The Four Agreements - a book review.
This book is part of my repeat reading pile. I just finished reading it for the 3rd or 4th time and still find it incredibly impactful. Its wisdom is simple and resonates with me now more than ever.
The Four Agreements was published in 1997 and written by Don Miguel Ruiz, a Mexican author who published four books on Toltec spirituality and neo-shamanism. He was born into a family of healers and raised in rural Mexico by his healer mother and shaman grandfather.
Ruiz attended medical school and studied to be a surgeon. A near-death experience in the early 1970s had such a significant impact on him that he left his career as a doctor and dedicated his life to studying and mastering Toltec ancient ancestral wisdom.
The word Toltec, according to Ruiz, means “men and women of knowledge” and was considered an esoteric spirituality passed from generation to generation. The Four Agreements is based on Toltec teachings and provides a roadmap to freedom, happiness and enlightenment.
The Four Agreements
The First Agreement.
Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
The Second Agreement.
Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say or 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.
The Third Agreement.
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.
The Fourth Agreement.
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 you best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
Four cards from The Four Agreement 48-card deck.
Ruiz states that even though Toltec wisdom is not a religion, it honours all the spiritual masters who have taught on this earth. While it does embrace spirit, it is most accurately described as a way of life, distinguished by the ready accessibility of happiness and love.
The Four Agreements are like a code of conduct that helps you connect to your authentic self. They are simple to understand challenging to implement, and worth the effort. I will write more about each agreement in more detail in future blogs.
Be well.
Anita