The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

My rating:

add to my books

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

by Miguel Ruiz

3.94 · rating details · 19,569 ratings · 1,954 reviews

Sit at the foot of a native elder and listen as great wisdom of days long past is passed down. In The Four Agreements shamanic teacher and healer Don Michael Ruiz exposes self-limiting beliefs and presents a simple, yet effective code of personal conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors. Full of grace and simple truth, this handsomely-designed book makes a lovely gift for...more

Audio, 0 pages

Published July 22nd 1999 by Amber-Allen Publishing (first published 1997)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 27,403)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jul 15, 2007

Marissa rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: people with an hour to kill; people who are limitlessly optimistic (or striving to be)

Thank you, this book, for making me realize what a cynical asshole I am. By being skeptical of people who appear to suck, I am apparently doing a disservice to myself and to the Creator. And by judging myself when I make mistakes, a.k.a. stressing out when I screw up at work and have to fix it under pain of losing my job, I'm only contributing to my outer dream of Hell on Earth. Actually, by writing this paragraph I have probably put a few more nails in my psychological coffin.

All jo...moreThank you, this book, for making me realize what a cynical asshole I am. By being skeptical of people who appear to suck, I am apparently doing a disservice to myself and to the Creator. And by judging myself when I make mistakes, a.k.a. stressing out when I screw up at work and have to fix it under pain of losing my job, I'm only contributing to my outer dream of Hell on Earth. Actually, by writing this paragraph I have probably put a few more nails in my psychological coffin.

All joking aside, this is a good little book for the cynicist in all of us (in? How about that is?). Parts of it made me angry because they seemed to stress forgiveness over all else -- and yeah, I know that's generally accepted wisdom and all, but sometimes people need more than forgiveness to move on from things in life, like forgiveness and then perpetual avoidance.

As a philosophy, the "four agreements" (be impeccable with your word, don't make assumptions, always do your best, and ... crap, I already forgot the fourth one) are a superbly idealistic way to approach everyday life, but ever the empiricist, I was disappointed that the author didn't give more concrete examples of how to apply them to various situations.

When you're listening to someone tell you how to live, you naturally want to counter with, "Well, what if [blank] happens and [so and so] says [blank]?" In that case, is being impeccable with my word mean I should tell that person that I am sorry he or she is such a pitiful waste of space and, oh, by the way, all your personal habits are annoying? I guess my idea of impeccable honesty may betray some of the other agreements I'm supposed to make with myself.

The best part of what the author is teaching here is that you should be unfazed by what people say, think, or do, be it positive or negative -- even when it's directed toward you. The thinking behind it is that people do and say things because of their own situations, not yours, so whenever they say something to or about you, it has nothing to do with you. If someone calls you fat, it's because they are insecure, no matter how much of a blimp you are. If someone says you are awesome, you don't need to cling to it like a desperate child because, in theory, you knew you were awesome already.

Plus, this takes no time to read. You could finish it in a commute or two and at least feel like you'd thought things over a little, if nothing else. And, granted, I had been having some insecurity issues surrounding my performance at work, and after reading the "Always Do Your Best" chapter on the bus Friday morning, I proceeded to have a pretty kick-ass day, so there is definitely irrefutable power in the simplicity presented therein.(less)

like 37 likes

· see review

Sep 17, 2007

Suz rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: People who want to live an authentic and happy life

This is my second time reading this book and I picked it up again because I felt I was compromising too much in my life and it was affecting my core. I have a chapter to go but here's the summary:

The book cites four agreements that, with practice, will lead you to a happier state of living, essentially and dramatically, lead you out of your living hell. The idea is focused 100% on you. You can only control yourself and only honor yourself.

1. Be impeccable with your word. ...moreThis is my second time reading this book and I picked it up again because I felt I was compromising too much in my life and it was affecting my core. I have a chapter to go but here's the summary:

The book cites four agreements that, with practice, will lead you to a happier state of living, essentially and dramatically, lead you out of your living hell. The idea is focused 100% on you. You can only control yourself and only honor yourself.

1. Be impeccable with your word. Your word is your power to create the events in your life. It can create positive events or destructive events. Impeccable means "without sin". So the idea here is that you use your word without sin against yourself. You take responsibility for your actions but you do not judge and blame yourself. There is a big difference. And as you practice your impeccable word don't you think the very actions which might have caused you to judge and blame yourself before will decrease and it will become easier to truly know the difference between taking responsibility and punishing yourself (over and over again).

