Each of us must grow more discriminating about what our capacity is.
Without that boundary, we wind up exaggerating our real capabilities to please others.
I’m reminded of something my boss said during a team meeting:
“It’s not a weakness to say there’s too much on your plate. You won’t get yelled at or get in trouble for saying, sorry guys, but I just don’t have the bandwidth to take anything else on right now.”
The entire room exhaled. Because in one sentence, he helped soothe away a lifetime of fears.
Mainly of death. Because that’s the place our minds go.
By saying no to this assignment:
We’ll be replaced
And forgotten
Go broke
Get divorced
Lose our families
Get kicked to the curb
Become homeless
Have a mental breakdown
Eventually die a horrible painful lonely death
Over a spreadsheet.
And so, setting boundaries on our bandwidth truly is a courageous act. Because it requires the humility of knowing what our limitations are, along with the trust that we can reject people we care about without scaring them away forever.
Remember, there will always be times when we need to fight for our legitimate requirements.
Don’t feel feel guilty if you have done nothing wrong.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How many false personalities have you constructed to protect yourself and please others?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.
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