For my whole life, books have been some of my best friends and my best teachers. From science fiction to fantasy to non-fiction, there have been innumerable books that have help to shape my worldview and provided guideposts for my life. One of those standout books was The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. There were four seemingly simple statements that I found to be POWERFUL in the way that impact both my outlook and worldview.
1. Be Impeccable with Your Word
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best
During my years of living these agreements, and nailing it some days, and being humbled by how I missed it on others, I found out that the most fascinating thing was that I would invariably remember 3 of the 4 agreements. The even more fascinating discovery was that the one agreement that I forgot was the very one that I needed to work on. Why? the simple reason was that it was not front of mind.
It was also a good lesson for me not only about Mindset, Intention and Focus, but also on how working on Mindset and Intention would always be a work in progress. As situations and days changed, the demands on me on those days from a personal and work standpoint also fluctuated. Every day presented a new opportunity to live the Agreements, and to learn from the situations when I forgot them.
While remembering the Agreements helped my inward focus, studying and living them also helped me see that many times, it was not about me at all; frequently it was the situation, and about the other individuals in the situation.
The Agreements for me were four simple sentences that taught me about life as much as they did about myself. I still review those simple four sentences and learn more about myself and life every time I do. So very awesome!
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