Boundaries Are Your Birthright: Reclaiming What Medicine Told You to Forget

September 03, 2025

I used to think boundaries were about saying no.

You know — being assertive, speaking up, asking for space.

That’s how we’re taught to think about it — if we’re taught to think about it at all.

But over time, I started to understand boundaries differently.

Not as a communication strategy…

But as a declaration of identity. A reclamation of power. A sacred act of self-recognition.

Because what I see in so many physician moms — and what I’ve had to unlearn myself — is the idea that we have to earn our peace. That we can only rest, or ask, or change, after we’ve hit a wall or proved we’ve suffered enough.

What If You’re Allowed to Want Something Different?

Let me ask you something.

Do you believe your wants and needs are legitimate?

Not reasonable. Not convenient. Not easy for others to digest.

Legitimate.

That question alone can rattle something loose.

Because most of us were trained — by medicine, by family, by culture — to believe our wants are indulgent and our needs are negotiable. We learn to tolerate too much, explain too often, and apologize for being tired.

And then we wonder why we’re so disconnected from our joy, our intuition, our bodies.

But here’s what’s true:

Boundaries are not about keeping people out.

Boundaries are about keeping you intact.

You Have the Right to Walk Away

This isn’t about being dramatic. It’s about being honest.

You have the right to walk away from anything that no longer aligns with your values, your season of life, or your wellbeing — including jobs, roles, identities, and relationships that once felt right.

Yes, even if they look good on paper.

Yes, even if other people don’t get it.

Yes, even if you worked hard to get here.

You are not stuck. You’re sovereign.

You are not selfish. You are allowed to want ease.

And no, you don’t have to wait for your life to fall apart before you choose a different one.

Boundaries Aren’t Just Bold — They’re Tender

Real boundaries aren’t a performance. They’re not a social media soundbite.

They’re quiet, steady decisions that say:

“I deserve to feel good in my life.”

“I don’t have to prove anything to be worthy of rest.”

“I’m allowed to protect my time, my energy, my peace.”

Sometimes those boundaries look like a resignation letter.

Sometimes they look like letting someone else pack the diaper bag.

Sometimes they look like saying no — or saying yes to something only because you want to.

And sometimes… they look like unlearning the lie that confrontation is bad, that change is failure, or that you’re not allowed to change your mind.

Your Freedom Doesn’t Need to Be Justified

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for wanting a better life.

You don’t need a crisis to qualify for change.

You don’t need to prove that you’re at your limit before you say, “this isn’t working.”

You are allowed to make decisions from desire, not depletion.

From clarity — not chaos.

From knowing — not permission.

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign to draw the line, to reconsider what you’re tolerating, to stop letting guilt parent your life…

This is it.

Not because something’s wrong with you.

But because something very real inside of you is waking up — and she’s worth listening to.