Disney Magical Mindset Podcast

How To Stop Taking Things Personally & Protect Your Magic

• Ruben R. Rios • Episode 55

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What if one of the healthiest habits you could learn was to take nothing personally?

In this episode of the Disney Magical Mindset Podcast, we talk about how other people’s opinions, moods, silence, or decisions can quietly steal our joy if we let them. From not getting invited, to posts not getting liked, to feeling overlooked or misunderstood, we explore how to stop handing our happiness to things we can’t control.

Using real-life moments and lessons inspired by Walt Disney, this episode is a reminder to protect your peace, choose joy, and keep building, even when others don’t see it yet.

If you’ve ever worried about what people think of you, felt discouraged by comparison, or found yourself shrinking because of someone else’s behavior, this one’s for you.

Let them talk.
Let them scroll.
Let them think what they want.

You keep the magic!

Helping you silence the villain in your mind and become the hero of your story!

Ruben :

Hey pals, welcome back to the Disney Magical Mindset Podcast. My name is Ruben, your Disney Magic mentor, and I'm so excited that you're here today. Thank you so much. Hey, listen, if you believe in dreams and want to stop letting fear or comparison or other people's opinions hold you back, I want you to know that you're in the right place. Because I love talking about this Disney magic, my favorite place on earth, Disneyland, my hero Walt Disney. And I just really enjoy turning it all into real life mindset shifts, learning from Walt Disney, sharing that with you and taking it and applying it to our life so that you can silence the villain in your mind and step into your story to become the hero of your own story. You're happily ever after. So take a deep breath, open your heart, and let's get into today's episode. Are you ready? Because here we go. Have you ever had your whole day thrown off? You know what I mean. It wasn't really something big, it was actually something kind of small. You wake up in like the best mood, you're ready to go, you're focused, you're like, it's gonna be a great day. You're excited about what you're building, right? You you've got these uh feelings inside that are just making you all excited for what's coming. And then you see something, or you don't see something. Maybe it was that invite that never came. You know that one that you were expecting to get to a party, or it was a friend's trip, and and you were thinking that you were gonna go and get invited to this, or maybe it was the one that you didn't get invited to because you weren't supposed to get invited, but you still thought you should have, right? Or or perhaps a silence that you weren't expecting. You know, when things go cold and and you're waiting to hear a response from somebody, but nothing happens. Yeah. And and then maybe it's also that feeling uh, you know, where you're left out and it it just never feels good. You remember like back in the day when you were growing up and it was like recess and you were playing outside with friends and you were like the last person picked, or you weren't picked at all? Yeah. And just like that, like your day went from starting with just magical joy, like it's gonna be you're on Main Street, you know, it's good. And then all of a sudden, your joy is on the line because of something that happened, right? Something that you were left out on, or that you did not get to experience. And I came across a quote um from Mel Robbins, you know, if you've never read her book, The Let Them Theory, you've got to. That's one that I need to encourage, I want to encourage you for 2026. You gotta, you gotta get that. And then also if you subscribe to either her emails uh or you know, or uh if you follow her on the social accounts, you'll get some like great content. And she shared something the other day, and I'm like, man, I it hit me. And I said, I got to share it with my my friends. And and here's what what I read and what she said one of the healthiest habits you can learn is to take nothing personally, let them think what they want, let them be in a mood, let them not invite you. And I knew instantly this wasn't just a nice thought, this was practice, this is a mindset, this is a way of protecting your magic. Because the truth is, we don't lose our joy when things happen. We lose it when we give meaning to things that were never meant to define us. So today I really want to talk about what it looks like to stop taking things personally. And this one hit me personally because sometimes I do take things personally. Oh, I was just talking to my wife about this the other day. And when you stop taking things personally, I want you to see how doing that actually helps you choose happiness. When we stop taking things personally, when I stop taking things personally, it helps guard our peace, it keeps us moving forward without letting other people decide how your day goes, like how your parade is gonna start and end. You see what I'm saying? And and let's be honest, let's be honest. Most of us take things personally without even realizing it. I'm telling you, I know this because I know it personally myself. When things um don't go our way, we don't just see it as an outcome, we turn it into a story about ourselves. And this is this is really like that villain in the mind that we keep going after, right? Because when that happens and we take that outcome that didn't go our way and we turn it into a story about ourselves, like this is what we do. Uh, see if see if this resonates. We we don't say that didn't work out. Here, what we say is, what's wrong with me? Right? Instead of saying, well, that just didn't work out, we start looking at ourselves and we say, Well, something must be wrong with me. Why didn't I get that invite? Why didn't I um get that response? Why did I get that phone call? Why didn't I get that job? Right, like it's just a lot of things that begin to turn back on us as if we somehow are the problem or we are at fault. And when we do that, I'm telling you, something dangerous happens. We stop seeing circumstances and start attacking our character. Psychologically, when we take things personally, I want you to hear this. Like we begin telling ourselves stories like I'm not good enough, I'm not talented enough, I'm not likable enough, I'm not worthy of success. And those stories don't just hurt our feelings, they shape our future. And here's why because you're always, always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts. So every time you tell yourself that, you start believing it more and more and more. And it starts shaping your future and shaping your next steps. And I gotta share with you a moment that I experienced recently, and it caught me off guard because there was this particular event that I wasn't invited to. