Every day, society checks to see what we will tolerate. And every day, we lower our standards, cross our own boundaries, and accept things we find unacceptable. Usually, for our convenience.

As a person in Los Angeles, I will say, we tolerate the gas prices. Because it's easier to tolerate them than to figure out public transportation. So we say, “Yes, we will accept this obnoxiously high gas price,” while the CEOs and the shareholders make their money and show absurd profits. Meanwhile, the planet heats up and fires burn.

We are being tested every single day on what we will tolerate. And we do tolerate some intolerable shit. Can’t blame us. We’re busy, stressed and financially terrified.

Because of what we tolerate, we are participating in the creation of this weird world. And, no, that’s not to say it’s our fault. Not at all. However, the longer we tolerate this, the more complicit we become. Because we are forgetting that we do have options. They just might be inconvenient.

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Music: "Punk Attitude" by Flash Fluharty licensed via PremiumBeats

Boundaries. I love them. And they can be super disrupty because some people don't know what the fuck to do when you assert them. Their assumption is, if you assert your boundaries, well, then you're not a nice person. And if you're not a nice person, well, then you're certainly not a happy person. And I am here to tell you all of that is crap.

Being happy doesn't mean being a doormat. It doesn't mean tolerating bullshit. And it doesn't mean automatically forgiving people for their bullshit. Being happy means having standards and holding to them.

Let me tell you, one of the things that makes me super happy is accountability — that of others and my own. And you know what keeps people accountable? Yep: Boundaries.

But here’s the thing: Boundaries are not setting rules for other people to abide by. Nope. Boundaries are about holding a set of standards and values for yourself. You aren't trying to tell somebody how to behave by honoring your boundaries. You're just letting them know their behavior isn’t for you and if that’s the only behavior they’re capable of, you're moving on. There is a diff.

But some people are confused by that. They use their boundaries to hold other people accountable to their rules and regulations, expecting others to acquiesce to their whims. They think of their boundaries as a rulebook for others to play by. Uh uh. That’s just a form of control and manipulation. Which is totally inappropriate, unhealthy and gross.

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Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and DM a screenshot of it to me on Instagram (@happyrebelpodcast) along with your preferred email address to receive a free month of The Happyist Substack plus a discount on a continuing subscription. (Please note, this is a manual process. The only AI I use is *actual* intelligence.)

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Music: "Punk Attitude" by Flash Fluharty licensed via PremiumBeats

Think about it for a moment. Give it a good Scooby-Doo. Who benefits by you being unhappy? Because someone does. And it isn’t you.

And you know the impact being unhappy has in your life. It doesn’t feel good. It doesn’t get you anywhere. So, who benefits if you remain unhappy?

When we are unhappy, we are compliant. We are stuck. We stick with the devil we know. Our nervous system has acclimated to this misery and has deemed it safe. How can something that makes us unhappy be safe? Because we are breathing and alive and that is safe. Our nervous system is basic AF.

Follow the podcast on Instagram, Threads and Facebook @HappyRebelPodcast and go deeper into your eudaimonic wellbeing at The Happyist Substack.

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and DM a screenshot of it to me on Instagram (@happyrebelpodcast) along with your preferred email address to receive a free month of The Happyist Substack plus a discount on a continuing subscription. (Please note, this is a manual process. The only AI I use is *actual* intelligence.)

Be a Happy Rebel VIP! Join our email group!

To work with me, or for further inquiries, please visit TheHappyist.me

Ready to start your own podcast? Consider Buzzsprout as your host. They make it easy and affordable. Use my referral link for a $20 credit on any paid plan.

©2025-2026 Happy Rebel LLC All Rights Reserved

Music: "Punk Attitude" by Flash Fluharty licensed via PremiumBeats