The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz

“I want you to forget everything you have learned in your whole life. This is the beginning of a new understanding, a new dream.”

This little book is insightful and full of Toltec wisdom. In my understanding Toltec stems from Native American culture and really prescribes techniques used to prevent the disintegration of the self and in doing so changing our perspectives and perception in life.

So right or wrong the four agreements that Don shares in this book are simply that, ways to change our perceptions to allow us to hold strength in one-self and in doing so harnessing more free and happy lives.

It’s a little deep in some sections but mostly I found the pieces come together and rather congruently with one agreement linking smoothly to the next. If your looking for a little wisdom and insight this week have a read because even if you take away 1 or 2 techniques to use in your life you will find renewed strength and happiness in what you do.

Here are my reflections on the four agreements.

Be impeccable with your word.

This is really to be congruent with what you say and what you do. If your word and your actions don’t align your truth will suffer. This to me can mean both verbalised words and commitments you make to the outer world and also words internally spoken to one-self.

A large part of suffering in my life is when I am not being impeccable with my word and is certainly an area I strive to continually be more congruent. It goes along the lines of simply being who you are and doing what you say. Don’t lie and don’t speak mistruth it will only cause pain, suffering and make life in general more a struggle.

When you are impeccable with your word you are likely to find greater ease and happiness in all that you do. Makes sense right but not always that easy.

Don’t take anything personally.

This is an area I struggled with for so many years on a higher level and still to this day am training myself not to take things personally. I watch and observe many others in my life all suffer with this disintegrating practice and from an outside see their suffering only coming from a place within.

When people say or act in a way unfavourable to us we often start to judge ourselves by taking the others action on board personally. This is our perception that the others actions or words are a personally attack but this is often not the case.

Many people do things for their own reasons which may for example be out of their own lack of knowledge, fear, time, misunderstanding or even jealousy. For many of this reasons are their own and certainly not attached in anyway to a personally attack on who you are and what you do.

Its easy to over analyse this situations and when you find yourself taking something to heart try sit and reflect and really understand why you see it this way and what other perspective you may have on the situation. You may just find some more peace and rather than be discouraged to shine and glimmer you may just be able to move on with greater ease.

Don’t make assumptions.

Assumption can be made on just about anything we come across in life and are very debilitating. We often make assumptions about ourselves; what we are capable of, what we believe to be true and even how we are supposed to exist in this body, and in this life.

We also make assumptions about others and about situations we encounter. Assumptions are simply that, something we perceive to be certain yet without proof.

What are you limiting beliefs? What do you think you are capable of? These are likely been developed as you have been conditioned in your own life yet all these limiting beliefs are often held without truth. You will find when you act on just one of your limiting beliefs that you are capable and that the voice you created is without truth.

Assumptions held on others and external situations are also related to what we value, believe and how we have been conditioned to view the world. We can make assumptions about the person who cut us of in the traffic, about the state for the world affairs or about someone else’s opinions on a certain topic. Until explored further in seeking of the truth they should not hold any weight as they will be assumptions until proven truth and even then it may only be a perception.

Always do your best.

Finally and perhaps my favourite is simply to always do your best in everything you do. This to me means just being who you are and when being who you are being the best you. Find and seek continually improvement in all areas of your life. Like the above agreements if you just practice to be your very best at each of these everyday you will become a little stronger.

I often wonder why the wise seem to be elderly and if you see that they have just continually improved to be their best in all that they do believe and value. They all seem to have a very open view on the world and seem to be happy and free of suffering. I suppose that with time we all have the opportunity to hold more experience, knowledge and greater judgement on everything in life.

So these are my thoughts and reflections on this little book of wisdom. I hope you can take the time to enlighten yourself and each day free yourself a little more from any unneeded suffering.

Please leave your thoughts, comments & questions below. Peace, passion and purpose…

Here are some other books by Don Miguel Ruiz that you may be interested in.