Have you read The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Miguel Ruiz?
The message of this short, yet powerful little book is that when you embrace “The Four Agreements,” you will find yourself experiencing personal freedom.
As we know:
Addiction takes away freedom.
Reading the book reminded me of coming home. The agreements are a profound reminder of what most of us have known all along, but we don’t always put into practice. It’s about finding our center.
I was cleaning out a drawer last week, and discovered a 48-card deck that I had bought after reading the book. I had purchased the cards a few years ago, and had forgotten all about them. It is always fun to rediscover long-lost treasures.
When I was struggling with the addiction of my child, I remember picking up the book. I rediscovered some powerful tools that would help me stay focused and regain my freedom from my continual worrying. I needed a reminder, because I was feeling so stressed.
Here are a few samples from the cards I recently rediscovered. My hope is that you too will know that you have freedom to control your world and find your inner peace.
Be Impeccable with Your Word
Create a beautiful dream. Your word can create the most beautiful dream, or your word can destroy everything around you. Impeccability of the word only creates beauty, love and heaven on earth.
Release the need to be right. When you believe something, you assume you are right. And you may even destroy relationships in order to defend your position. Let go of the need to defend your position.
Replace fear with love. The human mind is like a fertile ground where seeds are continually being planted. When you are impeccable with your word, your minds is no longer fertile ground for the words that come from fear; your mind is only fertile for the words that come from love.
Seek to know the truth. When you hear an opinion and believe it, you make an agreement and it becomes part of your belief system. The only thing that can break this agreement is to make a new one based on truth. Only the truth has the power to set you free.
Don’t Take Anything Personally
Embrace your freedom. You gain a huge amount of freedom when you take nothing personally. No spell can affect you regardless of how strong it may be. And if you live without fear, if you love, you will be happy with your life.
See other people as they are. When you see other people as they are without taking it personally, you can never be hurt by what they say or do. Even if others lie to you, it is okay. They are lying to you because they are afraid you will discover that they are not perfect.
Transform your life. When you refuse to take things personally, you avoid many upsets in your life. Your feelings of anger, jealousy – and even your sadness – will simply disappear if you don’t take things personally.
Your truth is personal to you. Your own opinions and point of view reflect your own agreements and are personal to you. It is no one’s truth but yours.
Don’t Make Assumptions
Be yourself around others. The biggest assumption that humans make is that everyone sees life the way we do. We assume that others think the way we think, feel the way we feel, judge the way we judge, and abuse the way we abuse. We are afraid to be ourselves around others because we think others will judge us, victimize us, abuse us, and blame us as we do ourselves.
Communicate with clarity. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. If all humans would communicate with impeccability of the word, all of our relationships would change. There would be be no wars, no violence, no misunderstandings.
Learn to ask questions. It is always better to ask questions than to make assumptions.Have the courage to ask questions until you are as clear as you can be. Once you hear the answer to a question, you won’t have to make assumptions because you will know the truth.
Speak openly and honestly. When you speak openly and honestly, you won’t have to make assumptions. The day you stop making assumptions, you will communicate cleanly and clearly, and achieve impeccability with your word.
Always Do Your Best
Stay in the Present Moment. Keep your attention on today and stay in the present moment. This is the beginning of a new understanding, a new dream.
Surrender and Let Go of the Past. Whatever life takes away from you, let it go. When you surrender and let go of the past, you allow ourself to be fully alive in the moment. Letting go of the past means that you can enjoy the dream that is happening right now.
Take Action on Your Ideas. Doing your best means to take action. You can have many great ideas in your head, but without action upon an idea, there will be no manifestation, no results, and no reward.
Take Your Life and Enjoy It. You are alive, so take your life and enjoy it. You were born with the right to be happy, to love, and to share your love. Just to be – to take a risk and enjoy your life – is all that matters.
What are your thoughts about “The Four Agreements?” Do you think they would help you find freedom?
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I have always loved this book . . . still have it and re-read it from time to time . . thanks for the reminder ; )
I love it too and was glad to find the cards as a reminder to read it again. I also found The Mastery of Love on my shelf which will be read again as well. Great message with the books and cards for any of us. Take care!
Cathy –
The Four Agreements is one of those books that I keep near at hand to be read whenever the urge strikes…
What a piece of art. For me, ‘Be impeccable with your word’ was the most meaningful. His interpretation of what it means and how it effects everything we do – especially to ourselves – is powerful.