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't mess with me a little. Yeah, I took it personally, yeah, yeah. Um, and I noticed it almost immediately. My mood shifted, my energy dipped, my mind started filling in the blanks. I had to reach out to my mentor and friend and like just pour it on him, how I was feeling. And what hit me later was this nothing really actually happened to me. You know what I'm saying? Like, no one said anything, no one rejected me directly, no one told me I wasn't welcome, but I let it impact my entire day anyway, and my parade was ruined. You know, all because I started to make something up in my mind that wasn't even there. And that's when I realized something so important. I need you to hear this. I couldn't control the invite, I couldn't control the decision, but I could control what I let in. We talked about the berm last week. I had a choice. Let someone else's decision decide my mood or choose happiness anyways, choose joy anyway. That is so powerful. When I allow someone else to decide my mood, guess what happens? I'm giving my power away to somebody that was never intended to have that kind of power. That's mine, right? I can't be giving that away. I get to decide. And every time, every time I let someone else's decision decide my mood, what I'm saying is that that person or that event or that thing that happened has power over me or has control over me. And that's when we lose the magic. That's when, that's when we forget who we are, right? And and the choice that we have to say, no, today I'm gonna lead the parade. Today I'm going to walk, dance, run down Main Street and not care what anybody thinks or says, right? I'm not going to allow someone else to dictate or determine my mood for the day. I get to decide that because I'm going to choose happiness anyway. And that's the danger of taking things personally. I'm telling you, when you do, you don't just feel disappointed, you start shrinking, you show up more guarded, you second guess yourself, you carry something that was never yours to carry. Taking things personally, I'm telling you, my friends, doesn't just affect your feelings, it affects how you move forward. And the real loss isn't the invite, it's the joy you hand it over without even realizing it. Ooh, my goodness. I know this because I experienced it for myself. Now let's go to Disneyland. Think about just being there or Walt Disney World. You're in a Disney park, a ride breaks down, there's a cast member that seems distracted, or maybe a cast member uh says something, you know, kind of rude, you know, just kind of messes with your day. Someone bumps into you during a parade. You had that? Or maybe you're waiting in line and somebody, you know, says something, bumps into you during the time that you're trying to get on a ride. I I don't know. You but you don't say that's it, the park is ruined forever, I'm done, I'm gonna leave. Now you can say that. And maybe there are people who do that. But for all that money that you spend for being at Disney Park, right, you adjust, you pivot, you grab a churro, and you keep moving. Isn't that right? Like one event doesn't eliminate all the other good events. And even one bad event that that that we're gonna experience multiple times in life doesn't take away from all the other things, the other great experiences. I know it's so easy to do because it blurs everything when things aren't going our way. It's easy to to subtract from all the other good stuff that's going on in life because we focus on you know that moment that we've been burned, that we didn't get invited, that we didn't get a response to, right? That somebody went silent. And and so I'm saying all that to say that in real life, right? You can't allow one bad interaction to cancel your whole day. You you you know what I'm saying? Like one opinion to rewrite your identity. No, here's the mindset shift, here's the magical mindset shift we gotta make. Someone else's mood is not your responsibility, it's not, right? Let them be in a mood. That doesn't mean you have to join them because their mood is weather, your mindset is the map. And sometimes there are gonna be moments when the weather is unpredictable, you can't control the weather, but you've got the map. Your mindset is the map, you've got a way to pivot, to go in a different direction, to ultimately get you to where you're going. But just like a road trip, if you understand that there's some bad weather and there's some roads that that that you know the direction that you're going in is gonna be hit with thunderstorms, what do you do? You reroute. It might take a little bit longer, but you keep going. Same thing when you're flying in an airplane and the pilots understand that they've got to reroute because there's some heavy rainstorm, some turbulence. You go around it, but you get to where you're going because you don't allow something that you can't control to control you. You can't control the weather, you can't control someone's mood. You can only control you, your response, what you let in. That's your superpower. All right, this one's big, especially if you're a creator, an influencer, a leader, or dreamer. You ready for it? Let them think what they want. That's it. Because if you don't, you'll end up building your life around other people's comfort instead of your calling, instead of what you are destined to do in this one precious life that we get to live here on Earth. Walt Disney understood this better than almost anyone. People thought Disneyland was reckless, right? They thought he was unrealistic, they thought he was risking everything. And perhaps in some ways he actually was. But guess what? If Walt had taken that personally, there's no castle, there's no building Disneyland in one year, there's no main street, there's no place we gather for joy. Imagine no Disney parks around the world. Just think about that for a moment. Disney biographer Bob Thomas said it