Hi ,

Here is an example of setting a personal boundary, an aspect of self-care, beautifully demonstrated by Simone Biles 😊 It reflects why setting boundaries often require courage.

What Simone Biles did was an extraordinarily courageous act of self-care and selflessness toward her team. She tuned into her Self, and honored her limits by setting an incredibly difficult boundary. Boundaries help protect us, and the boundary she set was critical in protecting both her mental and physical well-being, if injured. With unimaginable pressure, and the weight of the world’s expectations on her shoulders, she chose to honor her Self and her truth – that she was not okay. Not 100%.

She listened to her Self over the voices of others telling her she was fine. She trusted her Self – knowing that the vault performance she did was not right, and that continuing to perform would be unsafe. She courageously chose to prioritize her own well-being, rather than meet the expectations of the Olympic and broader world. That is courage to the infinite degree.

By choosing to put her Self (and the performance of her team) first, and the expectations, hopes and dreams of the world second, she indeed won an Olympic gold medal.

Many people perceive self-care as selfish. In fact, through my many years of coaching, I have observed that it is extremely difficult for most women. There is a fear that if one does prioritize one’s needs, such as mental or emotional health, she will be labeled as Selfish. Not surprisingly, that was the biggest criticism wielded against Simone after her decision. It is a significant factor in why so many women don’t prioritize their Self-care and set boundaries with others. Because when we do either, there are often repercussions.

The two most common are being called selfish or a bitch. Both of which are shaming and distressing to many women. So we do whatever is necessary to avoid such criticism. Unfortunately, this often is at the expense of our Selves.

Simone showed beautiful stewardship of her well-being – for if not her, then who would? We cannot rely on others to act as stewards, and protect our mental, physical or spiritual health. We must be our own stewards. She is a shining gold medal example of this, and by her tremendously courageous decision, is a model and inspiration (like Naomi Osaka) to women around the world.