The Boiling Point

I watched a video today about a frog. The speaker said that if you drop a frog into hot water, it will immediately jump out. But if you place it in regular water and slowly heat it, the frog will keep adjusting to the rising temperature — until it reaches the boiling point. By then, it’s too weak to escape.

Sometimes, we are like that frog.
We stay in situations that slowly drain us — relationships, work, friendships, or habits — convincing ourselves that “it’s okay” or “it will get better.” We adjust, and adjust, and adjust... until one day, we realize we’re exhausted.

We call it patience, loyalty, or resilience. But sometimes, it’s just our fear of confrontation. Or our hope that people will change. Or maybe, we simply forgot what peace feels like.

Boundaries are not walls; they are protection. They remind us when something is becoming too hot, too heavy, or too harmful. But when we keep ignoring the discomfort, we lose sight of where the line should be drawn.

I’ve learned that walking away is not weakness. It’s awareness.
Jumping out of what’s slowly boiling us isn’t selfish — it’s survival.

So today, I remind myself:
Don’t normalize the heat just because you’ve gotten used to it.
Check the temperature of your life — your relationships, your peace, your energy.
And if it’s getting too warm, it’s okay to jump out.

Because staying might look brave… but sometimes, leaving is what truly saves us.