In Honour of Your Freedom (Part 2)
/of this mini-series set out to help you appreciate you – just you – because it is imperative to your ability to truly be free. Free of the need to hide from yourself and others, from fear of facing fears, and free to enjoy every moment of your life. I hope, having read Part 1, that you’ve started thinking about your boundaries – that sets the stage for Part 2 – you with others.
Boundaries – You with Others
Worth the Risk
Life’s lesson
is the process of
learning to love unconditionally.
Parents, siblings, spouse, children - it's clear. In identifying, and then setting,
boundaries,
therefore, we have to
balance self-preservation with accepting others
as they are. Now, to those of us who are
“
”
about relationships, I caution against missing out on great people by being too rigid.
No one is perfect,
so as humans, we inevitably hurt each other sometimes.
Relationships are messy.
Source: http://bit.ly/1iIj92D
Wisdom is Priceless
That said,
boundaries
are meant to
keep us safe at each stage
of that process. It helps us to
be true to where we are
in that process, able to walk with others who help us grow
in the tough and the great parts
of love, but
safe from those who would destroy us
because of how
vulnerable we are,
and
where they are
– too needy, too critical or
abusive in any way.
Even in accepting others,
we are not supposed to enable bad behaviour.
.
Community - Free to Be
Sisterhood (Brotherhood) is Imperative to Your Freedom
Community should be
a truly safe space where you're fully known
and, even if not completely understood, fully accepted and
invited to simply be.
Find those of your gender that
don’t make you apologize for being
imperfect or emotional – this includes the ‘male ego’.
Start with one person. Examine your boundaries and whether or not you’re comfortable enough to build a relationship with this person.
Note:
You need friends of other genders as well – please. My brother is one of my closest friends. That said, there is simply something unspoken that can only be attained with those of your gender.
Source, Girls: http://mingusillustration.com/kids/girls-sleepover.jpg
Source, Boys: http://www.casacenina.com/catalog/images/img_103/bothy_sxc2.jpg
Your Clients should Love that You Have a Life
For those of you whose dream or passion is to
help others through business,
it is so easy to become
a slave to your clients
– forgetting that this was a major reason for leaving corporate in the first place.
My coach,
(
website under construction), has driven home the purpose of a client profile –
“Identify the right clients for you”.
Just as you are careful who you let into your everyday life, you should
be careful who you dedicate your
time, energy
and
expertise
to in business.
You'll find all the technical checklists for a client profile online – budget, earnings, number of employees, years in business – but
only you know the relationship values
that matter –
respect, temperament, schedule
and
value for your product or service.
Live Where It’s Easiest for You to Thrive
People, fun, jobs/clients, culture, food, weather
– I've been thinking about this a lot, lately. Toronto has afforded me a
freedom to be myself,
unencumbered by the
"fear of disappointing loved ones”
. It is lovely, and will always be dear to me, but
it has never felt like home.
They say
'home is where the heart is'
, and perhaps it is a mindset, rather than an atmosphere, that determines where home is.
I’m not so sure.
said
"You can put a plant in sub-optimal conditions, and it’ll do its best to thrive. I’m the same way, growing my way through the cracks in the sidewalks wherever I land. But when it comes to choosing a place to call home, I’ve realized how important it is to live where it’s easiest to thrive..."
and
it is so true.
Your home is your sanctuary.
When your entire day goes wrong, it’s where you recharge to face the next day.
City: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/Toronto_ON_Toronto_Skyline2_modified.jpg
Beach: http://www.homedit.com/20-modern-living-rooms-that-will-make-you-instantly-drool/
In December (2013), my mother asked me,
"Why do you take the most difficult paths in life?"
I’m still ruminating over that, but this is one of the areas in which
I ask myself the same question.
In Christianity, your relationship with Christ calls you to rest in God in the midst of storms.
You do not seek out storms.
Freedom
Freedom
is not some frivolous concept that flirts with the notion of no responsibilities and “never having a bad day”. Au contraire,
it is a lot of work,
but it can be
smart work, rather than hard work.
If you make the time to
get clear on who you are
and
what you really want,
then
that work has a purpose.
Being
true to yourself
seems to be at the crux of attaining freedom.
I’d start there.
Check out
"Back to Basics. Your Approval Required."
to help keep you focused.
