I am in the process of reading an ancient ( ok, just from1993 ) self help book written by Charles Whitfield, M.D. All of his advice was gathered from patients and therapy groups he facilitated. The wisdom still holds true today. The title of the book is Boundaries and Relationships: Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self. He is famous for helping people; finding and healing their inner child, working with co-dependents and supporting recovery.

One idea I wanted to share with you was his personal bill of rights he compiled. “Healthy boundaries can help us formulate our rights, and in a reciprocal fashion, knowing that we have these rights can strengthen our boundaries” he notes.

There are 36 rights he believes every human being has a right to. I will share the first 12 today, followed by twelve more tomorrow and the next day. Stay tuned and see if you OWN any of these already.

If you are under twenty six or so, you probably think this is silly, but for us older folks, who were not treated special or held in high regard, this bill of rights needs to be stated; it probably will resonate and possibly rock your world.

I have the right to:

1. Have numerous choices in my life beyond mere survival.
2. Discover and know my Child Within.
3. Grieve over what I didn’t get that I needed or what I got that I didn’t need or want.
4. Follow my own values and standards.
5. Recognize and accept my own value system as appropriate.
6. Say no to anything when I feel I am not ready, it is unsafe or it violates my values.
7. Dignity and respect.
8. Make decisions.
9. Determine and Honor my own priorities.
10. Have my needs and wants respected by others.
11. Terminate conversations with people who make me feel put down and humiliated.
12. Not be responsible for others’ behavior, actions, feelings or problems.