Boundaries

Image by vincos via Flickr

As someone who often finds it hard to say 'no' and was brought up to put other people first, it has been very difficult for me to set personal boundaries as this in some way felt selfish. As I've matured, I have come to understand that it is so essential to be able to set boundaries both spacially and emotionally in order to be fully yourself and not at the beck and call of others all the time. In this respect I feel that it is essential that in my attitudes to myself it is as necessary to be as compassionate as I would be of another person's feeling or space. Everybody needs their own room to develop and grow unhindered by others and this is an important part of learning and spiritual growth, because if we don't feel happy with setting our own boundaries on what is and is not acceptable in our lives, then this is going to affect the manner in which we relate not only to ourselves and the rest of the world but also in our own personal relationships. I have had to start to set new boundaries in my life and am becoming very much aware of what is and is not OK. I read a very valuable piece on self-compassion and this certainly has a bearing not only on setting boundaries but how we learn to become more caring of ourselves in our lives and more forgiving of our shortcomings.