Are your boundaries protecting you or suffocating you? Boundaries indicate where our no-go zones are: they are intended to define and protect that which is valuable to us.

We may also put up boundaries to protect ourselves from being hurt. While boundaries do afford protection, they can also create walls between us and others, blocking out new growth, learning and freedom.

Just think how often we hold back from revealing our true identity, beliefs or feelings until we feel safe that the other person will accept them. We may also hold back from sharing new insights out of fear that family and friends will disagree or ridicule us.

So what defines a healthy boundary from an unhealthy one? Acting out of fear rather than from confidence usually gives a good clue. When we start creating boundaries based on fear, these boundaries tend to hold us back from the very interaction that we crave with others. Instead, we may find ourselves cut off from others, unable to share insights along our journey of inner growth and expanding awareness.

Are you living in the closet, imprisoned by your fears or beliefs? Have you put up walls between yourself and others around you, believing they wouldn't understand? Are you hiding your truth from co-workers, friends or loved ones, believing that they wouldn't accept you if they knew what you really believe?

When fear drives us to hide behind boundaries, we deprive ourselves and others from the benefit of sharing our unique perceptions of the human experience. As humans, we all share similar experiences on the journey through life. When we give ourselves permission to share perceptions and insights, the simple act of sharing can result in profound healing and encouragement.

Sharing our truth with others is not about trying to convince them to see things our way. Rather, it is about being honest and transparent in our personal process of growth. And yes, sometimes it can be scary!

When sharing your perspective with someone from the heart, it always makes a difference. At times, we may sense that someone is not ready for deeper levels of sharing. That does not mean that we should not share our truth at all