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“WALANG personalan, trabaho lang” is a line in a 1992 Rudy Fernandez film and it has become popular since then.

How often have we heard that line? But still, we tend to take things personally. One of life’s secrets is to remain civil with each other despite past conflicts and amidst present trials and tribulations so we can move forward without the excess baggage. The overweight body weight is more than enough already, add the excess baggage to that and we have to drag ourselves around, unable to go on in this oh so cruel world.

Thus, whenever our thought bubble is begging to wring someone’s neck, our reality is stuck with gazing longingly at that neck until the next opportunity appears again on the horizon. But always remember that opportunity knocks only once, as the saying goes, so better think twice before letting go of the present opportunity, for it may never happen again and this once-in-a-blue-moon chance of a lifetime can vanish without a trace. O my gas, how many familiar lines can you spot in this paragraph? I’ll give you five seconds. 5, 4, 3…

But wring and neck are not a good combination of words especially for families and friends left behind to deal with crimes committed through those two words. Thus, wringing someone’s neck is better off as a figment of an imagination, never to become a reality in this teeny weeny planet we call Earth.

The human being who can separate his professional from his personal life is the most successful of all. He can remain intact as he breezes through any groups and situations, as he’s able to rise above any conflict that may arise while dealing with life’s daily challenges. He heaves a deep sigh of acceptance with the lessons learned and without allowing unnecessary thoughts to keep him from moving forward.

Awkward moments that might have given him sleepless nights before are now simply a part of his normal sked, ho-hum. But that’s the tricky part. One still has to discern which is awkward and which is not, for he still has to deal with the man-made Ten Commandments as he tries to be human in a savage world. OK, God-made.

Taking things personally may lead to disappointment since there are people who may simply laugh off your expectations. Even the professional side of your life may also have expectations which your colleagues won’t be able to meet. The professional is easier to deal with–you can fire people if you’re the boss. If you’re not the boss, then you have to deal with it or transfer online casino gids to another department or company.

If Bruce Lee’s advice is to “be like water,” another way of living life is to “be like a politician.” A politician may look like he’s taking things personally as he drops disloyal minions from his team, but try counting from 5 to 1, and before you reach 1, he’s friends again with those minions. Well, not friends as in forevermore, but friends while the friendship works politically for both of them.

Not taking things personally is easy on the heart, it makes the heart feel light, there’s no heaviness at all, and you’re smiling despite…

Well, here’s that one word: keber. There are things that you should care about, and there are those that you should leave behind so they could rot with their own kind.

Now, how to deal with things that you care for? That’s the question. Deal with your whole heart and soul. But then, that’s what gives you a heavy heart. But then, it’s all worth it.

If you take things personally all the time, have a little switch that you can turn on and off, to let the heart breathe for a while until the next sh*t comes along. Focus on the good rather than the bad, and savor the good to the fullest while it’s there. That most savored good will help you survive till the next good comes along.

Politicians are presumably experts in not taking things personally. But if they’re hurt once the boss fails to invite them out for coffee, makes you wonder if their next boss will now be pressured to always invite them out for coffee.

Me, I prefer sikwate now. Paired with decaf coffee. For breakfast. That’s the easiest way to gain four pounds. There are people who drink regular soda instead of sikwate or coffee for breakfast. I don’t know how it feels to have ice-cold soda swirling in your tummy first thing in the morning, but better that than alcohol. Rum, anyone?

To each his own. Which is also true for the way you see life–what is personal for one is professional for the other.

Are there rules? Say, if it involves money, that’s peso-nal, er, professional; if it’s the hugot kind, that’s personal? Hmmm. Confusing? Well, here are words of wisdom from Confucius: “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?”