We (often) create our own problems

"The ways that we destroy our equanimity on a daily basis are so "normal" that often they go unnoticed. We smile at someone, and if they don't smile back, we take it personally. We don't even consider that this person may have just learned that a loved one has died, or that they failed an exam at school, or perhaps they just lost their job. Our own self-preoccupation blocks that possibility. Or we arrange to meet someone at a restaurant, and after twenty minutes we're ready to walk out because we're so annoyed that they have kept us waiting. We could pray that their car has not crashed or that they did not fall on the winter ice, but we're already identified with the projection that they have treated us disrespectfully. Intellectually we know from previous experiences that our friend's lateness probably has nothing to do with us, but the habit of taking things personally is hard to break.
To benefit from this path, nothing is more important than recognizing that we often create our own problems."

~ Mingyur Rinpoche