I don’t like to go over old ground. I like to face, deal and move on.

That has not been reflected in my life in recent years, which is plain to see in The Monster Guide to Life – the self-expression, theories and musings of my experience. Monster waffle contains a lot of repetition, banging-on and reinforcement of the same old shit. Which happens in the face of trauma and its lens. The intentions are good (in the name of love and challenging that trauma) but it’s still a stickler for mental quicksand and ‘Yeah, yeah, heard it all before’ at times.

This is slightly different. The extension of an earlier idea. Which is something I’m very much all about, not because I’m a ‘creative type’, but simply because I’m human and know that through learning, growth and experience, ideas evolve along with our perception and understanding. So it’s a positive, not a repeat of what came before or something unresolved.

Knowing our limits as the always wonderfully wise @charissecooke recently talked about is connected to our rights – what we know to be our worth as human beings essentially. This isn’t about ‘deserving’, it’s about *rights*, something we all have; to be seen, heard, respected, valued and validated as human beings – to feel safe.

These basic rights are intrinsic and consistent in living every breath, and often require us to act, speak and manage the ownership of them ourselves; by remaining loyal to our values, who we are and by setting boundaries and holding others to account when they attempt to diminish us (our rights).

Knowing and understanding our limits and remaining grounded in our values as we enforce the rights that we protect at those limits is an act of love. Most notably for self-worth, but equally in how we do so for other peoples too.

Love and respect all round – THAT is knowing our limits and ensuring our personal safety and the safety of others.

Know your limits, and don’t be a c*nt about it (Yeeeess, even when someone else is).