Desire is what draws us together. Desire for world peace or desire for war. Desire for pizza or desire for a salad. No matter how profound or trivial, human desires are our common link. Everyone desires happiness; no one desires suffering. Yet we often mistake someone else’s search for happiness—their avoidance of suffering—as being “anti-me.” How often, for example, have you thought a friend, a teacher, or a relative was mad at you because they’d been giving you less attention than usual, only to discover they’d had a personal tragedy in their lives—perhaps a death, an illness, or a family quarrel—that was simply making them withdraw for a bit? Not just from you, but from everyone, until they felt settled again. When we take the actions of other people personally, this is our ego speaking, telling us that we are the center of the universe—that everything that happens in our lives revolves around us. Remember, your ego is the curtain separating you from the 99% realm of fulfillment. The more you can tame it, the further the curtain will draw open, and the sooner your desires will be fulfilled.