What boundaries are and why they matter

Boundaries are not a wall between you and the world. They are a fence around your life.

Boundaries mark where you end and another person begins. They are the rules you use to interact with people. What's okay for you and what's not. What you accept and what you don't. Where your body, your time, your emotions, your money begin and end.

Without boundaries, you're like a house without a fence. People wander in freely. They sit on your sofa, help themselves to your fridge, leave a mess behind. And you stand in the corner, smiling. Because "you can't be rude." Because "they're family." Because "they might get hurt."