The Four Agreements

 

 

Four simple things can transform your life.

 

 

The Four Agreements

A Toltec Wisdom Book

A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

By Don Miguel Ruiz

 

Today I had the pleasure of watching a beautiful interview about The Four Agreements with Don Miguel Ruiz on Super Soul Sunday hosted by Oprah. Wow.

Don Miguel Ruiz is from Mexico and comes from a family of Shamans.

Shamans are natural healers or medicine men and women and they work directly with the Sacred to heal people of physical and psychological ailments–diseases of our soul and spirit.

However, Ruiz decided that instead of continuing the family tradition he would become a medical doctor instead, so he did and was a Dr. for a while until he got into a bad car accident. He went home to his family where he began to understand the ways of ancient Toltec wisdom on how to live a deeply fulfilling life.

 

Fortunately enough, he has shared that wisdom with the world; with us.

 

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.

Not only is this telling us to speak the truth and kindly of ourselves and others, but to pursue your own truth by not subscribing to anyone else’s idea of truth; don’t buckle to other peoples expectations, do you, find you and what makes you happy; your bliss.

It is the correct use of our energy, the ultimate expression of truth and love for our unique individual selves. If we are open to our own truth, it will manifest through you and clear out all the emotional poisoning that exists within us and holds us back; it relinquishes our fear.

Humans are the only creatures that beat themselves up a million times over the same mistake, which is essentially wasting your creative power worrying over something you will never change, but it shouldn’t affect your life forever. We don’t have to accept the wrongs that have been done to us or visa versa, but we must learn from it, forgive, and let it go.  

Once we change our selves, our perception, everything else will begin to change too, we just have to want it. Stop judging yourself. Live for yourself in pursuit of it’s highest benevolent and blissful state of consciousness.

 

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 theirs, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

This one blew me away. You are never responsible for the actions of others, you are only responsible for your own. You have the power to choose how you’re going to handle situations and if you understand this agreement, no one’s bad day will ever affect you again.

We do not have the right to change anyone, but we are responsible for what we do and say. We have the right to let them know what we believe and know to be true, but we are not responsible for what they can or cannot understand.

At some point, that has to be good enough; you are good enough.

 

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.

I love this one. Don’t assume anything! Expectations will destroy you. We need to understand that not everyone sees the world as we do, and we must approach people and situations with an open mind and heart. Mind your intuition, but only base judgments off of your own personal experience.

This will significantly reduce the amount of stress and anxiety in your life.

Release your desire to control.

 

Always Do Your Best.

Your best is going to change from moment to moment, it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Actions make life real. Our decisions and choices are all that determine our quality of life. Though you will never be genuinely happy by trying to control others, you could have all the opportunities in the world by controlling your own mind, body, and spirit. Do you.

There is a moment–a space, in between thoughts, of silence. Ruiz spoke of a mindfulness meditation where you try to expand that moment of silence and exist in that place; the thoughts no longer control you, you control your thoughts. 

The only way to be happy is to find your authentic self and allow it to manifest it’s greatest good into the world. Be open to your path.

I’m telling you, it’s bliss.

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