2. Don't take anything personally. Don't take compliments or insults or anything in between personally. If you know who you are and are impeccable with your word (i.e.: being yourself, not going against yourself) then you will get better and better at not allowing others to shape how you feel about yourself. This particular chapter I struggle with because I personally like to build people up by showing them how I feel about them and what I think about who they are. It is a rare thing for me to tell someone something negative unless i am trying to be a friend to help them through something and they need to hear it. However, I will re-read this to try to gain more meaning and understanding out of it.

3. Don't make assumptions. This almost requires no comment. We do this ALL the time. I know I do. You hear someone explaining their situation and as they are you are summarizing it in your own words in your head, filling in blanks because you want to have the complete picture. Except it's not the complete picture because rather than ask questions to fill in the blanks, you used your own experience and assumptions to do so.

4. Always do your best so that you will not judge and punish yourself. Do things because you want to do them and do your best, not for some reward. Enjoy your life. Live it now. And your best may not be the same every day if you're sick, tired, or you've fallen victim to beating yourself up. Doing your best means doing your best with the previous 3 agreements also and it means you may not always live up to your desire to always honor them. But it's your best so don't judge yourself.(less)

like 15 likes

· see review

Jun 03, 2008

Yuki rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone seeking clarity, inspiration

"Happiness is a choice, and so is suffering." The Toltec wisdom of this book is commonsense which we all have heard, but do not always believe and apply every moment. As I read each section, specific relationships (of mine or others) came vividly to mind, esp. "negative" or "toxic" people I have had to walk away from; and the ones we can't leave (family) but can learn not to blame for their sickness. It's a very quick read, and I plan to re-read it in different stag...more

like 8 likes

· see review

Jun 04, 2008

Jim Mitchell rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Jim by: Friend

I am currently reading this book, because it is a small book that when I finish page 129, I start over again on page 1. I have been reading it for about five years now, and I suspect I will continue reading it for as long as I can read. A few pages at a time is more than enough to give me something to kick around in my head for a few days.

The book could be tagged as a self-growth book, but that is too limiting. It is a book that challenges one to live up to four simple truths, and o...more

like 6 likes

· see review

Mar 12, 2008

Mikaela rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

I'd like to propose this book as required reading for the course, Life. Make four simple agreements with yourself and living becomes so much easier, so much lighter:

1. Be impeccable with your word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word 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...more

like 11 likes

· see review

Oct 02, 2007

Jackye rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: those fighting against themselves.

Shelves: motivational, self-help

Ruiz used to be a surgeon, until he fell asleep at the wheel one night and crashed into a wall. He recalls being outside of his physical body pulling two people from the wreckage. The near-death experience woke Ruiz to the teachings of his people, The Totecs, and thus renewed his original commitment to learn the Four Agreements.

This book spoke to me on a universal level because its principles are in harmony with the methodology of many other transformational techniques, and most impo...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Jul 24, 2007

Illyria rated it

· review of another edition

I know this little book is the type of cliché self-help item that makes its way to the impulse-purchase-friendly shelves by the registers at Barns and Nobel around Christmas time and subsequently gathers dust on bookshelves across the nation unread by recipients because they are not the "type of person who reads self-help books."

But please don't judge this book by it's section.

The writing is a bit choppy and the use of repetition can be annoying initially, but ...more

like 6 likes

· see review

Jul 23, 2007

Renee rated it

· review of another edition

Positives:
-It's good to be reminded not to assume why people treat you a certain way. It is often not personal.
-I liked the thought that if you shouldn't take negative comments personally, you also shouldn't take positive comments personally. Trying to believe one side and not the other is contradictory, and our views of ourselves should be maintained on our own.
Negatives:
-I felt there was a lot of filler fluff and repitition.
-The author tried to simplify religi...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Mar 09, 2010

Brian rated it

· review of another edition

I came upon this book after reading an article in the Rolling Stone about Jeff Bridges. I liked the way he referenced it in relation to his life. I'm normally not one who can stomach much of things that are categorized under New Age (violation of Agreement #3: Don't make assumptions), but I found a few things here that were very helpful in thinking about problems my 23 year old son is facing and problems that I am facing in my own life. The crux of this book are the four "agreements"...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 27, 2010

Jessica rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: rr-book-group

I was surprised. I thought I would really like this book. A friend of mine told me the basic ideas were to be impeccable with your word, don't take things personally, don't make assumptions,and always do your best. To me, these sounded great: be honest, be forgiving, give others a chance to say what they think and try your best...or so I thought!

