I was reading meditations today when I came across a quote in which I literally yelled "facts" in the living room because it was nothing but facts. Then again this can be said of the whole book. The quote talked about how people can say things, hurt, injure you but they can never take away your ability to choose. Basically we choose to feel harmed by the actions of others towards us. Marcus Aurelius said "Choose not to be harmed and you will not be". I have been giving this advice to a particular coworker of mine but she doesn't seem to understand or get it. I think we go through our days taking offense to the little things people do, say or how they treat us instead of just brushing it off and not giving it our attention. Basically been indifferent.
One arrogant way I deal with this is by my thinking of "They don't pay my bills". This is arrogant and probably not the best way to deal with it but honestly it never fails me. Who are you to say something about me if you don't pay my bills, feed me, or put money in my pocket. My favorite Artist Gunna on his new album DS4 has a song with Lil Baby called 25k Jacket. In the song Lil Baby says "If you pay your own bills, you don't have to care". Now of course we all have things we care about and can't go through life all nonchalant like I am most days but what I mean is You pay your own bills so why do you care what so and so has to say about you, does to harm you or thinks of you. Either way they're not taking care of you.
I recently ordered a book called Unoffendable: The Art of Thriving in a World Full of Jerks which I will do a review on soon after I read it but the whole goal is not to take offense to the things people do against you. Just be indifferent and act like it never happened. Again it's your choice to let it get to you and impact you negatively. At the end of the day everyone is human and going through their own struggles and stuff. Everyone is trying to figure life out. Don't go through life giving your power to others because that is really how you start to lose yourself as a person. Looking to the thoughts and opinions of others to define who you are won't take you anywhere.
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