Don't take it personal

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Okay, let's just get it out of the way. I'm totally singing don't take it personal by Monica right now, it's in my head. I can't help it. But in all seriousness, don't take it personal (baby, personal baby). There's a quote (and I'm paraphrasing here) that says there's freedom in learning not to take everything personally. That is so true. I'm one of those people who takes everything personally, or at least I used to. I'm sensitive, but I also thought everything was about me. I thought this person is doing that just to get back at me or they're doing this because they know I hate it. That kind of thinking is so self centered and stupid and to be honest, I'm neither of those things. Don't ask me why I thought this way, I'm going to chalk it up to just being immature. It's amazing what a few years and life experiences can do for you. Back in college I had a string of bad roommates (we'll save that story for later). I'm talking messy, loud, partying, and disgusting roommates. We didn't get along because little old me was in college to study not to party, what a concept! Every last one of them would do things like leave dirty dishes in the sink for days, leave food out, leave clothes everywhere; you get my drift. I would always think that they were trying to annoying me or get back at me; that they were doing it intentionally. Who knows? Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. Maybe just maybe it wasn't about me at all and that was just who they were: slobs. Everything is not about me, it's not about you. People are going to do things that might make you mad and that you don't agree with, but I had to stop taking responsibility for what other people were doing. I had to take me out of the equation. Sure there are vengeful people out there that do things to get a rise out of other people, but again, that's not my problem. It's not personal and if it is, I have to stop taking it personally. There really is such freedom in that like you wouldn't believe. It's amazing to not let every little thing someone does get to you. When people would do things to me, it would hurt and I would turn it around on me. People still do things that hurt me (and they probably always will) but the way I respond has changed. I don't let it get to me. Instead of thinking it's all about me, I realized that it's on them. They're the one with the problem and I've got enough of my own. And sometimes they might want to make you mad, but isn't it amazing to be calm when people expect you not to be? This is totally unrelated but I love that quote (again paraphrasing) what people think and say about me is none of my business. I'm going to turn it around and say what and how people act towards me and how they treat me is none of my business. Unless I'm being a bitch then it's on me.

Do you take everything personally? What are some ways you can change that?