The ideas were actually more along the lines of: don't send out poisonous words that put spells on people, don't let others poison you with ...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Aug 23, 2008

Polly Trout rated it

· review of another edition

This is a sweet little book -- a few parts are overly naive or treacly, but on the whole it has good advice in a wholesome format. Ruiz claims this is ancient Toltec wisdom, a la Castaneda -- so check your scholarly skepticism at the door, because this is a very contemporary spiritual worldview filtered through dreamland and nostalgia for the "primitive" -- but frankly, that's a worldvuew I like so I'm not opposed to Ruiz promoting it with a bit of anthropological sleight of hand.
...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jun 23, 2008

Debs rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Debs by: Nella

Shelves: 2008, self-growth, nonfiction, philosophy, borrowed, recommended

There is plenty of soul searching and self examination that goes along with this one, due to, I believe, a point made in the first chapter. It is the idea that we agree with and therefore integrate beliefs into ourselves because we are too young to successfully rebel against them. Because they are engrained in us so strongly, they become our own personal "Book of Law" which may feel safe, but at the same time is our undoing because we can never live up to the perfection of those beli...moreThere is plenty of soul searching and self examination that goes along with this one, due to, I believe, a point made in the first chapter. It is the idea that we agree with and therefore integrate beliefs into ourselves because we are too young to successfully rebel against them. Because they are engrained in us so strongly, they become our own personal "Book of Law" which may feel safe, but at the same time is our undoing because we can never live up to the perfection of those beliefs.

Although I think it's fairly obvious that many of these beliefs are not constructive, it is hard to break free of them because they are a part of us, especially when it would mean coming around to a new way of thinking and being. So here I am, writing the review, but also rereading for the third time in a few days in an attempt to habituate my mind to some of these ideas, in the hopes that I may implement them, because I do believe they will lead to greater simplicity, and therefore clarity.

The Four Agreements are:
1) Be Impeccable With Your Word: Word here is literal, and also refers to any form of expression. The idea is that you say only what you mean and use your power toward the positive. Do not be negative toward yourself, or to others (it will in turn come back to you).

2) Don't Take Anything Personally: We tend to place great emphasis on self-importance, but people act in a certain way because of themselves, not because of you. Realizing this will help you be immune to the negativity of others.

3) Don't Make Assumptions: We get upset at people because "they should have known," but no one really knows what you are thinking. Simply by communicating about your wants and needs we can avoid unnecessary drama, disappointment and heartache.

4) Always Try Your Best: It may vary from day to day, but knowing that you've done your best, whatever the circumstances will help you avoid self-judgement and self-abuse.

Now for the book itself. It's a small book and there is quite a lot of repetition, both good things for the reason stated above. It also smells really good (yes, I judge a book by its smell sometimes). The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because the religious aspect and the prayers at the end really irritated me; I think the Four Agreements could have stood perfectly on their own without it.

All in all, this is an absolutely wonderful book, and a real eye opener. Much more than a typical self-help book, and a book that I recommend to everyone who wants to become more aware of themselves and their surroundings, and find a new viewpoint that will lead to a happier, kinder life.
(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 06, 2008

Claudia rated it

· review of another edition

This quick read was interesting in that I gained a new perspective on how others view the world. The book itself is quite simply written and very repetitive, and although brief, could have been about 1/8 the length to get the main points across. There are definitely some good takeaways that we should all apply to our lives. I always struggle with individualistic worldviews, even if the goal is to love others, so that might have been difficult for me to get past. Additionally, the book was sp...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Oct 30, 2007

