I’ve always had a hard time with the concept of limits. I never liked feeling restricted by anything — physical barriers, geographical distance, financial constraints, or even my own intellectual capacity. In every area of my life, I’ve tried to push past whatever boundary was placed in front of me.

But lately, life keeps reminding me of a simple and unavoidable truth: We are limited beings. Our bodies, our minds, our emotions — they all have thresholds. And when we pretend those limits don’t exist, there’s always a price to pay.

For a long time, I saw limits as something negative — walls that kept me from going further. But lately, I’ve started to see that limits are actually what give shape to life. They’re not barriers. They’re structure. And structure protects you. It holds you in place when everything else is moving.

• When you don’t honor your limits, life starts to feel like it’s swallowing you. You get irritable for no reason, constantly exhausted, and weighed down by that familiar feeling of “nothing I do is ever enough.” That one, I know too well. Your inner battery feels drained no matter how much you sleep or rest.

• Then there’s the emotional side: the emptiness that creeps in when you’re living on autopilot — something I’ve written about here before.

That’s when the big question shows up: How do you set limits without feeling selfish (when it comes to others) or lazy (when it comes to yourself)? It’s so easy to fall into guilt — for saying “no,” for stepping back, for choosing rest. Or the opposite: to feel shame that maybe you're not giving your all. What I’ve been learning lately is that

Respect for yourself, first. And then respect for others. Because when you’re clear about your limits, you’re also clear about your expectations. And that clarity protects everyone. It avoids confusion, resentment, and burnout.

Over time, I’ve started to see that creating space for yourself — to breathe, to pause, to say “not today” — is one of the kindest things you can do. Limits aren’t the enemy of growth. They make sustainable growth possible. They’re a form of self-care. And that’s really the message I wanted to share today.

And when it comes to others: People only take up the space you allow them to. Protect yours.

With love,
Micael.