You Can’t Play Catch With Someone Who Keeps the Ball   #

You show up to the Zoom.  
Camera on. Notes ready.  
No one else joins.

Maybe they forgot.  
Maybe they got pulled into something.  
Maybe they ghosted you on purpose.

Whatever the reason—that’s a strike.

Buddha taught compassion.  
But he also taught right effort—energy spent wisely.

You can’t play catch with someone who never throws the ball back.  
You’ll burn out waiting.

So set the boundary:  
One no-show? Grace.  
Two? Curiosity.  
Three? Closure.

“Sounds like the timing or priority isn’t quite right.”

It’s not about being cold.  
It’s about respecting your time, your energy, your craft.

Boundaries aren’t walls.  
They’re filters—for who’s ready to engage and who’s just browsing.

Give your effort to people who pass the ball back.  
That’s where the real game is played.