Jamie F rated it

· review of another edition

I liked the concept of the four agreements. All good things to live by: Be impeccable with your words, Do not take anything personally, Do not make assumptions, and Do your best. With that said, I do not think this book was anything earth shattering. Instead of saying you are in control of your own life with your thoughts, he substituted the word dream for life. I think this was a lot of the same stuff over again...manifest destiny...you reap what you sow....if you believe you are great, yo...more

like 3 likes

· see review

May 09, 2008

Anita rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction-read

New age psycho babble that nearly had me giving up, but it was so short I persevered. The middle part was good how to change your life with the four agreements: speak impeccably, don't take things personally, do your best and some live each moment or something. Good stuff, but not ground breaking or earth shattering. We know all this stuff, but it is nice to be reminded and hopefully inspired to do better. Unfortunately it ended with more new age stuff. It's sort of a sandwich and just like an...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Jan 20, 2012

Sean rated it

· review of another edition

A few good but obvious tips for living better and thats about it.

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 18, 2008

Jess rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Jess by: My mom

The Four Agreements is an inspiring text that describes the ways in which human beings can live, love and enjoy life in its entirety. Through the compassion, understanding, respect and forgiveness that we impose on ourselves, we are able to reach a deeper understanding and acceptance for the people in our lives and how we treat them. I thought that this book was very encouraging and for those who are continually searching to be better human beings should share in the advice that Don Miguel Ruiz...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 26, 2012

Ariadna73 rated it

· review of another edition

Si, otra confesi�n m�s. Yo he le�do un mill�n de libros de autoayuda. Desde los nueve a�os (�y cu�nta agua ha corrido bajo el puente desde aquello!) mi pap� me matricul� en un curso que se llamaba "poder mental", que dictaba un tal Leandro G�mez, o algo as�. El hecho es que se hac�a el curso, y se le�a el libro del mismo nombre, y entonces uno se convert�a en un "super-humano" capaz de hacer cualquier cosa. �Me convert� en una "supergirl"?... Bueno, para m� que el curso necesit...more

· see review

Nov 28, 2011

Craig rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: self-improvement

An interesting read which examines the human spirit and psyche. The author's premise is that each person is programed (primed) from infancy to believe and adopt a certain set of beliefs (he/she is "domesticated"). These beliefs may be true or false, but they become our individual reality. Each person "buys into these beliefs" for good or bad (ie. we make "agreements" with ourselves). To the extent these beliefs are false and destructive to our happiness, the aut...more

· see review

Nov 15, 2011

Jeff rated it

· review of another edition

I liked it. It certainly isn't perfect for everyone, but it covers a complex issue in a simple and easy to read form. There aren't many books I read from cover to cover in two sittings like I did this one. On the negative side, I think some people are turned off by mysticism, and by the hierarchy of authority. The author uses both to frame his ideas in a cultural context...the "Toltec" part. I liked the cultural part myself. I've been to Teotihuacan and climbed the pyramids there...more

· see review

Nov 01, 2011

Mónica López rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Mónica by: Jean Pierre Lagrange

...se aparece mi jefe y me dice “Esta muy bueno en dos días lo termínanos Mía (su esposa) y yo”. Es un reto, pensé, y me lo traje a casa. Además tenía plazo de devolución. Una semana máximo. Ni modo de no regresárselo al jefe.

Al inicio da una breve descripción de los Toltecas, su ubicación en la historia, en el mapa y la filosofía que ellos practicaban. Este libro esta basado en su sabiduría. Es muy digerible, muy delgado. Son 153 páginas. La letra es grande. De repente se me hizo ...more...se aparece mi jefe y me dice “Esta muy bueno en dos días lo termínanos Mía (su esposa) y yo”. Es un reto, pensé, y me lo traje a casa. Además tenía plazo de devolución. Una semana máximo. Ni modo de no regresárselo al jefe.

Al inicio da una breve descripción de los Toltecas, su ubicación en la historia, en el mapa y la filosofía que ellos practicaban. Este libro esta basado en su sabiduría. Es muy digerible, muy delgado. Son 153 páginas. La letra es grande. De repente se me hizo como medio “fumado” porque nombra el infierno, el sueño del planeta, el libro de la ley. Términos que no comprendía y que aflojeraban mi lectura. Pero bueno, dije, de repente sufro de insomnio y pues de algo debe servir un libro. De perdida para provocarme sueño. Hasta que llegue al primer acuerdo. El autor empezó a “hablar en español”. Ejemplifico todo con situaciones de la vida cotidiana. Tanto fue mi interés que al día siguiente del primer acuerdo ya lo había terminado.

