“Personal importance, or taking things personally, is the maximum expression of selfishness because we make the assumption that everything is about “me”… Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.” - Don Miguel Ruiz
“Because you have freedom of choice and because you have chosen each and every circumstance of your life, you are completely responsible for all of your success and failure, your happiness and unhappiness, your present and future.” - Brian Tracy
The past few months I have worked on not taking anything personally while developing personal responsibility. When I say I have worked on not taking things personally, I know what other people say or think about me is just their opinion and not reality, just as much as my beliefs about myself are only my opinion and not reality. By working on developing personal responsibility I am not making excuses for my actions and realizing that I make every choice in my life.
This morning on the phone my boyfriend pointed out that I have not accomplished what I said I wanted to do this month in my personal business. I stated that it was because I focused on other things this month. There were no excuses, I did not say it was because I did not feel like it, or I did not have the time, or work has been too busy, I simply stated that I chose to focus on other things. What if we all said, I chose or I choose_________, instead of coming up with a million excuses for our actions. Can you imagine a different world where we all took responsibility for our actions and our results instead of coming up with excuses. I have realized that by being personally responsible I have a new-found freedom. No one else is in control of me, I am not in control of anyone else, I am only responsible for myself and my actions.
The other character trait I have worked on is not taking things personally. I had a very bad habit of taking things very personally when anyone pointed out anything I did or did not do, whether it was good or bad. I have worked very hard to not take things personally especially when someone points out something that I could improve on or I am lacking in. To continue with the story from this morning, normally, if someone had said that I had not followed through on something, my initial reaction would have been to put on my sunglasses of “not being good enough” and then continuing on to the sunglasses of not being “lovable.” My thinking originally would have been… “you’re not good enough since you have not accomplished ___________, since you have not accomplished ___________, you don’t deserve love anymore.” That would have been my “old” way of thinking, however, my “new” way of thinking is to not take what is said personally. Today instead, I stated why I had not yet accomplished what I had originally set as a goal, and I came up with a solution to what I could improve on or how I could change. My new way of thinking was, “Yes you are right I did not yet accomplish my goal, however, I have still have time to accomplish it if that is still my goal” What my boyfriend was saying had to do with his question of my stated goals he too was just stating a fact. I could have taken his question personally as an attack and made it about whether I was good enough or lovable, but I didn’t.
Other people’s questions or even judgments are just that, their own, don’t take it personal whether they be tearing you down or lifting you up. You are responsible for your own life so make your choices wisely.
“When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.” – Don Miguel Ruiz
My challenge to everyone today is twofold:
1) How can you work on not taking things personally?
2) What can you do today to start developing personal responsibility? What are some common excuses you make for your actions?
Have a SUPER day!
Rebekah Chavez
e/d Chip Hart
“Because you have freedom of choice and because you have chosen each and every circumstance of your life, you are completely responsible for all of your success and failure, your happiness and unhappiness, your present and future.” - Brian Tracy
The past few months I have worked on not taking anything personally while developing personal responsibility. When I say I have worked on not taking things personally, I know what other people say or think about me is just their opinion and not reality, just as much as my beliefs about myself are only my opinion and not reality. By working on developing personal responsibility I am not making excuses for my actions and realizing that I make every choice in my life.
This morning on the phone my boyfriend pointed out that I have not accomplished what I said I wanted to do this month in my personal business. I stated that it was because I focused on other things this month. There were no excuses, I did not say it was because I did not feel like it, or I did not have the time, or work has been too busy, I simply stated that I chose to focus on other things. What if we all said, I chose or I choose_________, instead of coming up with a million excuses for our actions. Can you imagine a different world where we all took responsibility for our actions and our results instead of coming up with excuses. I have realized that by being personally responsible I have a new-found freedom. No one else is in control of me, I am not in control of anyone else, I am only responsible for myself and my actions.
The other character trait I have worked on is not taking things personally. I had a very bad habit of taking things very personally when anyone pointed out anything I did or did not do, whether it was good or bad. I have worked very hard to not take things personally especially when someone points out something that I could improve on or I am lacking in. To continue with the story from this morning, normally, if someone had said that I had not followed through on something, my initial reaction would have been to put on my sunglasses of “not being good enough” and then continuing on to the sunglasses of not being “lovable.” My thinking originally would have been… “you’re not good enough since you have not accomplished ___________, since you have not accomplished ___________, you don’t deserve love anymore.” That would have been my “old” way of thinking, however, my “new” way of thinking is to not take what is said personally. Today instead, I stated why I had not yet accomplished what I had originally set as a goal, and I came up with a solution to what I could improve on or how I could change. My new way of thinking was, “Yes you are right I did not yet accomplish my goal, however, I have still have time to accomplish it if that is still my goal” What my boyfriend was saying had to do with his question of my stated goals he too was just stating a fact. I could have taken his question personally as an attack and made it about whether I was good enough or lovable, but I didn’t.
Other people’s questions or even judgments are just that, their own, don’t take it personal whether they be tearing you down or lifting you up. You are responsible for your own life so make your choices wisely.
“When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.” – Don Miguel Ruiz
My challenge to everyone today is twofold:
1) How can you work on not taking things personally?
2) What can you do today to start developing personal responsibility? What are some common excuses you make for your actions?
Have a SUPER day!
Rebekah Chavez
e/d Chip Hart