The Roots and the River - Episode 7: Boundaries Without Guilt

Some of us were taught that being needed meant being loved. So we overgave. Overexplained. Overextended ourselves trying to keep peace, avoid conflict, and carry what was never ours alone to hold. Episode 7 of Still Waters with Li explores the quiet truth that boundaries are not cruelty, rejection, or selfishness. They are clarity. They are honesty. They are protection for the parts of us that survival taught us to ignore. This episode explores: • people-pleasing • emotional labor • guilt after saying no • helping professions & burnout • cultural and family expectations • the difference between compassion and self-abandonment Featuring I Ching Hexagram 60 — Limitation: healthy structure creates freedom. “A boundary is not a rejection of others. Sometimes it is a return to yourself.” 🎙️ Episode 7: Boundaries Without Guilt Still Waters with Li Now streaming on Spotify.