Playing with boundaries

2013 has brought many changes for me. Over the last 3 year's I've set value based New years resolutions. 2010 was simplicity, 2011 was freedom, 2012 was truth, but this year it was mindfulness. I talk about mindfulness every day, but I decided that this year I had to make action and physically make it a part of my life. You know the whole 'practice what you preach' kind of thing. The more I've been experimenting with mindfulness (I say experiment because practice sounds like it needs to be 'perfect'), the more I've realised that boundaries are a core part of it.

We all have boundaries. Some stay close to us while others blur into someone/something else, but ultimately boundaries define who we are and who we are not... they're not easy to set because they take a whole lot of self-respect and self-compassion (which kinda goes against the grain of the western world).

My online presence. I've recently set up a website, blog and business facebook and Twitter account about something that I'm very passionate. I'm exposing my self in a new way to the world. I wouldn't be able to do this effectively without checking in with myself and acknowledging when I do overstep my limits.

Work. I recently restructured my work so I'm working more inline with my own values and giving myself time to be more mindful of my actions. But this also means that I have to remember to clock off even if I'm in the middle of something I'm deeply passionate about/or something that is sucking my precious energy dry.

Play. I'm focusing on making play and creativity my priority. This admittedly doesn't come naturally and it means I HAVE to set aside time where I consume myself 100% with my own immediate needs and the important people in my life.

So here is where my boundaries lie.

Somewhere between myself and my computer (I know I lose sense of who I am and my social skills/capacity when I've spent all day at a computer screen).

Somewhere between myself and my work. My work is only a part of me - but the more time I invest in it, the more it becomes me or just the same, I become my work.

Somewhere between myself and the people in my life. I need people in my life but I cannot please every one - therefore I need to look after myself as well so I can be present with both my own and other's needs. There's a line somewhere between me becoming someone else (and losing my voice) or others becoming me (and losing their voice).

And...

Somewhere between myself and creativity...this one is blurred for me at the moment - as I believe that when I'm in a state of creativity and play - I'm being authentically me (though I can imagine that if I was in the public eye for my creativity I could run the risk of my products defining who I am as a person rather than a representation of a certain experience).

Boundaries will be stretched, dented and squeezed...but I and we are only human. If we don't play with boundaries, how do we know who we are - and who we are not?

It's all part of the dance...