best, Walt succeeded because he was persistent and determined. He didn't let rejection and criticism stop him. He didn't listen to the naysayers. Walt was a finisher. And if you're gonna be a finisher, which you are, because I know you are, I believe you are, you cannot let other people's opinions write your story. Right? If you're gonna be a finisher, you can't allow what other people say to dictate what you're gonna do. Because you're here's here's the hard truth. If you live by people's praise, guess what? You're gonna die by their criticism. So it works both ways. You can't just only be consumed with people's criticism or allow it to get to you. It's the same thing with praise. Because I'm telling you, man, sometimes there will be people who will praise you one minute, celebrate you one one day, and the next day criticizing you, right? I'm telling you, this is human nature, man. This is this is just people, be people. And to all my friends who have social media accounts, this one may hit really close to home. Let them not comment, let them not like your posts, let them not follow you, let them unfollow you, let them not share your story. Stop taking it personally because the algorithm is not a measure of your worth. Silence is not rejection, and visibility does not equal value. Do you hear me? Visibility does not equal value. I know how easy it is, especially when you put your heart into what you share, to start shaping yourself into someone you're not just to get more approval. But hear me clearly, my dear friends, because I care about you. I love you, my friends. Like I'm saying this. It is never worth compromising your integrity for engagement. Walt never catered to his critics. He cared about excellence, not applause. And if the applause came, it was great. I mean, we'd all be lying if we said we didn't appreciate it. But we don't cater to our critics to get the applause. And I'm convinced that when you stay committed to who you are, right? To the authentic you, the applause will come. Yeah, not everyone. Because not everybody has to throw up their claps and their, you know, their hand praise. You know what I'm saying? Like not everybody's going to get it. But you'll always have people, especially when you stay true to your convictions, right? And that's exactly what Lillian Disney once said of her husband. She said, My husband was the most stubborn individual I ever met. He just wouldn't give up if he thought he was right. That's conviction. That's what I'm talking about right there. And the truth is, sometimes it's not your content that bothers people, it's your progress. Woohoo! Hello, come on. Yeah, growth makes people uncomfortable. Consistency exposes excuses. And I'm so so let them talk, let them scroll, let them miss it. You keep building. You don't stop because someone stops following you. No, man. Because someone someone stops commenting uh on your content. You just keep doing, you keep going because you're not trying to do it to earn the applause. It will come. If you seek it, that's when it doesn't come. But when you continue to do what you do, yeah, it will come. And you will start going to places and just have to expect that the higher you go, the more haters you will have. But you keep on shining, you keep on going anyhow. You keep on living the magic, you keep choosing to live the magic and not let anyone cancel your parade. Now, as we wrap up today, I want to remind you of some really important things. Just think of this as kind of like the recap of our time together. You ready for it? Not everything deserves your emotional energy. Your peace is too important to protect. All right? Not every opinion deserves a response. And not every exclusion deserves an explanation. So let them think what they want, let them be in a mood, let them scroll past your posts, let them not invite you, but don't let them decide your worth. Don't let them rewrite your story, and definitely don't let them cancel your parade. You know, Walt Disney, he never let rejection have the final word. Instead, he kept building. Go ahead, Walt. He kept selling the dream. He kept moving forward even when people didn't see it yet. And if you're gonna be a finisher like Walt, you're gonna have to stop letting other people's opinions shape who you are. Because remember, we said this if you live by people's praise, you'll die by their criticism. I need you to really hear what I'm about to say. You were already enough before the invite. You were already enough before the 50th comment. You were already enough before your real got a thousand views or 10,000 views, right? Or a hundred thousand views. You were already enough. You were already magic before the applause. Now I will continue to cheer you on, and I will continue to clap for you. But even before I do that, you are already magic. Alright? You don't need permission to choose joy today. So let them and you keep the magic. That's your pixie dust, that's your power. You keep the magic. You let them be and say and do what they're gonna do. And you continue to keep the magic that is yours because, like I say all the time, you are the magic, and the magic is in you. And guess what? You need to know you're doing way better than you think. Alright? So let's do this together. Let's stop taking things personally and start taking our joy seriously. If this episode resonated with you, my friends, you're gonna love what I've created for you next. I'm so excited because on January 28th, that's Wednesday at 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, I'm hosting my first ever free online Disneyland Mindset workshop. We're gonna take these ideas and we're gonna just unpack and go even deeper. Man, I'm gonna help you break free from what's holding you back. Uh It's gonna be such a great time. We're gonna we're gonna knock out the villain in your mind so you can become the hero of your story and kick off this amazing January as you get ready for the best year of your life. So please get ready for this. You can find more information in the link in the description, and I'd love to have you there. And if today's episode encouraged you, please do me a favor, share it with a friend who needs this reminder. If you haven't done so already, would you please leave a quick review? It helps this little community of dreamers grow. Until next time, keep believing, keep dreaming, and keep the magic alive. Because you are the magic, and the magic is in you.