- No is part of your vocabulary. You set healthy and clear boundaries by defining what behaviors are unacceptable in your relationships. You don’t care about being popular because self-respect comes from clearly, peacefully, and directly communicating how you desire to be treated. You do not allow abuse or mistreatment to continue, hoping the other person will change. Once you’ve set a boundary you don’t back down or cave. While boundaries may not make you popular you know defining behavior that is not acceptable in relationship brings a higher level of awareness to situation than what created them in the first place.
- Self-care is a top priority. Nurturing your body, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, a massage, down time from technology, regular physical and dental examinations, periods of peaceful silence, time in playful activities, taking deep breaths, having someone watch the children, etc. are all ways of taking care of you. You are devoted to making sure you give to others without feeling resentful. That means you find ways to give to yourself each and every day.
- Self-sacrifice is healthy, not codependent. You are not responsible for the actions of others. Nor do you cover up or try to protect people from get back the consequences of their actions. While you are a support to others you don’t carry their burdens or worry about their problems. You accept you cannot change others and you don’t let yourself feel obligated to do what others expect at the expense of your needs. You don’t need someone to complete you rather you define your own self-worth and value. You feel deserving of loving and being loved in a mutually respectful relationship.
