Inspirational Messages in 'The Four Agreements'

Last week I wrote about the 'first agreement' from Don Miguel Ruiz's book, The Four Agreements.

This week I'll be touching on the 'second agreement':"Don't take anything personally."

Don Miguel says, "When you take things personally, then you feel offended and your reaction is to defend your beliefs and create conflicts. As you make a habit of not taking anything personally you won't need to place your trust in what others do or say. You will only need to trust yourself to make responsible choices. You are never responsible for the actions of others; you are only responsible for you.  When you truly understand this and refuse to take things personally, you can hardly be hurt by the careless comments or actions of others."

That agreement has been a big one for me to digest, even though I agree with it. 

I have learned that it doesn't matter what people think of me, it only matters what I think of me, yet it is still something I have to practice every day. I now look at some conversations as either agreeing or disagreeing and realize that I don't have to look at it as right or wrong. It's just a difference of opinion or perception.