When Boundaries Are Love

Today's episode revolves around the profound significance of boundaries, which we assert are not merely barriers, but rather essential frameworks for fostering love and respect towards oneself and others. We recontextualize the concept of boundaries, traditionally perceived as harsh confines, into bridges that facilitate clearer communication and deeper connections. Boundaries serve as vital expressions of care and self-respect, allowing individuals to safeguard their emotional and energetic well-being. We examine the many forms that boundaries may take—be they emotional, physical, or temporal—and underscore their role in establishing clarity, safety, and trust within interpersonal relationships. As we navigate through the complexities of life, we invite our listeners to reflect on where boundaries may be necessary, thereby enhancing both personal and collective well-being.

Takeaways:

• In this episode, we explore the concept of boundaries as essential expressions of love and care towards oneself and others.
• We must understand that boundaries are not punitive or rejections, but rather avenues for deeper connections and mutual respect.
• Identifying the signs of needing boundaries is crucial, such as feeling overwhelmed or saying yes when we wish to decline.
• The act of communicating our boundaries should be approached with compassion and clarity for effective relationships.

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Episode Transcript

(01:23):
Welcome back to More Human,More Kind.
I'm Heather Hester, and todaywe are diving into one of the most
powerful acts of love we canoffer ourselves and others.
Boundaries.
We often think of boundariesas walls.
Cold, harsh, uncomfortable.

(01:44):
But what if boundaries areactually bridges?
Expressions of care, clarityand self respect.
What if, as Prentice Hemphillsaid, they are the distance at which
I can love you and me simultaneously?
Let's begin by trying toreframe them a little bit.

(02:06):
Boundaries are not ultimatums.
They're not punishments.
They're not a form of rejection.
They.
But they are a form of deeperconnection, not disconnection.
Think of them as invisiblelines that help you protect your
peace, your energy and your truth.

(02:27):
Let's reposition them asnecessary acts of love for self and
others.
Boundaries help establishclarity, safety and trust.
Think of boundaries as an equation.
Boundaries equal expectationsplus values made visible.

(02:51):
They create space for trueconnection, not control.
Boundaries are not static or rigid.
In fact, they can be used in amultitude of ways.
From emotional boundaries tophysical ones, time based boundaries
to energetic ones, and so on.
Here are a few signs you mightbe needing a boundary.

(03:14):
You're feeling resentful.
You're saying yes when youwant to say no.
You're feeling overwhelmed or unseen.
These are just a few signs,invitations to pause and reassess.
So first, identify where thatresentment or burnout or confusion

(03:37):
shows up.
Name the feeling.
What's off?
What behavior or dynamicdoesn't feel okay anymore.
2.
Clarify the need.
What's missing?
Ask yourself, what am I?
I willing to change?

(04:00):
And three, communicate with compassion.
Try one of these three lines first.
I care about you and this iswhat I need.
Or I'm not available for that,but here's what I can offer or this

(04:22):
isn't working for me anymore.
Can we find a new way forward?
Boundaries come up everywhere.
From parenting a teen who'stesting independence to navigating
emotional labor andrelationships, to carving out, I.
E.

(04:42):
Protecting your time to rest.
Create or breathe.
Boundaries are love in action.
They say, I matter, you matter.
And we can do this with honesty.
Now we will talk abouthandling pushback with grace in another

(05:02):
episode.
But remember, you do not needto explain or justify your boundaries
to anyone.
While they may disappointothers, they are not a betrayal.
So ask yourself, where do Ineed more clarity?
Where could kindness andboundaries coexist in my life?

(05:30):
These are the conversations weneed to be having right now.
Gentle, honest, and deeply human.
We're living in a time of.
Of so much noise, ofpolarization, of systems breaking
down and hearts breaking open.

(05:54):
So what do we do with that?
We slow down.
We listen.
We gather around storiesaround truth, around vulnerability.
That's the movement I'minviting you into.
To be more human is to stophiding, to stop pretending.

(06:20):
You have to be perfect orpolished to be worthy of love or
respect.
It's the radical act ofsaying, I am messy, I am growing,
and I am enough.
To be more kind is not to be nice.

(06:41):
It's not performative.
It's not surface level.
It's choosing compassion whenit's hard, choosing clarity over
comfort.
Choosing to see someone,really see them, even when you don't

(07:02):
agree.
Kindness, real kindnessdisrupts hate.
It heals shame.
It opens space for belonging.
This podcast isn't just a show anymore.
It's part of something bigger.

(07:24):
It's a movement towardlistening instead of reacting, being
curious instead of certain.
Repairing instead of defending.
Seeing the human before the label.
You don't need to be perfectto join this conversation.
You just need to be willing toshow up.

(07:46):
Take a breath.
You belong here.
This week, I invite you tochoose one area in your life where
clarity could replace chaosand where kindness could include
you.
If this conversation washelpful today, I ask three things.

(08:08):
Subscribe to, Follow and shareMore Human, More Kind subscribe to
the Midweek Breath newsletterand join the Patreon community.
You are worthy of boundariesand you are worthy of love.
Welcome to More Human, More Kind.

(08:29):
Welcome to the movement.