A woman once shared with me that she felt like she was constantly “taking the temperature” of those around her. If her partner looked upset, she rushed to fix it. If her family seemed distant, she felt it was her job to close the gap. Deep down, she feared that if she wasn’t always tending to everyone’s feelings, they would think she didn’t love them.
Maybe you’ve felt this too—that subtle pressure to read minds, anticipate needs, and stay one step ahead of others’ emotions. It can feel like love, but over time it becomes heavy. Exhausting. And in the process, you lose touch with your own heart. Boundaries are not walls that push people away. They’re more like front doors. You decide what you open to and what you gently keep outside. They allow you to stand in your truth while still loving others deeply.
The shift happens when you recognize: I am responsible for my feelings. Others are responsible for theirs. That truth doesn’t make you cold—it makes you free. And it gives the people in your life the dignity of owning their emotions, instead of you carrying them for them. Reflection Question: Where in your life are you carrying the responsibility for someone else’s feelings, and what would it look like to gently hand that back to them?