20240917 - Stop Notice Allow

I've been reflecting on boundaries lately. Boundaries, as I see them, are the personal guidelines we set to determine what we allow into our lives. This includes what we eat, the media we consume, the people we surround ourselves with, and how we permit others to treat us. These are what I would call outer boundaries—they protect us from external influences, helping us manage the flow of energy and information coming from the outside world. But there's another important type of boundary, which I think of as inner boundaries. While outer boundaries face outward, inner boundaries govern how much of ourselves we choose to share with the world. They involve questions like: What do we reveal about ourselves, and to whom? How often do we compromise our own sense of self to meet others' expectations? And how do we treat and speak to ourselves? I find this distinction between inner and outer boundaries enlightening. It helps me recognize when I'm giving away too much of my energy—whether through fear, habit, or a misplaced sense of obligation. Ironically, when we’re more mindful of containing our energy, we often end up with more to offer. But this time, it's shared from a place of strength, not at the expense of ourselves.