You were taught to treat guilt as proof you are good. In reality, it often proves only that you are trained to over-give. This is the rare boundaries book that treats limits as consent and energy management, not personality. It offers a clear system to practise how to say no, negotiate fair yeses, and protect your energy without apology-at work and at home. Built for thoughtful readers who are done with people pleasing yet still care deeply about relationships, it replaces vague advice with crisp tools: a Boundary Budget to count real costs, Request Triage to sort asks (green/amber/red), a Minimum Viable Boundary to start small and stick, and a Guilt Reframe that turns self-criticism into data. You will learn assertive communication that sounds like you, emotional self-defense that does not harden your heart, and scripts that hold under pressure. Why this matters now: modern life runs on hidden extraction-open calendars, instant replies, endless favours. The result is scattered attention, thin patience, and quiet resentment. This book shows you how to install humane defaults, design workplace boundaries as team norms, and practise consent in relationships so care is shared, not performed. Expect plain language, short case studies, negotiation templates, and reflective prompts you can use on Monday morning. By the end you will be able to: -Decline cleanly without over-explaining -Turn vague requests into bounded agreements -Align your yeses with values and capacity -Repair tension without retracting your limit If you want clarity you can act on-setting boundaries without guilt that preserve respect and time-this is your map. It will change how you navigate guilt and boundaries, and give you a practice you can sustain.