Recognize the title? It is a book by Don Miguel Ruiz written in 1997 and has sold over four million copies. Many people have been influenced by the Four Agreements. I would like to share them with you and give you a sense of what they purport to do. Don Miguel Ruiz says that they are a vehicle to create love and happiness in your life in a quest for personal freedom. This personal freedom is a freedom from fear, illusions, and fear based illusions of the mind. This path of freedom is from agreements and beliefs that you have made with yourself that are creating limitation and unhappiness in your life.

The Four Agreements are:

Be impeccable with your word. The convenient lie, unnecessary embellishment of the facts, gossiping, really do not fit well with this agreement. Mean what you say, say what you mean.

Don’t take anything personally. How easy it can be to be hooked into somebody else’s perception or problem. Also, NOMB (none of my business) is a good starting point before reacting in some form or fashion. “What you think of me is none of my business!”

Don’t make assumptions. Assumptions so often lead to distorted understandings and consequent behaviors. Be sure of the facts, ask clarifying question. Don’t assume. (You’ve heard saying that when you assume you make an “ass of you and me”)

Always do your best. Laziness, procrastination and short cuts are a way to avoid the challenge of this Agreement. Living in the moment, letting go of the past, allows you to be fully present in the moment to bring forth your best.

Do these Four Agreement say anything to you? They do to me, not as the be all and end all of my personal search for freedom, love, connection, meaning and fulfillment, but as genuine insights to facilitate a walk in that direction. It is difficult to argue against these agreements: that one’s word must reflect integrity; that one should not be overly reactive to the actions of others; that jumping to assumptions is not wise, and that one should strive to always be the best person possible.

If you have take a moment to read this article you have chosen to reflect on the deeper side of your life and perhaps will make an adjustment or two in a more positive direction. Periodic reminders like this assist a conscious driven life. Thus the time on this article will be well spent. Enjoy your day!