Bonjour, friends, colleagues and fellow travelers, hopefully life is treating you well …  I came across this quotation the other day and thought I would share it with you for this week’s post: 

“Boundaries are actually the main factor in space, just as the present, another boundary, is the main factor in time.” (Eduardo Chillida).

Love that! Boundaries in space and time have been a major theme around here recently – or should I say, an ongoing theme… Since boundaries shift, depending on where I am at in my environment, they do have to be redefined on a regular basis. 

Jardin

With work I have found over the years that knowing where my professional boundaries are, enables me to gently remind clients as well. Such reminders mostly involve me tactfully yet firmly standing my ground and not budging (unless I wish to). Tip: Practise saying “no” in a friendly yet firm tone of voice on a regular basis!

If you don’t have any professional boundaries, your business will likely gnaw at your essence, leaving you feeling empty and dissatisfied. Clients calling after business hours and requesting overnight translation turnarounds of several thousand words or late paying clients are just two common examples in the translation and interpretation sector.

In our increasingly connected world, what with globalization, the Internet, with people being able to reach out to each other across huge distances, we are moving closer and closer to one another. And with this increasing closeness, the boundaries between us can easily get blurred. Whenever that happens, it’s time to go within yourself and ask: Where do I end and does the other begin? What’s my stuff and what’s theirs? 

Somehow all of this reminds me of taking close-ups with my old camera, and testing up to what point the image is clear and when it get’s fuzzy …

Signing off for today,

Your Traveling Translator