Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (Paperback)

"Say what you mean. Mean what you say"
"Assuming makes an ASS out of U and ME"

You get the idea... Read this book as a reminder. Read it to gain an alternate perspective. I would recommend it to anyone who is on a path to self-discovery. Remedial or not, the toltec perspective referenced in this book is a valuable one...

One thing I've noticed about most of the negative reviews. They all seem a little bit angry. Perhaps too angry to be receptive to a book with such a positive spin...

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Nevertheless, I still find myself thinking about them and how
to relate what they say to my daily life . . . should you want
to join me in the task, consider how you can:

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.

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 others, you won't be the
victim of endless suffering.

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.

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 avoid self-judgment, self-abuse
and regret.

Also, I very much liked this one other passage:
Making assumptions in our relationships is really asking for problems.
Often we make the assumption that our partners know what we
think and that we don't have to say what we want. We assume they
are going to do what we want, because they know us so well. If
they don't do what we assume they should do, we feel so hurt and
say, "You should have known."

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Ruiz reflects upon and applies the wisdom from the Toltec people-scientists and artists who make it a way of life to simultaneously explore and continue the spiritual, sacred practice and guidance of their ancestors.

He explains that we unconsciously "agree" with the information, the cultural beliefs and training, that is handed to us by others which we then make into our own personalized paradigm which Ruiz refers to as "The Book of the Law." This "Book of the Law" shapes "Your Dream" which is what you experience in day-to-day life.

The way to break the disempowering bonds of your life is with these simple four agreements which he sets out like this:

1. Be Impeccable with Your Word
2. Don't Take Anything Personally
3. Don't Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best

My favorite quote from the book, to sort of give you a flavor for the writing is this: "Just to breathe is enough for us to always be happy, to enjoy life."

Implementing the Four Agreements is when you will realize it is NOT as simple as it seems.

An excellent, thought provoking book which you can take as deeply as you desire. It WILL change your life if you are willing to stick to the Agreements.

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