Boundaries Are A Spiritual Practice | S05.E09
A boundary can be a way of staying connected—to ourselves and to the people we love. But when we’re used to sensing everyone else’s feelings, it can be hard to separate caring from taking responsibility.
In this episode of Small Medium at Large, I’m sharing lessons from spirit and my own experience with people pleasing, over-giving, and the urge to make everyone feel better about my no. We’ll talk about observing emotions without absorbing them, recognizing the expectations attached to our giving, and allowing someone else to have a reaction without immediately changing our answer.
We’ll also explore boundaries in parenting, work, friendships, and family—and how honest limits can create space for reciprocity and receiving.
Key Takeaways
We can care without carrying. Feeling someone’s anxiety, sadness, or disappointment doesn’t automatically mean it’s ours to resolve.
Our no protects our yes. When we stop agreeing out of guilt, we have more room to give from love and genuine capacity.
Resentment can point toward a needed boundary. It may help us notice where we’ve overextended ourselves, left a need unspoken, or expected something in return.
A boundary describes our choices. We can be clear about what we’ll participate in without trying to force someone else to behave differently.
Love, forgiveness, and access are separate choices. We can forgive someone and still consider whether trust, repair, and renewed closeness are possible.
A Practice to Try
Before your next automatic yes, give yourself a pause. You might say, “Let me check and I’ll get back to you,” or “Let me sit with that.”
Then ask yourself: Do I want to do this? Do I have the capacity? Is this mine to do? That little space can help us hear an honest answer.
Additional Resource
I recall this book while discussing the practice of pausing before answering a request—a helpful shift for those of us who tend to say yes before checking in with ourselves.
Journaling Questions
Think of one relationship or situation where you feel depleted, resentful, overly responsible, or unclear. Take these questions into your journaling or meditation this week:
Where am I giving, helping, accommodating, or caring beyond what is actually mine?
What is my clean yes here?
What is my clean no?
What boundary would allow me to remain loving toward this person or situation without leaving myself or abandoning myself?