The Four Agreements

I first came across this book in a poster on a wall during a boring corporate training seminar and they just resonated with me. They were also markedly different from the other ‘platitude’ posters adorned those walls. I read this book on a fairly regular basis to remind myself of what these agreements are and what they mean.

They filter down into my therapy and coaching practice often (so does the advice from Yoda in Star Wars, but that is a whole other story!). This book is short, sweet, and very profound. If you follow its advice (based on ancient… show more.

I love this book because it talks about the limiting beliefs that we as human beings impose on ourselves and the consequences of what happens when we don’t overcome them.

This book was eye-opening, and I had many “aha” moments while reading it. It made me question my own belief systems and how I could manifest the life I wanted by questioning everything and focusing on what brings me joy. This book is full of great foundational principles that have helped me shape my life.

I read Don Miguel Ruiz's, The Four Agreements. I also listened to his book on tape and watched YouTube videos that further dive into the agreements we make with ourselves and others. 

This book reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the book offers a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

Don Miguel Ruiz has dedicated his life to sharing the wisdom of the ancient Toltecs. I initially started reading this book while… show more.

I was already familiar with two of the four agreements: “doing my best” and “keeping my word” but the idea of “never making assumptions,” and “not taking anything personally” were mind-blowing and they were a big gift to my nervous system. 

I now understand that no one is waking up in the morning plotting ways to make me miserable and if I am miserable it is often because I took something personally or made a wrong assumption!

This book can help you to awaken to a deeper level of conscious awareness.

The Four Agreements are powerful tools for personal growth that can help you break free from limiting beliefs and negative patterns. They are simple, yet profound, and can be applied to every aspect of your life. This book teaches you how to cultivate inner peace, be intentional about what you say and do, and create more meaningful relationships.

The Four Agreements offers a very simple yet profound way of looking at how we can help ourselves rise above our current thinking and approach to life that often keeps us down, cuts off connection to ourselves and others, and inhibits our growth and happiness.

Of the 4 agreements, I find “Be Impeccable With Your World” the most potent, as it invites us to be extremely judicious in all the words we choose to utter, as well as how we talk to ourselves internally.

The word “impeccable” derives from the Latin word “impeccabilis,” a combination of the prefix in-, meaning… show more.

This book changed my life. The Four Agreements are words to live by.

When we are impeccable with our word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do our best, we set ourselves up for success. These agreements align perfectly with my personal belief that we must break the trance, challenge the status quo, engage critical thinking, and question everything.

I revisit this book often, and each time, I receive a new and pertinent message. 

I recommend this book because Ruiz breaks down a path to create Heaven on Earth in very simple ways. When I say simple however, do not be fooled. The four agreements are anything but simple. It took me more than two years to fully incorporate the first agreement: Be impeccable with your word. These four simple agreements: Be Impeccable with Your Word, Don’t Take Anything Personally, Don’t Make Assumptions, and Always Do Your Best are insights that, when applied in full to your life, your life will transform into something magical and honest. You may grow and expand as a… show more.

Like every book on my list, I did a lot of underlining and scribbling in the margins when I read The Four Agreements. For me, there are fundamental truths in this small, simple book. “Find your voice to ask for what you want. Everybody has the right to tell you no or yes, but you always have the right to ask” (p. 72). “Humans punish themselves endlessly for not being what they believe they should be” (p. 19). “You are never responsible for the actions of others; you are only responsible for you” (p. 60). It can be challenging… show more.

You may have heard of this one or even read it before. I recommend a refresh! These seemingly simple agreements with yourself are not always easy to put into practice. If we all pursue the work of these lessons, our worlds will be more peaceful, stress-free, compassionate to self and others, and lived with childlike wonder.