The Four Agreements

The Four Agreements is a book by Don Miguel Ruiz that outlines four principles for living a happy and fulfilling life. The first agreement is to be impeccable with your word, meaning to speak with integrity and only say what you mean. The second agreement is to not take anything personally, recognizing that other people's actions are not a reflection of you. The third agreement is to not make assumptions, and instead ask questions and seek clarity. The fourth agreement is to always do your best, recognizing that your best will vary from day to day. By following these agreements, Ruiz believes that individuals can achieve personal freedom and happiness.

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

• There is something in our minds that judges everybody and everything, including the weather, the dog, the cat — everything.
• But nobody abuses us more than we abuse ourselves, and it is the Judge, the Victim, and the belief system that make us do this.
• Personal importance, or taking things personally, is the maximum expression of selfishness because we make the assumption that everything is about “me.”
• You are never responsible for the actions of others; you are only responsible for you. When you truly understand this, and refuse to take things personally, you can hardly be hurt by the careless comments or actions of others.
• We make all sorts of assumptions because we don’t have the courage to ask questions.
• We make the assumption that everyone sees life the way we do. We assume that others think the way we think, feel the way we feel, judge the way we judge, and abuse the way we abuse. This is the biggest assumption that humans make
• The first three agreements will only work if you do your best. Don’t expect that you will always be able to be impeccable with your word. Your routine habits are too strong and firmly rooted in your mind. But you can do your best. Don’t expect that you will never take anything personally; just do your best. Don’t expect that you will never make another assumption, but you can certainly do your best.
• If you have the awareness that the whole drama of your life is the result of what you believe, and what you believe is not real, then you can begin to change it