Your job is to protect your own emotional energy, not to make everybody happy. We are not responsible for other peoples emotions. It's OK to offend sometimes. It's part of taking good care of yourself. Set boundries. Think about your relationships in consentric circles. Your self care is in the middle. Then your marriage, then children, then extended family. Don't worry about pleasing others outside of these circles if doing so will damage the inner circles you are truly responsible for. Three things to consider when setting boundaries:
-Don't be a door mat letting others walk all over you
-Don't be a sword - i.e. don't try and hurt people while setting those boundaries
-Be a lantern. Shed light on situations the illuminate the real issues and be true to yourself
-Julie DeAzevedo Hanks, Family Therapist
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