The Four Agreements: From his book featured on Oprah.com By Don Miguel Ruiz
According to don Miguel Ruiz, everything we do is based on agreements we
have made-agreements with ourselves, with other people, with God, with life.
But the most important agreements 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 Four Agreements, don Miguel reveals the source of self-limiting
agreements that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. When we are
ready to change these agreements, there are four deceptively simple, yet
powerful agreements that we can adopt as guiding principles. Based 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.
The Four Agreements are:
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 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 simple, even simplistic. But try keeping just one
for an entire day!
