In his classic book The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz writes, “Don’t take anything personally.” Yet, those of us who struggle with disappointment, frustration, or anger tend to take things very personally. Led by the ego, we may forget that we are not at the center of the universe. If we are attached to the idea that we are central to everything, it becomes all about “me, me, me,” and we most likely will experience conflicts, anger, and other uncomfortable emotions.

When you take things personally, you allow many issues to consume your well-being. This way of thinking exhausts your energy with little good and a lot of stress and anxiety. The amount of worry, anger, and suffering you experience in your life is proportional to your sense of self-importance.........

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