Something I’ve noticed is that a lot of us take things personally that aren’t about us. It’s hard not to take things personally sometimes. Someone does or says something, and we immediately start thinking about how it affects us.

For example, there are different kinds of friends. Some people do their own thing and interact with friends when something comes up. Other people prefer checking in on people, telling them how they feel about them, and being checked in on.

When those two types come together, it can create situations where the other person’s behavior feels personal.

“Why doesn’t he ever check in on me?”

“He was in town and didn’t even call me.”

Taking things like this personally can lead to resentment and conflict.

The thing is, everyone is living life their own way, and it often has nothing to do with the other person. Maybe they just operate differently. Maybe they were busy. It could be any number of things.

This can affect us even when things have nothing to do with us at all. Maybe someone cuts you off in traffic, gets in your way in the grocery aisle, or a stranger looks at you funny. Sure, these things can be annoying, but it’s likely the other person has things going on that we know nothing about.

Maybe they’re struggling. Maybe they’re rushing to the hospital. Maybe their head is full of problems and they’re not thinking about the outside world. When we make it about us, unnecessary feelings boil up and create issues that aren’t even there.

What if we operated as if everything isn’t about us?

— Bus