Last Saturday's talk organized by East West Books & Gifts bookstore, I had the honor of listening to Don Miguel Ruiz Jr., son of Don Miguel Ruiz, author of "The Four Agreements." In his book, Don Miguel Ruiz describes four agreements that the ancient Toltecs used to achieve personal freedom.
Personal freedom is our ability to act, speak, think, move, and feel without obstacles, restrictions, or pain.
Freedom can look different for each person...
For some, freedom literally means the freedom to move without pain, the freedom to experience a full range of motion without problems. For others, freedom means the ability to think clearly and dissipate mental fog. And for others, freedom may mean feeling more connected to a "higher power," "god," "source," or whatever label they prefer.
Our definition of personal freedom can be completely different. But one thing is clear: these four agreements are universal. No matter what freedom means to us, these four agreements can help us live a life full of health, inner wealth, and happiness. This book, which I read at least 15 years ago, marked a before and after in my life. It was like putting down a heavy backpack and continuing the journey much lighter, with tools to keep the path enjoyable.
As with Dr. B. Lipton's talk, I feel the responsibility to share with you what has inspired me from this talk, which will likely inspire many of you as well. Don Miguel Ruiz Jr. revealed to us the source of our self-limiting beliefs (domestication) that steal our joy and create unnecessary suffering. When we are ready to change these agreements, there are four deceptively simple but powerful agreements we can adopt as guides:
Tips:
Become aware of how we confuse "who we are" with "what we know."
Become aware of how our agreements have created our reality.
Let go of the fear of what we are without our beliefs.
Create a happier and more fulfilling story for ourselves.
Make new agreements that are more in line with our true Authentic Self.
So, what are the "Four Agreements" we can follow to achieve personal freedom? I will be analyzing them one by one this week:
Be impeccable with your words.
Don't take anything personally.
Don't make assumptions.
Always do your best.
We should not confuse agreement with conditions; when we set conditions, we do not give the other person the freedom to decide. When we make an agreement, both people are free to accept or not what is being agreed upon.
My reflections on the first agreement:
Be impeccable with your words
Speak with integrity. Say what I mean. Don't beat around the bush. Don't belittle others or spread gossip.
The people in our lives can feel the energy we bring to our relationship with them. Let's convey the energies of truth and love. Even and especially to strangers. Although someone may not be aware of the energy we bring to them, they can feel our intentions.
First, we must make our intentions a reality with energy. Then, with thoughts. Then, with our expression (our word), and finally with action.
Being impeccable with our words also extends to the relationship with ourselves.
Do we keep our commitments to ourselves? Do we maintain our agreements with ourselves?
We can experience profound changes in our lives if we follow this first agreement with ourselves. We will find that we trust ourselves more, and as a result, other people will trust us more.
Tomorrow, I will continue developing my reflections on the talk and the second agreement. I appreciate your comments and own reflections on the topic. Feel free to share this post with those you think may find it useful.
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