Offer support while keeping limits · S14.9

Acknowledge a difficulty and state your limit

You want to respond with care without agreeing to something you cannot do.

Everyday practice

Try these steps

1. Reflect the other person's difficulty accurately and briefly.
2. State what you can offer and what you cannot.
3. Ask whether the available offer is useful, without taking responsibility for their entire response.

An example

I hear that this is a hard evening. I can talk briefly, but I cannot come over.

Reflect

Did care and the limit both remain clear?

Next time

Keep the boundary even if the offer is declined.