There is no fence around the parts of yourself that you need to protect; there is no instruction manual to point out your weaknesses. There is no automatic way to tell truth from lies. Yet you can do all of these things. When you think of the concept of boundaries, substitute the concept “discernment.” Your perception is the first gateway to authenticity and right action, and if you use it, you will get better at it. You have a gift for seeing the unseen, so the first step is deciding to trust yourself. That’s the foundation of all success, self-confidence and trust in others. No matter what else you may be doing, you must trust your choices, your intelligence and your abilities. All of that translates into a sound relationship with yourself. I’ve found that most people struggle with trusting their own judgment—and getting out of that is like escaping from a trap that was set for us long ago. You can make authentic progress doing this now. The first step is entering a conscious dialog with your fear—not avoiding or denying it. Another involves knowing the difference between wishful thinking and having faith in yourself or in a situation. And part involves not projecting your own good intentions onto others who are not so benefic as yourself. You don’t need to obsess over how evil some people are; you merely need to recognize them and deal with them appropriately—which usually means staying out of their way.
