One of my favorite books is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. If you haven’t read it, go get a copy now and read it. It distills some of the best ancient wisdom into four simple truths. If you make a pact with yourself to live by them, your life will be vastly improved.
“The First Agreement: Be Impeccable with Your Word
The Second Agreement: Don’t Take Anything Personally
The Third Agreement: Don’t Make Assumptions
The Fourth Agreement: Always Do Your Best”
Read this list over and over again. It is easy to imagine a situation where a failure in any one of these could lead to making a bad situation worse. Today I am reflecting on the second agreement: don’t take anything personally. I spend a lot of time on social media and there are a lot of examples where people get personally invested in arguments on the internet. What a waste of time. I like good debate and I am glad the internet allows everyone to voice their opinions. However, I am constantly challenging myself not to take things personally. I can’t control what you say, I can only control how I react to what you say.