By Tina O’Conner

Imagine you are checking social media sites and see that several of your coworkers were out at dinner and you were not invited. Many feelings and thoughts are happening quite quickly. You might feel jealous, angry, confused, excluded, etc. Or you may pull from the confident part of yourself and wonder if this is really about me.

One of the lessons I have learned from working directly with people is to try not to take things personally. When we are in relationship with others, even professionally, and are not included on a project, team, or even socially, we take it as if we did something wrong. And most times it is not about us at all.

When we take situations personally, resentment and hurt grows. And once resentment takes over, life can become overwhelming. We lose interest in relationships, view life pessimistically, and have a difficult time performing work duties. We dwell on the negative.

Vulnerability is a part of any relationship. And most of us put great effort into protecting the vulnerable part of ourselves. What would it be like for you to take a step back and generate other reasons why you were not invited to dinner or another social function? What would it be like to ask your coworker why you were not included?

Each of us are on our own journey with our own unique perspective and hurts. Keep this thought in mind while interacting with others. The hesitation we may feel may be coming from the other person. Allowing the other person to have their own perspective helps us to breathe. Giving another person freedom to walk their own journey can create peace and calm for ourselves.

Value yourself enough to practice responding to a situation instead of reacting. Manage your own feelings and if it is important enough, talk to the other person and share how you feel. And if it isn’t, let it go. Follow your own path and enjoy all the twists and turns.

Top photo credit: Reflective reflection via photopin (license)