Growth Instigators Hotline
Welcome to the Growth Instigators Hotline, where we ignite your personal and professional development. For more resources, visit growthinstigators.com. Keep instigating growth in all you do.
Growth Instigators Hotline
#457 Welcome Mat. Not letting it in!
A doormat has one job: catch the dirt before it crosses the threshold. We take that simple image and turn it into a practical system for protecting your energy, your attention, and your peace. Instead of building walls, we focus on a welcoming doorway with a smart filter, so you can stay open-hearted without becoming overextended.
I share how a well-meant habit of overgiving shaped my early approach to service and why it quietly drained my capacity. We unpack the difference between love that is wise and love that burns you out, and we get honest about the moments we say yes out of guilt, habit, or fear. You’ll learn a quick three-part boundary check—emotional, mental, and physical—that helps you decide what thoughts, relationships, opportunities, and habits deserve access. If an interaction doesn’t make you better in the near term, you’ll know how to decline with clarity and kindness.
From scripts you can use today to the mindset shift of becoming the gatekeeper of your own life, this conversation gives you tools to reduce noise and protect what matters most. Expect practical language, no fluff, and a gentle nudge to honor your limits so you can show up stronger for the people and work you love. Press play to learn how a simple welcome mat can anchor healthier choices, cleaner boundaries, and a calmer mind. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a kinder no, and leave a quick review so more people can find us.
https://growthinstigators.com/
Welcome to message 457 of the Growth Instigators Hotline, where we examine an everyday normal object and assign it deeper meaning. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. What can a welcome mat remind us of today? A welcome mat takes the dirt so the house stays clean. Healthy boundaries and emotional filters keep what's messy from entering your mental space. Not everything deserves access to you and your house. Growing up in a conservative Christian Baptist setting, I was taught to get that out of my computer, dude! Welcome to message four hundred and fifty-seven of the Growth Instigators Hotline, where we examine an everyday normal object and assign it deeper meaning. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. What can a welcome mat remind us of today? Okay. A welcome mat takes the dirt so the house stays clean. Healthy boundaries and emotional filters keep what's messy from entering your mental space. Not everything deserves access. Growing up in a conservative Christian Baptist setting, I was taught and shown how to love others well. And honestly, maybe a little too well. Does that make sense? I take everything to the extreme, so my upbringing was fodder for me to take the teaching and quote unquote fall on my sword every chance I could get. It's almost like the more I gave to the point it hurt me, the better I felt about the way I was supporting others and honestly representing God. Okay, let's not get too religious here. And yes, I've been to seminaries so I could pick those thoughts apart. The bigger question I'm asking for us today is this Do you have healthy boundaries, welcoming and kind, but not permitting everything to come into your house? Are you the gatekeeper of your house? Yes, you are. Yesterday we talked about saying yes. Today is nearly the opposite and giving giving us permission to say no. Nah, that thing starting or staring on your welcome map, just knocking on the door, waiting to be let in, it can be ignored. That unhealthy relationship, that thought, emotion, opportunity, habit, desire, guilt, shame, on and on and on. Here is your filter for today. Is what you are about to let into your house healthy for you? Emotionally, mentally, physically? Are you a better person because you let that in? Or is this a good way to say nope, you're not coming in? You're worth it. You can't love others and the world well if you are beat up, drained, tired, and running on low. So please, my friends, prioritize what makes you the healthiest and best and most optimal version of you. What a good lesson from a welcome at. If you have additional thoughts or you'd like to share them with me, you can contact me at growth instigators.com or leave me a message after the beep. My friends, keep instigating growth in all you do.