Les comparto un poco:

1. Se impecable con tus palabras.
• Las palabras son… el instrumento de la magia… pueden crear el sueño más bello o destruir todo lo que te rodea.
2. No te tomes nada personalmente
• Los seres humanos somos adictos al sufrimiento en diferentes niveles y distintos grados. Si tienes necesidad que te maltraten, será fácil que los demás lo hagan.
3. No hagas suposiciones
• Suponemos que los demás piensan, sienten, juzgan y maltratan como nosotros lo hacemos…es la razón por la cual nos da miedo ser nosotros mismos ante los demás, porque creemos que nos juzgaran, nos convertirán en sus victimas, nos maltrataran y nos culparán como nosotros mismos hacemos.
4. Haz siempre lo máximo que puedas
• No estás aquí para sacrificar tu alegría ni tu vida. Estás aquí para vivir, para ser feliz y para amar.
• La inacción es nuestra forma de negar la vida, y consiste en sentarse delante del televisor cada día durante años porque te da miedo estar vivo y arriesgarte a expresar lo que eres.

Al final, el libro, cierra con dos oraciones hermosas: una para la libertad y otra para el amor. Pensé en la larga lista de personitas que quiero y que se que si lo leyeran les mejoraría mucho la vida. Pero no debo suponer que les servirá mejor debo desarraigar mis viejos acuerdos y hacer de estos nuevo un hábito para mi vida y contagiarlos.

“Sea lo que sea que la vida te arrebate permite que se vaya”
(less)

· see review

Oct 31, 2011

Elyse rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, inspiration

I need to find some creative ways to think about refreshing my work/life/play balance. So I picked this up after spotting it on a shelf in my husband's study.

I do find that it was a timely reminder for me ~ in being impeccably true to ourselves with our words (and other enacted communication); in resisting the temptation to take everything too personally; in testing assumptions about what we believe. So, for the function that drew me to the text, it was a good read.

That said,...more

like 1 like

· see review

Sep 27, 2011

Lauren rated it

· review of another edition

This book was highly recommended by a coworker. I was pretty excited to get into it, but I soon realized the book was full of nonsensical fluff. I feel like the 100-some odd page book could be shortened to 10 pages. It's basically a reminder to people to stop being egocentric and assuming, and to be kind to yourself and others. I thought the examples were a bit irrelevant and unrealistic. I don't have the book in front of me, but there was one Secret-esque example that if you tell a friend he l...more

· see review

Sep 20, 2011

Tammy rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Tammy by: Julie, Robyn L

I have mixed feelings about this book. I thought there were some good messages spread throughout it but I had such a hard time getting past the author's writing style.

To me, it seemed like a lot of short sentences using similar words. For example, it starts, "What you are seeing and hearing right now is nothing but a dream. You are dreaming right now in this moment. You are dreaming with the brain awake. Dreaming is the main function of the mind, and the mind dreams 24-hour...more

· see review

Sep 11, 2011

Margo Kelly rated it

· review of another edition

I've read this book probably four times now. I think it is a great book with great philosophies; however, I will always remember that I had highly recommended this book to a group of people, and one of them called me and told me how offended she was by the book (she didn't read more than 15 pages). And, she couldn't believe I would recommend a book that went against her/my/our religious beliefs.

Well ... here's my opinion: Truth is truth, and it is found in many places. Sometimes trut...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Aug 24, 2011

elham rezagholizadeh rated it

· review of another edition

حتما توصیه میکنم این کتاب و بخونید
چهار میثاق( کتاب خرد سرخپوستان تولتک)

این کتاب حاصل تجربیات و اندیشه های مردی است از تبار سرخپوستان آمریکای مرکزی. وی تحصیلات پزشکی خود را به پایان رسانید و در جراحی تخصص گرفت و کاملاً جذب زندگی متجدد شده بود که در اثر سانحه اتومبیل تجربه ای نزدیک به مرگ برایش پیش آمد و این تجربه زندگی او را متحول کرد او شروع به طرح پرسشهایی از خویشتن کرد و برای یافتن پاسخ ها به تمرینات شدیدی در جهت کسب مهارت در خرد باستانی اعقاب خویش پرداخت .
آنچه دون میگوئل ...moreحتما توصیه میکنم این کتاب و بخونید
چهار میثاق( کتاب خرد سرخپوستان تولتک)

