PJs and Dumbbells

You know the cliché.  “Don’t take it personally,” or “don’t take this to heart.” What is that supposed to mean? You’re going to tell me something cynical and you expect me not to take it personal? It seems to me that this cliché is misleading. Taking it personal is the thing to do in order to change, getting angry about it isn’t the thing to do. Yes there are times when maybe, just maybe we shouldn’t take it personal. Like the lady at the drive-thru that is having a bad day so she chews you out because of one little mistake you made. What if we did take it personal? What if we tried to make a difference and acted like we cared about each other? Instead of retorting back or looking angry at those people who we don’t know that offend us maybe we could be friendly, leave a nice note or say something nice. Yes I know there are those people that will always appear angry no matter what we say or do but wouldn’t you feel better knowing that you did nothing wrong to contribute to their loathing behavior.

I think that something needs to change. I think that people have a hard time communicating how they truly feel.  It seems that the majority of us cares for one another and don’t like to see anyone getting hurt but I also think that most of us don’t know how to express our concern or maybe we don’t feel obligated to or don’t want to get involved. It seems that all of us are stuck in our own little worlds fighting to make ends meet. We are fighting to stay afloat, to take care of families or loved ones, we are fighting for fulfillment and a happy life, stature, and peace? It seems that most Americans are in survival mode and when in survival mode we don’t care who we take down as long it means we are rising to the top; the top of “our” personal pedestal. Now maybe I’m not speaking for the majority but I know that I am speaking for many. What really are we fighting for? Do you want to make a change? Do you want to make a difference? If you are looking for a fulfilling life then making a difference is the best way to get there. And the best way to make a difference IS to take it personally.

Today I was listening to the audio book “I Thought it was Just Me (but it isn’t): Telling the Truth about Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power” by Brene Brown. While listening, something really hit me. She mentioned that if we truly want to make a difference, we need to take it personal. If we see someone being treated cruelly, we need to take it personal. If we see someone being treated unfairly, we need to stand up because when one person notices and takes a stand typically others will follow.  No it won’t be easy but taking it personal will make a huge positive difference. At first the difference may only be within ourselves but as we grow into the habit of making issues that we care about ours, others will notice and stand up too.

If I was a conspiracist, I would coin the cliché “don’t take it personal” so that everyone would mind their own business but we are in this together so why not work together? Only a few people have gone down in the books as making a difference. We hear about them quite a bit: Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Joan of Arc, Princess Diana, Rosa Parks, and Margaret Fuller to name a few. What is one thing that all of these people have in common? They took certain issues personally and stood up for what they believed to be right. We can do the same.

As I look back at history, I realize that I want to do the same. I want to be remembered as someone that did something. I want to be known as someone that made a difference. You too can make a difference if you want to and to do that is simple….just take it personally.


What do you think? Do you think that making issues your own can make a difference?