Every once in a while we find ourselves in a situation that goes beyond the limits we would like to set. It may be something as simple as not being able to say no to a neighbor who wants to borrow your car, and maybe the car is returned late which in turn causes you to get delayed going to work. If you could have said, I will not let anyone borrow my car when I need it, it would have saved you a lot of trouble. A limit can then be defined as a situation where you have control enough to say thus far and no more, or the buck stops here. You are then in a position to negotiate and come up with some alternatives. There are very few things that you cannot set limits to and once these issues are settled, life would be a lot easier to live.
In our personal lives we have often encountered situations like the one mentioned above and those who have managed to set their limits have done well. For those who are still caught up in the circle of want versus need, take heart. You need to start slow and take it from there. Set yourself a time limit the next time your neighbor stops for a chat at a time most inconvenient for you. Give yourself say 3 minutes and then diplomatically tell...