A brief monologue arguing that personal boundaries function as bridges that allow the right things in rather than walls to keep people out. The speaker describes feelings of guilt when changing from a habitual 'yes' person to saying 'no', and reframes boundaries as necessary for being present and effective for family roles (father, husband).
Boundaries aren't a wall or barrier to keep things out. They're bridges. Let the right things in. We don't want to set boundaries because of worrying guilt. We feel guilty that we're leaving people behind or we're shutting people out. Are we worried what's going to come with it? Like, if I set this boundary, what are they going to say about me? You know, I've been in plenty of situations where I've been the yes man for years, but as soon as I became, I say, like, the no person for the day. It's like, man, I'm a terrible person now. And I always say this, and I want to share it. Like, if no changes the relationship, then that relationship probably wasn't real in the first place. And I had to realize that me setting boundaries was more so what do I need in my life? And I thought about the people who needed me to be at my best, right? My family. Okay, so I got to set boundaries with this outside world if I'm going to be the father or the husband I need to be, because my main measure of success is who I am when I walk through these doors.
