2. Establish clear boundaries.
In Australia years ago, public speaker Von G. Keetch strolled along a renowned bay known for surfing when he came across a group of angry, foreign surfers. After inquiring after the cause of their anger, the surfers pointed to the mouth of the bay where the large waves were breaking. There in the distance was a mesh barrier that stretched the distance of the bay and dropped to the bottom of the ocean floor. The barrier held them back from surfing the big, impressive waves.
An old local stood nearby and listened to the angry surfers complain about their ruined trip. Finally, he stood and walked over to the group, brandishing a pair of binoculars. Each angry surfer took a look through the pair of binoculars at the barrier and saw what they had missed in their ignorance: dorsal fins. The other side of the barrier was teeming with large, feeding sharks. Keetch wrote: “The old surfer retrieved his binoculars and turned to walk away. As he did, he turned back and said these words: ‘Don’t be too critical of the barrier. It’s the only thing that’s keeping you from being devoured.’”
In our interactions with others, establishing boundaries (or a barrier) is necessary and protective when dealing with difficult people. Find the divide where you can have a productive and safe conversation, and drop the barrier before the sharks in your life, hungry for exploiting relationships for gain, devour you.
