Analyse the text "How not to take things personally?" and write the story with the same title. In the story reproduce the ideas expressed in the text and add your own opinion and ideas. ( about 150 words, level B1): 

Good evening, everyone! How are you all? Doing well? Fantastic! Welcome to tonight's match. It’ll last exactly 18 minutes, and guess what? You’re all on the same team: Mechelen. All right? Now, I’d love to see fair play on the field—respect and positivity. Sound good? Great! Good luck.

One year ago, I decided to become a football referee. Not for the money, though; I only earn 20 euros per match. So, I certainly won’t get rich doing it. No, I became a referee for two reasons: one, to stay in shape; and two, to learn not to take things personally. I can see some of you nodding. You’re probably thinking, "What better place to learn not to take things personally than on the field, where encouragement is rare, and criticism is plenty?"

As a referee, I’m often the scapegoat. People shout, “Loser! Are you blind?” and I get blamed for every call. Learning not to take it personally is challenging for me. When I drive slowly, searching for a location, and someone tailgates, honks, or flashes their lights, I feel pressured. Or when a friend cancels plans at the last minute, I feel unimportant. Even here, as a public speaker, I get self-conscious if I see someone on their smartphone, as if my words aren’t captivating enough.

But tonight, relax! Use your phones, talk to your neighbor—I won’t take it personally. Why? Because I’ve trained myself to handle it and developed a strategy I’d like to share with you. Interested? Excellent, because I suspect I’m not the only one here who sometimes takes things personally.

Picture this: You invite a friend to a movie, and they say, "Oh, I have to work." But later, you see them out for dinner with friends. Or, imagine working hard on a project, proud of your work, but the only feedback you get is criticism. You go home, hoping to vent, but your companion switches on the TV halfway through your story. Who here would take any of these situations personally?

We tend to think the other person is at fault. But hang on—who says that? It’s our ego, craving acknowledgment, validation, and control. When my ego’s in charge, I’m constantly battling the world, draining my energy. Wouldn’t life be easier if we didn’t take things so personally? Imagine the freedom, the calm we could feel.

So, do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy? To answer this, I developed two strategies: The first is, “It’s not about me.” If someone’s on their phone, maybe they’re waiting for an urgent message, or maybe they’re even taking notes. When I focus on understanding their perspective, I stop taking it personally.

Does this sound familiar? Like when your child throws a tantrum, shouting “I hate you!” You don’t take it personally because you know it’s not about you. This approach is tough but crucial. Our brains create 50,000 thoughts a day, and 80% of them are negative. So when you see colleagues laughing and looking your way, your brain may think they’re laughing at you. But, with effort, you can remind yourself that it’s not necessarily about you.

And that’s why I became a referee: to practice this mindset. When I’m on the field, I give myself a pep talk: “Frederik, people will disagree with you. Stay focused; they just want their team to win.” This strategy works, yet sometimes, certain insults still sting. And when the first strategy doesn’t work, we move to strategy two: “It is about me.” If something hurts, it often touches a raw nerve. If criticism makes me feel insecure, it might reveal something unresolved in me.

For example, when criticized, I may take it personally because, deep down, I know there’s a hint of truth. Or perhaps it reminds me of not feeling "good enough" as a child. We all have insecurities, and when they’re triggered, we need to give ourselves empathy.

So, to sum up, there are two strategies for not taking things personally: first, it’s not about me; look for the other person’s intentions. If that doesn’t work, try the second strategy—it is about me. Practice self-empathy, and consider sharing your feelings openly without blaming others. Imagine if we all practiced these strategies; our relationships would flourish, and we’d create a kinder world.

And as a referee, I even get paid 20 euros for this invaluable lesson. Who still wants those 20 euros now? Show me hands! See, people may try to crumple you up or step on you, but remember—you always keep your value. Thank you.