I love the book The Four Agreements

This weekend I was speaking with friends about a great philosophy. I thought I might see if anyone has had any experience with it and the book. Don Miguel Ruiz is the author of the great book The Four Agreements. This book is a wonderful way to approach life and our interactions with others and ourselves I find this helpful in many ways. Here is a link to the Amazon information. Amazon Link. The following is an overview from the Barnes and Noble website for the book and I think it sum it up quite well. Has anyone read this book and if so what have you noticed or changed as a result of reading it?

Overview

“According to don Miguel Ruiz, everything we do is based on agreements we have made - agreements with ourselves, with other people, with God, with life. But the most important agreements are the ones we make with ourselves. In these agreements we tell ourselves who we are, how to behave, what is possible, what is impossible. One single agreement is not such a problem, but we have many agreements that come from fear, deplete our energy, and diminish our self-worth. In The Four Agreements, don Miguel reveals the source of self-limiting agreements that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. When we are ready to change these agreements, there are four deceptively simple, yet powerful agreements that we can adopt as guiding principles. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: 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 needless 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 tired as opposed to well-rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret. The Four Agreements sound simple, even simplistic. B”

..the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

 

Thanks! Added it to my wishlist.

 

Be Impeccable with your word
Don't take anything personally
Don't make assumptions
Always do your best.

These are the four agreements, I look at these as guidelines. Each one can be the focus for the week repeat until they become part of your nature. I group that I did this with had a long discussion about "Always do your best". How does one determine what is their best? In the case of TMS we often do too much around our best and take it too far so this one can be misleading. But in further exploration the idea that we move to a place that we are without negative self judgment is the point so we made definitions of what the best looks like.

How does one determine what one's best is vs being perfect? What have you experienced with the letting go of perfectionism, goodism and embracing the good enough perspective? This week I am working on "Don't make assumptions"