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Four Agreements You
Need for Living a Life With
Value
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In his book "The Four Agreements," Don Miguel Ruiz distills the
essence of Toltec wisdom into four principles for living a life of
value:
- Be impeccable with your word.
-
Don't take anything personally.
- Don't make assumptions.
- Always do your best.
How
elegantly simple! But simple wisdom isn't common practice. While most
of us believe we are impeccable with our word, we know others who are
not. And most likely, others, from time to time, consider us far less
than true with our word. The Four Agreements are deceptively
simple, yet difficult to apply. With practice, they're extremely
effective, providing a way to experience inner peace and happiness. Each
agreement is self-directed. It's not about what you can do to change
someone's behavior. Rather, these guides teach us how to respond
appropriately to others' difficult behaviors and develop smoother
relationships. So, how do you apply these principles at work? Let's examine each one. 1.
Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you
mean. Avoid using words to speak against yourself or to gossip about
others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. 2.
Don't take anything personally. Nothing others do is because of you.
What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own
dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you
won't be the victim of needless suffering. 3. Don't make
assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you
really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid
misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement,
you can completely transform your life. 4. Always do your best.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be
different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any
circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment,
self-abuse, and regret.
Practice
Become more mindful. The
next time you begin to gossip, assume something or fail to clarify,
stop yourself. If you sense you're taking something personally, back up
and think before you speak. Ask yourself, "How can I make this
situation better?" Instead of trying to change another person, make an impact on someone you can really change: yourself.
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