I finished Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life quickly. I wish I had known about this book sooner. I can see why it has been used in some schools. The Boundaries Book was a solid choice for my 24 books in 2024 book challenge.

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life

Boundaries is the book that’s helped over 4 million people learn when to say yes and know how to say no in order to take control of their lives.

Does your life feel like it’s out of control? Perhaps you feel like you have to say yes to everyone’s requests. Maybe you find yourself readily taking responsibility for others’ feelings and problems. Or perhaps you focus so much on being loving and unselfish that you’ve forgotten your own limits and limitations. Or maybe it’s all of the above.

In the New York Times bestseller, Boundaries, Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend help you learn when to say yes and know how to say no in order to take control of your life and set healthy, biblical boundaries with your spouse, children, friends, parents, co-workers, and even yourself.

Now updated and expanded for the digital age, this book continues to help millions of people around the world answer these tough questions:

• Can I set limits and still be a loving person?
• What are legitimate boundaries?
• How do I effectively manage my digital life so that it doesn’t control me?
• What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries?
• How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money?
• Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries?
• How do boundaries relate to mutual submission within marriage?
• Aren’t boundaries selfish?

You don’t have to let your life spiral out of control. Discover how boundaries make life better today!

Plus, check out Boundaries family collection of books dedicated to key areas of life – dating, marriage, raising kids, parenting teens, and leadership. Workbooks and Spanish editions are also available.

My Boundaries Book Review

The Boundaries book would have drastically helped me in my late twenties and early thirties. Family members constantly pulled me to do things for them at every turn. I thought I was expected to do these things for them. They were the masters of pulling the right mental buttons to get me to do their bidding.

The Boundaries book is for Christians and focuses on what the Bible says about helping others and protecting our boundaries. It showcases how we can say no and not feel guilty for it.

I personally feel that some of the verses used in the book were taken out of context. However, I am not an expert in the Bible and have not read the entire book from one end to the other. Usually, I read the Bible based on the topics I am learning about. I also use daily devotions and Bible studies to further my understanding of the Bible. Although I have attempted to read the Bible from cover to cover numerous times, I have found that I tend to lose interest and give up.

I feel the Boundaries book is a book someone should read if they allow others to dictate how they use their time. It’s also ideal for someone who struggles with telling other people NO. No, is NOT a bad word. It should be an active part of many people’s vocabulary.

I have seen plenty of people, myself included, who have put their life ambitions on hold, trying to accommodate everyone else’s whims and desires. I have found that I have lost out on tons of time in my day trying to “help” others who do not need it at that time. There are far too many people who take advantage of others without consideration of what they have going on in their own lives!

I know someone who makes everything sound like an emergency, and she must do it now. And she HAS to have your help NOW. I’ll never forget how one day I was working on something that was going to pay me $50, and would lead to future work for me. She told me, oh, I’ll pay you $100 to help me now. She refused to take no for an answer. Back then, I felt like I HAD to do her bidding to reduce family drama.

Since I stopped being willing to be her beck-and-call person, she has had nothing to do with me. I am okay with that, but she sure did make me feel like I was her favorite person as long as I was helping her. But all she was doing was using me and didn’t honestly care about me as a person.

I’m sharing my story in hopes that anyone currently being used by someone else will not allow themselves to fall into that trap. Value yourself and be very clear on your boundaries. If you need help learning how to do that, then be sure to pick up the Boundaries book for clear ways and arguments to help you achieve that in your own life.

Talk to me in the comments:

Have you ever struggled with maintaining boundaries in your life?

Check out the other books I’m reading in 2024.

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