Day 2,541 —Don’t Take Anything Personally— (with Fall Trees and Leaves)

My first thoughts on this agreement are why does it have to be something you are not supposed to do? Why doesn’t the agreement live in something like, “accept that nothing is about you.” I just think it is easier to focus on something to do than focus on something you are not supposed to do (which is one of my issues with many biblical type commandments). In my experience it is a lot easier to get people to do something when you focus on the positive instead of the negative. 

It is hard to not take things personally because all you know is your perception of the world, so when things happen to you, they are inherently personal. It is impossible to escape from the way that you see your world responding to your actions; however, if everyone is having this experience, then it makes sense nothing would be personal to you but instead personal to the person who is doing the thing to you. 

My way of dealing with this, which I have told my students over the years is, “What someone say always is a reflection on the person who is saying it, but only sometimes a reflection on the person they’re talking to or about.”

So, I agree that in theory you should always remind yourself that that what people do to you, rarely has anything to do with you. 

Short run to the track and back today. I am trying to keep things light this week in preparation for the marathon next week and to speed up my recovery from my cold. 

I hope you have a great Sunday and enjoy the holiday if you celebrate it.