Boundaries

This was yesterday's daily meditation from Answers in the Heart:

No one else can set your boundaries for you. — Lois J.

One way to create boundaries with people is to establish priorities in our relationships. In the past, out of loneliness and neediness, we may have talked to anyone, whether the person wanted to listen or not. In the mixed-up world of sex addiction, we often withheld our true feelings from people close to us, but perhaps spilled them to the clerk at the bank. As we grow in self-esteem, our relationships improve and we act to meet our needs. Then we have a better sense of who we are. We make choices in our relationships and take responsibility for them. We learn to bear the pain of boundaries that aren’t respected and enjoy the serenity of those that are. We no longer need to give ourselves away in bits and pieces; we know now what it is to feel whole. We can simultaneously have acquaintances, friends, co-workers, and intimate relationships, both sexual and nonsexual, in our lives. We can trust we will act appropriately and that our boundaries will keep us safe.

Boundaries are set one person at a time. Today, I will celebrate my ability to know where I stand in relation to others.