I never knew that there were cards. Stunning – Thanks for helping me start my week with a full ‘sigh’ 🙂 Fran
‘Be impeccable with your word’ is a powerful message for sure, one that trickles through every aspect of our lives. The cards were a fun discover, will definitely keep them close at hand. Take care!
The nitty gritty of it all, for me, Cathy is we’re choosing love or fear in all our dealings in the world. Sometimes they’re disguised as the need to be right (fear) or living your dream (love). I like to ask myself when I’m thinking or feeling something that doesn’t quite feel right, is this love or fear…and you can bet your bottom dollar it isn’t love.
I’m a work in progress!
Beautifully done Cathy, and thanks for the reminders.
Great way to explain it, Elle. When I look back on all my challenges in life, my fear would extend the life and love would shorten it. I’m right there with you as a work in progress. Thanks you.
Lovely words and thoughts Cathy,
Thank you for sharing these Treasures with us.
Be good to yourself
David
Hi David,
Thanks for stopping by! Take care.
Cathy – I love this book, and reread it just recently. There are so many things to get from it, and I get something different from it every time I read it.
This time I focused on the second one – Don’t take anything Personally. I realized that whatever other say and do is just a product of what they are thinking at the time, and that has nothing to do with me. So liberating! I love it….
Hi Leslie,
It is a great book, and now that I’ve found my cards, I will reread the book again as well. Reading the cards everyday will be helpful as well. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for this, Cathy. We so easily forget truths that can make our lives so much easier – on ourselves, as well as others. What you’ve provided is a checklist we can keep at our fingertips, allowing us to maintain balance and establish “center.” The images are beautiful…
Bill
Hi Bill,
Your point is well taken. I know I’ve forgotten about the truths as well from time to time. Finding the cards and getting out the books was a good opportunity for me to review and use these tools to help keep me balanced and focused. Take care.
Hi Cathy….The Four Agreements is a CLASSIC and holds a permanent spot on my book care…But I had never see the cards before…what a great reminder of the most important messages in the book. The biggest one to me is always–Never take anything personally–I haven’t conquered it yet but any time it sneaks up on me I pull out the book…Thanks for the reminders! ~Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Welcome! The cards were a pleasant surprise. I also refer back to them and the book when I need a refresher. Appreciate you stopping by!
Cathy,
I love the 4 Agreements and the advice is perfect for everything. Love how you’ve written it out and make it accessible for everyone!
xoxo
Betsy
Thanks Betsy. The advice is good for anyone, that is for sure!
Thanks for sharing this in a digestable format Cathy. I’ve not read this book but heard a lot about it so this is a good preview to motivate it me to pick it up.
So many practical and wise tips here – be who you are, let go of the need to be right and don’t take things personally. One of the real insights here is that we allows to be who they are and accept them for that without imposing our demands and expectations on people and circumstances. I think once we live like that we eliminate so many unnecessary problems in our lives. Unmet and unrealistic expectations regularly disappoint us.
So true Vishnu. Expectations can lead to continual disappointment. Hard sometimes to accept that, but I believe your words are so true. I think you would like The Four Agreements. Much wisdom to be found in the book. Take care.
Just when I didn’t think The Four Agreements could get any better…I too love your images and your wonderful expression of the don Miguel Ruiz genius.
The Four Agreements have been the mantra, magic and success of my 20-year-and counting, mens group.
Thank you, Cathy for this beautiful reminder.
That is wonderful that you use The Four Agreements as a foundation for your men’s group, Herby. Very wise words and definitely a formula for an enriched and peaceful life.
Hi Cathy,
The 4 Agreements sounds like an amazing book and I loved the way you summarised the key lessons from it. I thought the point about it being ok when people lie to us, because they are afraid we will discover they are not perfect, is truly profound.
Thank you.
Hi Hiten,
I was struck by that line as well. When you look under the surface, the real truth of people’s fear becomes clear and opens the door for compassion and empathy.
My gosh – these are wonderful! I’d never read this book but will definitely be getting it, and in reading through the other comments, I see you’ve created these summary pieces – beautiful job, Cathy. Thanks so much for sharing.
I think you would really like the book, Lisa. Great guide for life!
Brilliant post, great reminder to write these four agreements where I can see them daily. Yes, I agree, following these would create immense inner freedom, not to mention cultivate joy in its place. Love the cards also, yes, I love finding lost treasures 🙂 being impeccable with our words, including our self-talk is life changing. Thank you.
Hi Caroline,
Welcome! I agree that the message from The Four Agreement is one that I would like to review daily as well. The deck of cards that I purchased has been helpful as I can just pull a card each day and get a powerful message. Thanks for stopping by and for your wonderful comment!