asking for advice... (share your thoughts in the comments) boundaries and expectations in relationships
“Where have you been?” “You’re never around anymore…” “You used to be… what happened?” “Do you not value our friendship?” These are some things that a friend of mine was hearing from her friends a few days ago She reached out to me for advice and a new perspective since she views me as being great at setting boundaries and not feeling guilty about it She has been focused on her business, a new relationship that is forming and also wanting some space to come back to herself And now friends that are used to her at max availability are wondering where she is and why she isn’t around I asked her a question… When did you decide that it was your responsibility to manage their expectations of you? I then went on to explain that there were a few layers to look at that could trigger an insight or breakthrough The first thing I said was… Your friends were used to a certain dosage of you… you are fun and bring alot of playful energy to the people in your life… and they probably love that and maybe even rely on that Now that the dosage is changing, there are some “protest” behaviors coming out to get you back to where you were I encouraged her to look to see if any of these “ties” were rooted in codependency Needing someone else to meet your needs or feeling responsible for another is usually tied to codependency Sometimes empaths take on the energy of others too… Which leads to if the friends feel tension then THEY feel the tension And they may feel responsible for mitigating it I invited her to use the mantra of… “That’s THEIR stuff not mine…” She also has the choice whether she internalizes the situation at all “I’m a bad friend” etc could be a meaning giving but that doesn’t have to be the choice In the past it could of been The alternative is to enable her friends and cater to them but then to abandon herself This isn’t love and connection though, it is codependency Its is taking on other peoples energies and feeling that unless you do, you will be abandoned