Are you the kind of person that people know they can call day or night? Because you will be there for them? Are you the “good listener”? Are you the one everyone can rely on? If you said yes to all these questions, you might also have a problem setting boundaries.
When someone builds an identity around being a Giver, saying no to people who ask for help can feel like an identity crisis. Rather than face this crisis, the Giver says yes. The Giver wants to keep their relationships, their status, and their sense of identity as a “good person.”
Givers radiate all these qualities, which can be catnip for The Taker. Takers are not concerned about the well-being of the Giver. They will take and take until there is nothing left, then will move on to another Giver who will supply without asking for anything in return. Instead of living up to a label, allow yourself to be a caring human being with needs and boundaries. When you do this, relationships improve and Takers disappear.
