It's NOT About You

If you’ve been following along daily with me then you know I started reading “The Four Agreements.” If you haven’t, no worries, catch up with this post.

The book claims it’s a practice guide to personal freedom, two agreements in (a.k.a. half way through the book… there is only four after all,) and I would agree. The second agreement is to not take anything personal. I have read other books on mindfulness and self-development that echo this concept.

A couple weeks ago I was in Butler County for work. Leading up to the newscast I had uncounted some challenges; My several internet sources weren’t working to send back the report I had been working on to the station, I couldn’t locate the photographer I was suppose to meet for my live shot… it was just one of those days. Then about ten minutes away from when I was to go live in the show, once I finally got everything under control, I get a text from my Executive Producer with the message, “your shot is dead.” Meaning, I will no longer appear in the newscast covering my story. Instead I was told the anchors were going to read scripts of my report.

My photographer and I were both confused, and I was also hurt. I was covering a murder suicide in Oxford and I was able to obtain some new and very crucial information about the investigation. I instantly concluded they dropped my live shot because management didn’t want me in the show. I drove the hour drive back to the station trying not to dwell on it, but I couldn’t let those negative thoughts leave my mind.

When I returned to the station I casually asked my producer what happened. She told me there had been breaking news and that dropping my shot was the only way she could cut time out of the show to fit in all the information that was needed. “See,” I told myself, “It’s not about you.”

“The Four Agreements” explains when you take things personally, “You set yourself up to suffer for nothing.” Hmmm… sounds familiar. Not only does it put stress and worry into your life that is not necessary but when you take things personally it means you are constantly thinking about yourself. I think we call that being selfish.

It’s not always about you… and keeping an eye on the bigger picture, not putting ourselves at the center of everything, will help us see that.

#thefouragreements #DonRuiz #selfish