I was strolling away along Upper Street in Islington, London, when I wandered into a bookshop for a nice cup of coffee and a lookout for a good book that might be of interest to me in the personal development area. Then I saw it. It was on a featured shelf together with other books that I am very familiar with, such as The Secret. But this was the first time I have seen this book called the Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz.
I sat on one of those movable things they stand on to reach top shelves and, like a man possessed, I read the whole book even before buying it. The ideas are not alien and are also very universal, but don Miguel Ruiz talks about the ideas from the heart. As soon as I finished the book I made conscious agreements with myself. And even today, the Four Agreements has became my unseen motivator enabling me to focus and stick to my plans.
don Miguel Ruiz, maintains that everything we do is based on agreements we have made with ourselves, with other people, with God, and with life. The most important agreements, he says, are the ones we make with ourselves. In these agreements we tell ourselves who we are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible. One single agreement is not such a problem, but we have many agreements that come from fear, deplete our energy, and diminish our self-worth.
In the book The Four Agreements, don Miguel reveals the source of self-limiting agreements that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. He says that when we are ready to change these agreements, there are four deceptively simple, but powerful agreements that we can adopt as guiding principles. He based this on ancient Toltec wisdom; The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
Here Are The Four Agreements:
BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are tired as opposed to well-rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
The Four Agreements sound simplistic and almost, ‘I have heard this before’, but try keeping just one for an entire day and you will see a tremendous positive change in you!
I sat on one of those movable things they stand on to reach top shelves and, like a man possessed, I read the whole book even before buying it. The ideas are not alien and are also very universal, but don Miguel Ruiz talks about the ideas from the heart. As soon as I finished the book I made conscious agreements with myself. And even today, the Four Agreements has became my unseen motivator enabling me to focus and stick to my plans.
don Miguel Ruiz, maintains that everything we do is based on agreements we have made with ourselves, with other people, with God, and with life. The most important agreements, he says, are the ones we make with ourselves. In these agreements we tell ourselves who we are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible. One single agreement is not such a problem, but we have many agreements that come from fear, deplete our energy, and diminish our self-worth.
In the book The Four Agreements, don Miguel reveals the source of self-limiting agreements that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. He says that when we are ready to change these agreements, there are four deceptively simple, but powerful agreements that we can adopt as guiding principles. He based this on ancient Toltec wisdom; The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
Here Are The Four Agreements:
BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.
DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are tired as opposed to well-rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
The Four Agreements sound simplistic and almost, ‘I have heard this before’, but try keeping just one for an entire day and you will see a tremendous positive change in you!
