OK . . . but taking it 'personal' or 'not personal' is merely an emotional cover for any given situation. I'd think that the more important issue to address is WHAT REALLY ARE THE FACTS?
If one girl doesn't like you, that's one thing but if many people don't like you, it's a good idea to take this personally as you're probably a jack ass. Separating yourself from this situation would merely make you a delusional jack ass. In that case, BE SAD! Give yourself the permission to be sad. Figure out the CAUSE of the problem and FIX IT.
Our pro-happy culture tells us that 'happiness is good' and 'sadness is bad' but can there be happiness without sorrow? Nothing in this World is permanent. To cover up a sad moment with insincere happiness is just as flawed as being down on yourself due to problems that are out of your control and cannot be corrected. It's far better to accept the situation, correct ourselves, and progress moment to moment. When you throw yourself into this cycle, there's little room to gauge, "Am I happy or sad"? There's no room to tell yourself, "just be happy!!!" - because you'll already be happy. . .
Quote:
Happiness is a natural state that doesn't need to be achieved, it is here and now, not in some point of the future. there is no reason for you NOT to be happy RIGHT NOW
Happiness is not really a state; happiness is a process just as sadness is a process. There is no achievement but rather a process of achievement and yes, the process is the here and now. To throw a happiness blanket on every situation leaves little room evolve. If I'm sad/angry/insecure, I'd rather NOT ignore it but rather explore it. Just explore your emotions . . . watch for the cause and its manifestation into action. Will you continue to stagnate negative emotions by allowing them to manifest towards wrong action or covering them up with justifications? Or will you allow these emotions to evolve towards a correct view? You don't HAVE TO BE HAPPY RIGHT NOW. "RIGHT NOW" has already passed.
Quote:
"men are not disturbed by things, but their opinions of them" -epictetus
. . . So this is correct. But having positive opinions over negative situations would be just as disturbing as having negative opinions over positive situations.