The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
This was the first book I truly devoured, in about four hours! To this day, it's probably my favourite book. In it, Ruiz draws on the wisdom of an ancient Mexican civilisation, the Toltecs, who were considered by the Aztecs to represent a golden age of knowledge and wisdom.
Ruiz distils their teachings into a simple yet powerful guide for living a fulfilling life. The book revolves around four key principles:
1. Be Impeccable with Your Word
To be impeccable means to be without sin—in this case, it refers to avoiding actions or words that go against your own morals and values.
Take responsibility for your actions.
Avoid self-judgement and blame.
Above all, don’t lie.
These are the three core ideas I took from this agreement it is something I am still working on, especially today when writing this I have 100 other things to do, but i wanted to take the time to be impeccable with my word. As I mentioned in my first blog I will post a blog every Friday.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
For me, this is the most important agreement. I used to take things personally, but I’ve learned to step back. Everything people do is a reflection of themselves, not you, no one is thinking about you as much as you think they are!
Don't take praise or criticism personally.
Taking things personally leads to unnecessary suffering.
Letting go of this habit allows you to express yourself without fear of judgement.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
I used to be guilty of this making assumptions can lead to unnecessary pain or missed opportunities.
Don’t assume a business deal won’t go through before you've even tried.
Don’t assume someone you don’t know is either good or bad.
Instead, have the courage to ask questions and seek clarity.
4. Always Do Your Best
Ruiz emphasises that your best will change from day to day.
Your best when you're well-rested and energised is different from your best after a long day.
Don't judge yourself if you did your best, that’s enough.
Personally, I find that working in short bursts brings out my best performance.
A Key Takeaway
Ruiz reminds us that if we fail to follow one of the agreements, we can simply start again the next day. This is a lifelong journey slipping up doesn’t reset your progress to zero.
Quote of The Book
“Don’t take anything personally”
For me this is the most agreement, thus making it the perfect quote of the book.