Yesterday was a bit of a tough day. For no particularly major reason. Just a lot of little circumstances out of my control that went against the grain. There were some wins too – thank you Cliff – but I felt stressed and overwhelmed at some points. So by the time last night rolled around, I was tired and not feeling at my most creative.
My mind reached out in exploration of what might be valuable to share this morning. I came up short. First time for everything! Then it occurred to me, I wondered if I’d created enough of these that re-reading one could work. I went looking. In less than a minute I came upon the Four Agreements. Not only did I connect with it as something to read today, but it was exactly what I needed to reorient myself and ultimately feel better.
Good things are worth repeating. I hope it leaves you with something as well.
Based on Toltec wisdom and traditions that began back in 900AD, Don Miguel Ruiz depicts four of the most simple, yet most powerful principles.
When we are out of phase with these ideas, they are the source of our self-limiting beliefs and they rob us of joy and create needless suffering. But by honoring these basic agreements, we can gain access to transforming our lives and our businesses, and experience a new sense of freedom, happiness, and love.
Keep in mind, while simple to understand, they aren’t necessarily easy to implement and maintain. However, with some awareness and some practice, benefits can be experienced rather quickly.
The first agreement is: Be Impeccable With Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Avoid speaking negatively about yourself, and also gossiping about others. Use your words to support truth and love.
The second agreement is: Don’t Take Anything Personally. What others say and do rarely has anything to do with you. It’s a projection of their own reality. When we become immune to the opinions and actions of others, we avoid being in the role of victim, and the needless suffering that goes along with it.
The third agreement is: Don’t Make Assumptions. Try to find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. By communicating clearly with others, we can avoid misunderstandings and the sadness and drama which follow.
The fourth agreement is: Always Do Your Best. Our best will change from moment to moment and day to day. But if we always do our best, we can avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
The entire book is only a little over 100 pages – it can be read in a single sitting. And it can provide access to plugging some of the most common power leaks in the human dynamic.
Looking back, I can tell you that part of my experience yesterday was a result of my forgetting to not take things personally. Again, simple to understand but challenging to implement.
Read the book, or look it up and just be with the agreements, or you can ask me about them. I love this stuff.
