Don’t Take Anything Personally

Today I want to share some more of my thoughts from the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. Last time I wrote about Agreement #1: Be Impeccable With Your Word. Today, I want to write about the 2nd agreement:?

Agreement #2 -Don't Take Anything Personally.?

Nothing others do - is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.?

I love this agreement so much because it requires us to do two things, in my opinion. The first is to develop a strong sense of self-worth, and the second is to stop thinking that everything is about you.?

Developing Self-Worth.?

Regardless of what others think about us, it's essential to understand that their thoughts reflect their own story and life. If someone says or does something that seems hurtful at the moment, it's easy to take it personally. I can be as guilty of that as anyone. But, when you can apply an understanding that their point of view isn't your point of view, you can more easily let things go. By developing a stronger sense of self, we can learn not to rely on the opinions of others. It's just their opinion, and it doesn't make them right. Like I always say, opinions are like elbows; everybody has one. (Except I use a different word than elbows.)?

Stop Thinking Everything is About You.?

Here's a hint – it's not! As I wrote in the last paragraph, everyone brings their worldview to every situation. Those worldviews alter their perceptions which means the actions and beliefs of another person are simply a projection of their reality. And that's what I mean when I say, "stop thinking everything is about you."?

Ruiz believes that anger, jealousy, envy, and even sadness can lessen or dissipate altogether as soon as we can stop taking things personally. That sounds like a great reason to put this advice into practice.?

Quote of the week:?

“I try not to take things too personally, because most of the time, people aren't even thinking about anyone else but themselves.”?

Xosha Roquermore?