It isn’t about you.
From time to time others may annoy us or treat us unkindly. Their actions may grate on us. Why do they do what they do? And why does it have to be in relation to us?
It’s painful and often annoying. It can seem like a such a precious waste of time and life.
While it can be difficult to remember, another’s actions aren’t about us. They’re about them. The events merely are being played out on a stage which includes us.
If we weren’t present, it could just as easily happen in the other’s interactions with different individuals. What likely is important to the other person is to be able to play to a script that is written by their emotions.
That being said, we might ask ourselves why we subconsciously feel it is important for us to experience the scenario. While we can’t control the other person’s behavior, we can control our reactions, our behavior, and our presence in the situation.
If we’re involved in the scenario, we must be getting something from it. Perhaps it is a negative brand of satisfaction. Perhaps it fulfills an unhelpful self-image we hold. Or perhaps there is something here for us to learn.
Today’s message reminds me that it isn’t useful to take others’ behavior personally. I certainly can try to learn more about myself and life when these experiences arise. Or I can choose to ignore or avoid them. But taking the behavior personally only will lead to unhappiness.
Please reflect and share. How do you handle it when someone behaves dysfunctionally?