این کتاب حاصل تجربیات و اندیشه های مردی است از تبار سرخپوستان آمریکای مرکزی. وی تحصیلات پزشکی خود را به پایان رسانید و در جراحی تخصص گرفت و کاملاً جذب زندگی متجدد شده بود که در اثر سانحه اتومبیل تجربه ای نزدیک به مرگ برایش پیش آمد و این تجربه زندگی او را متحول کرد او شروع به طرح پرسشهایی از خویشتن کرد و برای یافتن پاسخ ها به تمرینات شدیدی در جهت کسب مهارت در خرد باستانی اعقاب خویش پرداخت .
آنچه دون میگوئل روئیز می خواهد بگوید اینست که هریک از ما در قلمرو زندگی شخصی خویش قادریم باورهای منفی موروثی را بتدریج تغییردهیم و سهمی در تبدیل این «رویای دوزخی » به «رویای بهشتی» ایفا کنیم. وی معتقد است شما باید چهار میثاق را در زندگی خود اختیار کرده تا شاهد تحولات شگفت انگیزی باشید:
1) «با کلام خود گناه نکنید» ، چون کلام شما می تواند کل باور یک نفر را در مورد خودش در جهت مثبت یا منفی تغییر دهد
2) « هیچ چیز را به خود نگیرید » چون هیچکدام از کارهایی که دیگران می کنند به خاطر شما نیست وقتی که چیزی را به خود میگیرید خود را به رنج می اندازید و باور خود را تغییر می دهید بنابراین همواره به دنبال دل خود بروید
3) «تصورات باطل نکنید » زیرا در اینصورت تعارض درونی بسیاری ایجاد می کنید
4) « همیشه بیشترین تلاشتان را بکنید» در نتیجه زندگی پرشوری خواهید داشت و فعال و خلاق خواهید بود

(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Jul 08, 2011

Nannette rated it

· review of another edition

This is a life changing book. The theory presented is that hell is actually where we are living now, here on earth. Hell is something that we create with our minds, and is a part of the collective consciousness. The only way to escape this hell is to free yourself by rejecting these teachings.

The theories are so simple, but putting them into practice takes a little work. If you can follow these teachings, you will feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Read the su...moreThis is a life changing book. The theory presented is that hell is actually where we are living now, here on earth. Hell is something that we create with our minds, and is a part of the collective consciousness. The only way to escape this hell is to free yourself by rejecting these teachings.

The theories are so simple, but putting them into practice takes a little work. If you can follow these teachings, you will feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Read the summary below, and see what you think.

To summarize, here are the four agreements (taken from a review here at http://www.nderf.org/4AgreementsReview.h... These are not my words):

(1) Be Impeccable With Your Word. The broad scope of this concept is to avoid sin against yourself by what you think. Sinning against the self takes many forms: such as, putting yourself down, gossiping, or putting anybody else down because you don't agree with what they think. Actions and words need to be consistent as part of being impeccable with yourself. The other side of the coin is the smoky mirror concept. Ruiz 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.

(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. 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. What we think we understand about what someone says, how someone looks at us, what someone means by what they do, etc, may often not reflect reality at all, and more often than not lead us to think badly of ourselves or of others, and reinforce not being impeccable with our word.

(4) Always Do Your Best. Your "best" is a variable thing from moment to moment. "When you do your best, you don't give the Judge the opportunity to find you guilty or to blame you.” You can always say, “I did my best." There are no regrets. (p.80) 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. Inaction is sitting in front of the television every day for years because you are afraid to be alive and to take the risk of expressing what you are. Expressing what you are is taking action. You can have many great ideas in your head, but what makes the difference is the action. Without action upon an idea, there will be no manifestation, no results, and no reward." (p.82)

(less)

· see review

Jul 07, 2011

The Abeyant rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: finished

The message that the book is trying to establish is a good one, though it may often seem to be common knowledge. Many people have trouble actually executing what the author calls "agreements." I'm not a fan of his terminology, it's a little too new-age for me (The Victim, The Judge), but I suppose he needs to do this in order to have SOMETHING to call it, and to help people separate their critical voice from themselves.

