Motivation: The Four Agreements

Posted 11/14/2008 by Rebekah in Motivation \ 3 comments

My interests are photography and crafting. I am a resident of the beautiful southern city of Birmingham, Alabama. You can read more about my life on Honeysuckle Life.

One of my favorite bloggers (and our current botw!) posted this on her blog last February:

The Four Agreements
By Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz

1. 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 truth and love.

2. 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 dreams. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. 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.

4. 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.

They’re from this author, and it’s not the first time they’ve shown up in my life.  My former roommate had a copy of this laying around our house for several years. I’ve posted this in my office and constantly read them thinking about the power of our words and thoughts. If all of us could grasp these truths, I truly believe the world would be a better place.

My question for you is how do you practice these agreements in your daily life?

A.

we heart your comments!
  1. This is a great book, last year we read it in my book club :) I think the hardest one for me to follow is to not take things personally, but I try!

  2. I read this book years ago, but haven’t really thought about it in a while. What a good reminder!

    Like Melissa, I think that not taking things personally can be pretty tough, but I know I also struggle with making assumptions sometimes. I try to be aware of both of these things in my own life so that I can correct the thoughts or behaviors when they do come up.

  3. I love this book. I read it years ago, thank you for the reminders.

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