Necessary Boundaries

We all need them. We all struggle to keep them. Some of us overstep them. Boundaries. 

My week seemed to take a turn around Tuesday. Tuesdays are like that always. Mark my words. Tuesdays seem to take on a life of their own with me. I've blogged about it before in the 1st chapter. 

For some reason, this Tuesday's theme was boundaries. I had to deal with several people and several situations where people overstepped their boundaries. I'm not sure how I really dealt with this before. Probably the same as I did as a kid. I never want to make anyone upset. I have difficulty telling people that they need to "step back." I don't want to disappoint. On this particular Tuesday, I think I had to redirect at least 3 people due to a boundary issue. Wow. The amazing thing is that I handled it. I wasn't rude or disrespectful, but I called it like it was and refused to give away my power.

The past year has taught me a lot about what is ok and what is NOT ok. When you say no, it means no. When someone is making themselves part of your conversation to someone else, they need to be redirected. When a person is trying to enter your life after saying, "No, thanks," they need to set straight. When someone is trying to manipulate a situation, call them on it. 

This is something that I'm now addressing with the girls. I feel that discussing it with them at a young age might help prevent them from being "run over" in the future. Girls, especially, need to be taught that their voice matters and no one has the right to discount their opinion, thoughts, or words. To help with this idea, I'm seriously considering putting them in karate. Actually, I'm seriously thinking of taking it with them. Ironically, this month is Women's History Month. I'm so glad that during this time there are so many strong women for my girls to look up to and, thankfully, some of them are in our lives now. 

Boundaries. We all need to be more conscious of them. Wednesday was a new day and as I sat down at my desk at the administration building, I noticed my co-workers desk. Coincidence? There hasn't been one in my life yet. Sitting neatly on her desk was a copy of Boundaries.