Another book, Flow, has a similar feel to the philosoph...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jun 02, 2011

Chris rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

I never thought I would fall for a book by someone who would allow this picture of himself to adorn the back cover:

I can't explain it. I'm not one to be floored by silly, little self-help books full of spirituality and cliches and horrible stories and simple advice. But I was. This book might just change my life.

I'll hand the rest of this review over to David Foster Wallace:

"It seems to me that the intellectualization and aestheticizing of...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Apr 26, 2011

Scott rated it

· review of another edition

This book was lent to me by my mindfulness teacher. It was very a very easy, short read. It reminded me of the book "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen. It had a American Indian (Toltec) spiritualism as its base that made it so fascinating and almost fantastic.

"It advocates personal freedom from agreements and beliefs that we have made with ourselves and others that are creating limitation and unhappiness in our lives. Ultimately, it is about finding one's own integrity, ...moreThis book was lent to me by my mindfulness teacher. It was very a very easy, short read. It reminded me of the book "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen. It had a American Indian (Toltec) spiritualism as its base that made it so fascinating and almost fantastic.

"It advocates personal freedom from agreements and beliefs that we have made with ourselves and others that are creating limitation and unhappiness in our lives. Ultimately, it is about finding one's own integrity, self-love, and peace by way of absolving oneself from responsibility for the woes of others." - I think this summarized it succinctly.

It painted the idea of fear as a main factor that makes our lives very complicated and unpleasant. Specifically it showed comments that we and others make as either poison or good. Either way most comments are judgements of others which are brought about by fear. I felt it focused on being honest with yourself on what and who you are and to reject the constructs of society when they hurt you when they are based on fear.

Love was to be the focus of life and as soon as one realizes that, is the sooner that it becomes worth living. There was so much more on love but I can explain all the ideas, you will have to read it yourselves. I'm going to buy the book soon so I can reference it.

The four agreements were very useful in understanding what holds us back from being better persons.

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word.
2. Don't Take Anything Personally.
3. Don't Make Assumptions.
4. Always Do Your Best.

One of my favorite parts of the books were the prayers, mostly because it recapped what I had just read, reminding me of the commitments I would be trying to make with the four agreements, but in a more specific way.

I especially enjoyed the perspective of the Angel of Death. It needs to be embraced, because it is inevitable since we never know when it will come. When it is embraced it will remind us of our mortality and that life is too short to hold grudges or not love everyone. So I hope to make the Angel of Death a friend.

The author explained that it is not something that is easy, being able to follow all four agreements. However, it is possible to just work on them and then allow yourself to get better at them with practice. It is not easy, but it is worth it. That seems to be the theme of life. Enlightening book, even if Oprah agrees.(less)

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 913 914 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Life changing.	10	80	Sep 11, 2011 06:50pm
Covenant of UU Pa...: Has anyone read The Four Agreements?	1	3	Sep 05, 2011 03:38pm

combine
Other Editions (31)

More editions...

Genres

Non Fiction

227 users

Self Help

154 users

Spirituality

140 users

Philosophy

61 users

Inspirational

40 users

Psychology

31 users

Religion

27 users

Book Club

17 users

Spirituality > New Age

13 users

Self Help > Personal Development

11 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Miguel Ruiz

The tools shared by don Miguel are based on common sense and shared with such simplicity, that the universal message underlying his teaching is recognized by many. don Miguel's message is simple, practical and when implemented, even incrementally, changes lives.

In the tradition of the Toltec, a Nagual guides an individual to personal freedom. Combining new insights with old wisdom, do...more

More about Miguel Ruiz...

Books by Miguel Ruiz

The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship --Toltec Wisdom Book

The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace

The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery

Beyond Fear: A Toltec Guide to Freedom and Joy - The Teachings of Don Miguel Ruiz

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Four Agreemen...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Four Agreements: A...

“The Four Agreements
1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don’t take anything personally.
3. Don’t make assumptions.
4. Always do your best. ” — 88 people liked it

“Whatever happens around you, don't take it personally... Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves.” — 83 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Four Agreemen...

Herriman Hot Tub Book Club

16 members

last activity Jan 24, 2012 07:11pm

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
avg rating	preview: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom Goodreads rating: 3.94 (19569 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1058481.The_Four_Agreements?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180626395m/1058481.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1058481.The_Four_Agreements?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz[/url]

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website