Take a look at this picture. It's a block party. People fill the streets having a great time together. If you notice, everyone's very close. There's not much space between people and you have to, kind of, move through the crowd touching one another and interrupting conversations, etc. But hey, they look happy! They want to be there. It is a party after all. Why deny them the experience. Maybe we should invite more people to the block party.
So of course, this block party is a metaphor for the sake of this post. The block party is the place where you invite those who repeatedly violate your boundaries and won't take NO for an answer. They are intrusive and continue to try to force their will onto you. You say "I don't want to talk about that" and they keep pressing the issue. You say "I'm not doing that" and they continue to ask or verbally push. They don't respect your boundaries (remember those?) and they want you to do what they want. They are sometimes well meaning, and sometimes just focused on their goal. Whatever the motivation, if they will not respect your boundaries and your right to choose what you will or will not do, they may need a time out.
Remember, the people at the block party are enjoying themselves. They want to be there. They chose to be there. Some action that they took, resulted in their presence at the party. When they are ready to leave, they can do so. They need only choose behaviors that will align with the goal of leaving the party. You don't control the party; you simply issue invitations to people that behave as though they might enjoy that party and are no longer welcome in your space. Now, much like most things in life, the block party does not last forever. Eventually, the crowds dissipate and the party is over. You may allow re-entry into your space after the party is over, if that person has gotten out all of that energy and is ready to try respectful observation of appropriate boundaries.
The block party is a great place to send those who continue to intrude on your space. Sending repeat violators there allows you to take back control of your personal space, be it physical, mental, or emotional. You can enjoy the peace that comes from protecting your space and enforcing those boundaries (yep those) that you've worked so hard to enforce and to maintain. So let the busy bodies go party. Let's enjoy the peace here for a while.
