Setting healthy boundaries is an important piece of creating balance in relationships. But like many other intangible aspects of human relationships, it can be difficult to determine where that boundary belongs. Largely, that depends on you.
- Is the current boundary causing you more angst than necessary?
- Is it interfering with other aspects of your life (work, personal, relationships)?
- Does it make you content or happy, largely without angst?
If you are satisfied with the answers to the above questions, chances a good that your current boundaries are serving you well. If you are not satisfied, it is necessary to explore your answers further. Consider the following a starting point.
Perhaps, you are accepting responsibility that belongs to others. Often times, we strive to protect our loved ones from pain and suffering. Consider the toddler learning to walk and explore their environment. While it may be difficult to see them stumble and obtain new bumps and bruises, it is a necessary part of their mastering balance. From each fall, they learn to improve their newly acquired skill set. As we are think about healthy boundaries, it is important to explore whether or not you are in fact keeping your loved one from stumbling and learning. Identifying such situations will provide you with an opportunity to reestablish such a boundary.
