Here are two monumental self-care lessons I’ve learned in this adult life:
- how to identify what’s my work and what’s someone else’s.
- how to identify when someone tries to position themselves as more credible to get what they want.
Don’t take the bait.
- Your own work will keep your plate full enough. And anyway, you’ll deny the other person opportunity to grow into a better version of themselves by taking theirs on as your own.
- Don’t take the bullying tactic. Trust your gut. You have one, I swear.
We have an inner compass that elicits a visceral reaction as we consider the actions to take. Listen for it, then listen to it. The more we follow it, the more we trust ourselves. The less we follow it, the harder it becomes to trust ourselves.
It’s not easy to set healthy boundaries when it’s unpopular, even if it’s unpopular by just the one person that’s sitting across from us, and especially if we aim to please. But it’s easier than what happens when we don’t.
Savitree Kaur 