Don’t take anything personally. Day 7 of 30 Days of Happiness

Don’t take anything personally

It’s so easy to get sucked-up into the moment, insults hurling, tempers blazing – doesn’t matter if it’s the result of someone cutting you off in traffic, taking your parking spot, cutting in front of you in line… the actions of others are not a personal attack against you. It may feel like it at times. Heck, they might even mean it to be but on a higher level – it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.

We don’t know what’s going on in the minds and lives of others. We don’t know what could have happened to that person during their day, maybe they just learned they have six weeks to live and are preoccupied with the thoughts associated with pending death that they didn’t even see you trying to merge in front of them on the highway.

This isn’t about YOU; it’s about THEM!

If you find yourself in a situation where insults are hurling and tempers are blazing, take a step back from the situation – it could be a literal or figurative step – take several deep and cleansing breaths then look at the situation from a different perspective. Take yourself out of the picture. Know that this isn’t about YOU; it’s about THEM. Listen, truly listen to what this person is saying to you. Ignore the insults and words that are born of rage and focus instead on the tone, the body language, and the underlying message. Ask your angels (and theirs) for help in understanding and in diffusing the situation.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and there is a reason this person is standing in front of you right now, so look at this situation as an opportunity to learn something new – something about yourself, about others, about God. What could God’s message to you be?

So, the next time someone cuts you off, instead of reacting with rage, ask, “What’s this about?” I usually end up laughing because the answer is on the license plate or a bumper sticker on the car that just cut me off and usually it’s the answer to a question I asked guidance for. Sometimes it’s your angel’s way of suggesting you slow down and pay attention to what’s going on around you – don’t know about you but sometimes I zone out while I’m driving.

If you find yourself in a confrontational situation, remember: Don’t take it personally: It’s not about YOU, it’s about THEM.

Blessings,

~W.

P.S. If you feel you need some help in not taking things personally, might I suggest reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz?