| Defining the Boundaries of Emotional Limits | | | | 2. How Limits Help Prevent Codependency |
| Many of my posts have dealt with the issue of | | | | If you have a tendency to give over your power in |
| emotional edges. I have written about the In's and | | | | your relationships then you are codependent. If you |
| Out's of Emotional Limits, How To Honor Your | | | | don't know where you begin and your partner ends, |
| Emotional Boundaries and Break Up With Grace and | | | | then you are codependent. |
| Dignity, How to Keep Your Emotional Limits with | | | | 3. Limits Protect Us From Settling for Less |
| Your Co-Workers, and most recently, How To Say | | | | Simply put, if we know who we are, and we know |
| "No" Guilt Free. | | | | what we want, then having clearly defined |
| In these articles I have touched on the various | | | | boundaries means we can recognize when a |
| aspects of emotional boundaries but I have provided | | | | relationship isn't living up to our standards. |
| for you a comprehensive definition of emotional | | | | 4. Limits Help Us to Live Guilt Free |
| edges and what you need to do to develop these | | | | Setting boundaries means we don't have to feel |
| boundaries in your own life. | | | | responsible for every bad thing that happens to us or |
| Although I have approached this subject many times, | | | | those around us. It also gives us permission to say |
| I keep hearing from you that you need more | | | | "No" without feeling guilty. |
| information. I have decided to develop an Emotional | | | | 5. Limits Help Us Define and Recognize Love |
| Boundaries Primer. Over the next six weeks I will | | | | Many of us who have trouble setting our emotional |
| discuss in detail each of the 6 Sides of Emotional | | | | boundaries also have trouble recognizing the |
| Boundaries from my point of view. | | | | difference between love and rescue. We often think |
| In my journey, I have undergone some divorce | | | | that we can "fix" our partner. Having compassion for |
| therapy and sought healthy relationship help from my | | | | someone does not mean you are in love with them, |
| therapist. I recognize now what emotional edges are, | | | | although it may feel like love at the time. |
| when my boundaries are being violated and what I | | | | 6. Emotional Boundaries Help Us To Live in the |
| need to do to get back on track. | | | | Moment |
| Often times this means having a frank conversation | | | | How often have you trucked along in a relationship |
| with a loved one and redrawing the line in the sand. It | | | | pretending everything was okay when in truth, it was |
| also means that you can do this without feeling guilty. | | | | not. Do you find you and/or your spouse |
| Earlier, I described emotional limits as elastic. I believe | | | | perpetuating the lie? Do you believe that if you break |
| they expand and retract with each of our | | | | the bubble, everything will fall apart? |
| relationships. The 6 Sides of setting healthy Emotional | | | | Emotional boundaries are necessary for successful |
| Boundaries are: | | | | and healthy relationships. Emotional boundaries provide |
| 1. How Limits Define Who You Are | | | | an elastic framework within which we can operate |
| Most of us live as chameleons. We often become | | | | and co-exist with others. A lack of emotional |
| the person we think we should be rather than our | | | | boundaries leaves the door wide open for mental |
| authentic selves. We morph into a character to | | | | abuse, domestic abuse, spousal abuse and emotional |
| please our parents, boss, spouse, friends and even | | | | dependency. Emotional Boundaries are the ubiquitous |
| our children. | | | | "line in the sand. |