“Life is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.”

- Don Miguel Ruiz

In his most famous and influential work, The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz offers his apprentices these four simple yet profound agreements as important tools on the path to personal freedom. Anyone can use these wonderful tools to break their self-limiting beliefs and agreements from the past and transform their lives into a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

These new agreements have the potential to help you move your attention from what the world thinks you “should” do or be to what you know is right for you, reclaim scattered personal energy and power, and open up to a deeper intimacy in personal relationships.

Ultimately, it is about finding one’s own integrity, self-love, and peace within this reality.

1. Be impeccable with your word.

Our words, our thoughts, and our feelings all contribute to the creation of our reality. Our word is a two-edged sword, it can create or it can destroy. To be impeccable is to create with conscious awareness and love. Ruiz also makes the point that our perceptions of others are merely reflections of ourselves. Therefore, to put another down or project negative words or energy towards another person, is to lash out at the other person because of our own insecurities. The human mind is fertile ground for the seeds that are our word. So plant the seeds of love, not fear. Judging, blaming, shaming, and especially gossiping create poison in ourselves and others. This agreement alone is enough to break all of your old agreements and change the dream of your life.

2. Don’t take anything personally.

There is an awful lot of negative energy out there and some of it is directed at us by other people. But other people’s reactions and opinions are simply other people’s reactions and opinions. They are having their own experience and none of it has anything to do with you - it does not make you wrong, guilty, bad, unworthy, famous, loveable, or important. If you take it personally and take on the poison of another’s words, it becomes a very negative agreement you have with yourself. What anybody thinks about you, or says about you, is really about them. Not taking it personally allows you to be in relationship with anyone and not get trapped in their stuff. This agreement can also pertain to things that we take personally that cause us to go into upset.

3. Don’t make assumptions.

Our minds have the need to “know.” When we don’t know, we make assumptions - they make us feel safer than not knowing. And we are pretty much always making assumptions. We assume that we know how someone is going to react to us. We assume that our efforts will or will not be successful. And not only do we believe our assumptions about what other people are thinking, but then we end up taking those assumptions personally and even end up resenting the person. To avoid assumptions, ask questions. It takes courage to trust the present moment, to allow other people to be exactly who they are, and to let life unfold according to its own plan… and it avoids a great deal of suffering.

4. Always do your best.

Your best changes from moment to moment, sick or well, tired or rested. Remember that you are an imperfect human being. There is no value to judging yourself for “failing” - and no truth to it either. There should be no regrets. When you are not impeccable, when you take something personally, or make an assumption, you are still doing your best, and you are still a beloved child of Spirit. Agree to always do your best, with love and acceptance for the imperfect divine human that you are. The other key to doing your best revolves about being in action. Action is about living fully. Inaction is the way that we deny life.

Simple by nature yet, powerful when put to action. By embracing and practicing each agreement you will find the path to personal freedom becomes easier and begin to live life like never before.

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