It is true that being available for people is a very beautiful thing. At least it shows love, compassion, kindness, and the willingness for you to make positive influence in the life of people. However, when your availability become unlimited and excessive, it may turn your strength into weakness. Imagine someone being too busy for other people, while they are less busy for their own self. Why will you dedicate 100% of your life in being available for others when you have obvious things about yourself that need urgent attention that you have not attended to? Do not allow your availability to become a weakness for you.
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One of the dangers of being always available is that you may ignore your personal growth. That is, you might sacrifice the progress of your life and your growth for other people's needs. You might postpone your goals just to attend to the goals of others, or you may abandon your plans to go all out for someone else, or you may spend the productive hours of your day in the things that do not matter to you. This is how some people see themselves leaving what they would have done, and days will become weeks, and months will pass, but they are still at the same spot while helping others move forward. It is true that helping others is very good, but you should not abandon your own personal growth or your journey in the process.
More so, showing unlimited availability to people can easily make them to take your kindness for granted. When you are always and excessively available to people, they can easily begin to mistake your kindness for entitlement, instead of as privilege. They will begin to think that it is their right, or that you are supposed to do it. Even when you decide to say "no," they will see it that you are changing, or an attack on them, while they forget that you have always been there for them. However, you need to understand that the people who truly love and value you will also respect your limitations and your boundaries. But those who only value what you give will become uncomfortable when you put boundaries.
I have also come to realise that if you are constantly available without having any restriction and boundary, you may begin to attract only those that need what they can get from you. They will call you when they need favour or assistance from you. They will only remember you when they need your help, but they will be nowhere to be found when you need support. Imagine being always available to people without looking at their intentions, you will begin to be surrounded by people who sap your energy, time, and resources without adding anything significant in your life.
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In addition to this, your peace of mind may be affected negatively. When you see yourself constantly responding to the demands of everyone, it may leave you both physically and mentally exhausted, drained and overwhelmed. Then when you are unable to help people, you may begin to feel guilty, even though you may have good reasons to attend to other responsibilities or to rest. You have to understand that you are human and you have your own limitations, personal challenges, and other responsibilities of your own. You are not under any mandate to solve every problem, or to answer every person's call immediately, or even to attend to every invitation. Sometimes you might just need to step back in order to protect your peace of mind.
At the end of the day, if you fail to set the necessary boundaries, you may lose your self-respect. If people know that they have unlimited access to you, they may not have respect for your priorities, for your time, and even for your feelings. They would want you to adjust your own needs just to solve their own needs. This is why you need to set healthy and worthy boundaries for the sake of your peace of mind and for your sanity. Setting boundaries does not make you mean or wicked, but it means that you have understood your limitations, and have understood that your time and energy are not limitless.
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