Tools for Your Success: A Healthy Boundary
June 3rd, 2009
WORD COUNT: 585 Brief … Yet Powerful Words
TIME to EXPAND: * About 2 MINUTES *
A healthy boundary is a concept I understand in principle, but it’s been a challenge for me to apply. Overextending myself has been a lifelong pattern for me. But no more, I’m kicking the habit. Don’t get me wrong I love contributing, but a recurring pattern of over committing isn’t healthy.
I’ve often joked that I’m a RECOVERING TYPE A. It’s a lot like being an alcoholic, except you’re addicted to “doing”. What makes it worse is we’re rewarded for “hyperactivity” in our culture. So, what’s so bad about that?
Excessive activity isn’t really living, if it drives us to exhaustion and feeling like a giant TO DO list. When we define our worth by what we do, what happens when things don’t turn out so well?
Naturally the TYPE A and the Enneagram 3s take it really hard. Why? Because somewhere we’ve decided that our self worth is determined by what we do. Let’s erase that faulty belief forever from our consciousness.
So those of us who believe we create our own reality, and I count myself among you, have to wonder, why would we create challenges in our lives? The easy answer is we’re unconscious, not awake and therefore don’t fully realize the error of our ways.
Okay that may be partially true, but I think there’s more to it than that. I believe that our challenges are really opportunities for individual growth AND universal evolution.
Think about the habits that were commonplace 100 years ago. You woke up, worked a 12 to 14 hour day and we’re happy to have a roof over your head. If you were male, you probably had the same job your entire adult life. If you were among the “lucky ones” you received a small pension you could collect for a few years. That assumes that you didn’t die first in a work related accident or from industrial poisons in your lungs.
Who had time to think about fulfilling work? Who dared to believe that you could follow your dreams doing work that you loved? Who thought for even a moment that you could work less, play more and have more?
Fortunately for humanity, there were a few cutting edge people who believed you could be, do and have all of these things. They had a dream and pursued it. Without them, we wouldn’t be here now would we?
So what does this have to do with a healthy boundary? Simple, anything that persistently challenges you, is an opportunity to free yourself forever from whatever binds you. In so doing, you allow more of your unique light to shine through.
Whether your challenge is over-extending yourself, struggling with money or lack of resources, fear of failure or daring to say you have the right to define success anyway you choose, there’s an amazing opportunity present just waiting to materialize.
Does it really matter if our recurring challenges are lessons we’re here to learn because of karma, breaking barriers in social consciousness, our soul mission or because we just aren’t going to tolerate it anymore?
Probably not, because it’s all good.When we shed limiting beliefs and unconscious habits, when we dare to expand beyond our concept of what’s Possible, we grow as individuals, AND the universe expands. With that comes even more possibilities for our children and future generations.
What are your life lessons? What would happen if you chose to see your challenges as lessons that when learned, would facilitate your individual growth and was also your contribution to human evolution?
Maybe, we all have unique contributions to make in the name of individual growth and universal expansion. I’d say that’s pretty cool, don’t you think?
Your friend and partner in daily discovery,
Copyright© Laura Cardone 2008. All Rights Reserved. This is a Daily Discovery Series edition. http://www.profitswithpurpose.com is for enlightened business owners and professionals who are passionate about creating a successful business, AND a fulfilling and balanced life.
