. 

Setting boundaries isn’t always comfortable, and others may push back when you say “No” to some things or try to communicate your needs more clearly.

This week’s challenge is to examine the areas in your life where you are not setting boundaries. These are the areas that you just can’t say “No” to. It may be at work, with friends, or in your relationships.

Learning to set boundaries is crucial to your well-being and achieving your wants and desires. It allows you to say “No” to the things you don’t want to do and yes to the things you want to do.

So give yourself permission to set healthy boundaries knowing that they are a sign of self-respect and self-care. Set the rules and guidelines for how you treat yourself and how you allow others to treat you.

Learn to put yourself first.

Forever creating

Deborah Ruth