The Boundaryless Life

Happy New Year. February 1st is a good time to say that. Well, my year just started. January was a trial run. Since I did well there, I will do great here also. Or what do you think? Hahahaha.

That 2019 that we have been waiting for, is finally here. You said you will buy “Benz”. Let me leave it at that. Don’t forget me when you buy the “Benz”.

The year started with a bang for me as I have been ultra-busy on my job. Well, it is expected. It is the new year and you have to move fast. Well, let me re-calibrate by sending out a missive on something I have been pondering on. I hope it is useful to you.

One of the things humans naturally do not like is the concept of a boundary. Kids want to play endlessly. Adults want stuff for free. Discipline is not something that comes intuitively. We want to enjoy what we want to enjoy. And we want it now. Unfortunately, life is not so. Here comes boundaries.

We do not like boundaries because we believe it is restrictive. True but restrictions are a required part of life. You say “Boundaries do not allow me to “be””. Again another truth. But if you examine life well enough, you will know that it is those who have set boundaries for themselves that have achieved much.
Socrates postulates that “The unexamined life is not worth living”. I want to believe that he meant that the life that has no boundaries — lived on the go — will not amount to much. More like, “examine your life and see the boundaries that you need to set”.

There are all manner of boundaries that encompasses your entire life. You need boundaries in all of them — financial, emotional, SPIRITUAL, family, relationship, career etc. Boundaries on what and how you spend your time, things you will never watch, conversations that you will not be part of etc.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. — Psalm 1:1

On thinking about boundaries, these are the salient points I came up with. Let me list them for ease of reading (you see, I always have you in mind when I am writing).

• Boundaries create focus — Without a boundary, you will dissipate your energy is all direction. Nothing has been achieved in life without focus. Sporting activities have durations. There is a time to read and write exams. Discipline in one area of life translates to success in that area of life. As a business, you cannot service everyone. Boundaries allow you to know your market.

The essence of genius is to know what to overlook — William James

• Boundaries create intensity — Intensity is for achievement. If you are a blogger, you need to know your market. Food vendors need to segment their market and intensify effort to reach them. You need intense effort in anything that you have identified as worthy as achieving. For the guys that code, they don’t stay awake for fun. It is intense effort created by blocking out certain things in their lives at that moment.
• Boundaries are for protection and security — You need boundaries to know what to do, what not to do, where to go and when to execute. You need boundaries to create character and character enable people to vouch for you. Without boundaries, you open up yourself to all manner of things. This quote by Ed Cole says it all…
• Boundaries eliminate confusion — You know what you have and you stick with it. Triple dating leads to confusion. Confusion leads to lies and a person with no integrity is soulless. As you can see, you need boundaries everywhere. You can’t be all things to everyone. If you try, you will really be confused and a confused person amounts to little in life

Without explanations, I will state also…
Boundaries are for governance.

Boundaries enable ownership.

Boundaries create pattern.

Boundaries are for beauty.

Boundaries enable you to know what to overlook.

Boundaries create discipline

So just before you remove that ancient landmark in the society, personal life, company procedure, marriage, business etc, please seek to know why it was there in the first place. That knowledge can save you a lot of frustration in life. Try and live within the boundaries that you have set for yourself and success will meet you in unexpected hours.

Hasta la vita.

Again.….Happy New Year.

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