In these agreements, you have told yourself who you are, how you feel, what you believe and how to behave. And in an effort to be accepted by everyone around you, you have created this image of what perfection is, based on the beliefs of others. Wondering what ancient Mesoamerican beliefs could teach you about business and life in general? Well, you`ll be surprised 🎓 at what that entails: this agreement deals with avoiding gossip, lies, empty promises, and other ways we cause problems with our words. Just say what you want to say and realize that you can do harm if you don`t pay attention to what you say. In The Four Agreements, Don Miguel reveals the source of self-limiting agreements that deprive us of joy and cause unnecessary suffering. If we are prepared to amend these agreements, there are four agreements of deceptive but powerful simplicity that we can adopt as guiding principles. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Accords offer a powerful code of conduct that can quickly transform our lives into a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. So what did the Toltecs know, and how can their ancient wisdom, as told by Ruiz in the Four Accords, help us? In this article, we will present a brief summary of the Four Accords, a fascinating book by Don Miguel Ruiz. But first, a few words about why you should care.
When you`re upset about something someone has told you, it`s your own fears and experiences, which makes it important to deal with them. “Self-abuse comes from self-rejection, and self-rejection comes from having an image of what it means to be perfect and never following that ideal. Our image of perfection is the reason why we reject ourselves; That is why we do not accept ourselves as we are, and why we do not accept others as they are. These four agreements are the practical path to individual freedom. When you do your best, you worry less about the future by focusing your attention on today. You stay present and just take it one day at a time, because your only goal will be to give your best energy and attention to what you are doing here and now. Things to keep in mind: This is good advice to help you become less responsive, defensive, and need retaliation, but keep it in balance. Although everyone has their biases and there is no true objectivity, by never taking anything personally, you can really limit your ability to see your own negative patterns and biased thoughts and work to develop healthier patterns and lucid thinking. As Mr. Scott Peck says in The Road Less Traveled, “Distinguishing the problem from what we are and what we are not responsible for in this life is one of the greatest problems of human existence.” What it entails: A lot of stress can be created if you assume you know what others are thinking without talking to them.
Understanding that other people may have different motivations for their actions, even worldviews that are radically different from your own, and remembering to really try to understand others and discuss those motivations before jumping to conclusions about their behavior can go a long way in avoiding interpersonal conflict. And that`s exactly what happened. I hope this structure will inspire you to take this book, learn a new thing or two, and broaden your perspective. The truth is that not taking things personally boosts your self-confidence. As Ruiz goes on to explain, “If you get into the habit of not taking things personally, you don`t have to trust what others do or say. You just need to trust yourself to make responsible decisions. You are never responsible for the actions of others; They are solely responsible for you. If you truly understand this and refuse to take things personally, you can hardly be hurt by negligent comments or actions. Although the chords are sometimes oversimplified, this is still a great little book with heavy ideas.
Focusing on one of these agreements can significantly improve your life and reduce stress. Focusing on all four can really change many people`s lives. If these suggestions are followed in a general and non-fanatical way, they can help you relieve a large amount of stress by helping you avoid thought and behavior patterns that create frustration, blame, hurt feelings, and other negative emotions. It`s not about doing more or less, it`s about respecting yourself and honoring the work that awaits you by doing your best. It`s not about overworking yourself to the point of burnout, it`s about giving your best and doing your best with the time you have. In The Four Agreements, best-selling author Don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that deprive us of joy and cause unnecessary suffering. By freeing ourselves from social structures and expectations, we can make new deals for ourselves. Be impeccable in my own words, don`t take things personally, don`t make assumptions and always do my best, these four promises are hard to keep, but once I became aware of these four promises, things changed in a positive direction.. .