What IS your own personal cross? Think about it. You have
to make the choice every day to pick up that cross.
The wooden cross was for Christ, the means of His own
physical death & the death of any vestige of any personal
ambitions he might have remaining.
What, or who, is YOUR means of DEATH TO SELF?
Of course it's whatever causes you to suffer for maintaining your Christian faith and witness. Paul tells us that if you are a faithful Christian you WILL be persecuted. Not "might be" or "Could be" but "will be".