I was recently speaking with someone, who like most was getting frustrated with people who weren't respecting their boundaries.   It was surrounding gifts and how when someone is aware of what you want and don't in your home, it can be hard to navigate feelings while ensuring respect on both ends.  

I don't know if anyone out there is familiar with the great and wonderful Joshua Becker (if not do yourself a favor and either go over and give his website a look and buy or listen to his books!) he says “Your life is far too valuable to be wasted on the life that everyone else is choosing.” 

truer words have never been spoken as they say!  When we allow others to dictate what we are going to accept or not accept into our lives we run the risk of a cluttered mind and space.  I always say when speaking to people about the ever elusive issue of "I didn't ask for this or I told them no" gift that ...

YOUR OBLIGATION TO THEM (THE GIVER) ENDS WITH A THANK YOU!

the very definition of OBLIGATION seems and always has seemed a bit forceful and not joyful at all:

something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arises out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc .

Now, I don't know about you I don't want to be bound or obliged to just about anything!  When one gifts a person something, we would never want them to feel weighed down or obliged to keep just on account of making us happy.  That is the total opposite of the point.  So next time you get something that might not fit into your style, life, or current esthetic ...say thank you.  Pass that gift along to someone who will be uplifted by that thing.  after all its not about things its about the feeling.  

I was recently speaking with someone, who like most was getting frustrated with people who weren't respecting their boundaries.   It was surrounding gifts and how when someone is aware of what you want and don't in your home, it can be hard to navigate feelings while ensuring respect on both ends.  

I don't know if anyone out there is familiar with the great and wonderful Joshua Becker (if not do yourself a favor and either go over and give his website a look and buy or listen to his books!) he says “Your life is far too valuable to be wasted on the life that everyone else is choosing.” 

truer words have never been spoken as they say!  When we allow others to dictate what we are going to accept or not accept into our lives we run the risk of a cluttered mind and space.  I always say when speaking to people about the ever elusive issue of "I didn't ask for this or I told them no" gift that ...

YOUR OBLIGATION TO THEM (THE GIVER) ENDS WITH A THANK YOU!

the very definition of OBLIGATION seems and always has seemed a bit forceful and not joyful at all:

something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arises out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc .

Now, I don't know about you I don't want to be bound or obliged to just about anything!  When one gifts a person something, we would never want them to feel weighed down or obliged to keep just on account of making us happy.  That is the total opposite of the point.  So next time you get something that might not fit into your style, life, or current esthetic ...say thank you.  Pass that gift along to someone who will be uplifted by that thing.  after all its not about things its about the feeling.